Home Horticulture Professional - York and Oxford County

The Home Horticulture Professional will coordinate, manage and collaborate with other Cooperative Extension staff and agencies to deliver home horticultural programs in York and Oxford Counties, which includes providing leadership to the Master Gardener Volunteers program in York and Oxford Counties. Typical hiring range for this position is $50,000 - $52,000 commensurate with qualifications and experience.
 

Complete Job Description

About the University:

The University of Maine is a community of more than 11,900 undergraduate and graduate students, and 2,500 employees located on the Orono campus, the regional campus in Machias, and throughout the state. UMaine is a land, sea and space grant university, and maintains a leadership role as the University of Maine System's flagship institution. UMaine is the state's public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, dedicated to providing excellent teaching, research and service for Maine, the nation and the world. More information about UMaine is at umaine.edu. 

The University of Maine offers a wide range of benefits for employees including, but not limited to, tuition benefits (employee and dependent), comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short and long term disability as well as retirement plan options.

UMaine is located in beautiful Central Maine. Many employees report that a primary reason for choosing to come to UMaine is quality of life. Numerous cultural activities, excellent public schools, safe neighborhoods, high quality medical care, little traffic, and a reasonable cost of living make the greater Bangor area a wonderful place to live. Learn more about what the Bangor region has to offer here.

About Cooperative Extension: 

Cooperative Extension is the doorway to UMaine expertise. For over 100 years, Extension has been putting university research to work in homes, businesses, farms, and communities — in every corner of Maine. These educational efforts focus on the Maine Food System and Positive Youth Development through 4-H programs. In addition to state offices in Orono, there is a network of county-based offices staffed by experts who provide practical, locally-based solutions for farmers, small business owners, kids, parents, consumers, and many others. Cooperative Extension strives to be an equitable, sustainable, purposeful and enjoyable place to work. We are interested in candidates who can contribute diverse experiences and perspectives to the department and campus.

Qualifications:

Required Knowledge and Skill Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in horticulture or closely related field.
• Demonstrated skill in designing and delivering educational programs.
• Experience with the Master Gardener Volunteers Program.
• Experience working with plants.
• Ability to communicate effectively using oral, written and electronic methods
• Computer proficiency with multiple Social Media platforms, e-mail and Microsoft office programs such as Power Point, Word and Excel.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team; must be self-motivated and directed with the ability to achieve measurable results.
• Ability to work collaboratively with other agencies and organizations.
• Volunteer management experience.
• Demonstrated management, organizational, and facilitation skills, including the ability to handle conflict
• Demonstrated customer service skills.
• The ability to obtain a State of Maine Private Pesticide Applicator's License within six months of hire is required.
• Ability to travel both in- and out-of-state, normally requiring a valid driver's license

Preferred Knowledge and Skill Qualifications:

• Master's degree in a horticultural discipline.
• Grant writing experience.
• Community education/teaching experience.
• Knowledge of Cooperative Extension and the Home Horticulture Program.
• Experience working with diverse audiences and supporting equal opportunity affirmative action and civil rights goals.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience.
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