Extension County Specialist, 4-H Youth Development, Douglas County

Position Summary

This is a full-time, twelve (12) month, non-tenure track Extension faculty position. Faculty rank is dependent upon the candidate's academic credentials and professional experience and is subject to review by the Extension Promotion Committee. The faculty appointment, evaluation, and promotion standards are centered around the three core duties of extension faculty educate, create, and connect. Candidates are sought with interests that complement and expand upon current initiatives and education activities in OEE and CSU Extension.

The Douglas County 4-H program is one of the largest traditional club programs in Colorado, with over 530 current youth members and approximately 220 adult volunteers. Increasing youth life and leadership skills through the 4-H program is the primary community aim associated with this position. In addition to this position, members of the 4-H team include a 4-H Youth Animal Science & Equine Specialist, three extension Program Coordinators, and a Horticulture/Natural Resources Specialist. Existing programs within Douglas County 4-H include numerous 4-H Livestock, Equine, General, and Family & Consumer projects as well as out-of-school programming. The Extension staff in Douglas County consists of 7 staff members. To learn more about Douglas County Extension, go to .

This individual works under the guidance and supervision of the Douglas County Extension Director. They also work as a member of the Douglas County Extension team, the Douglas County 4-H team, and as a local representative of Colorado State University. This position provides leadership, guidance, direction and educational programming related to general projects (Communication Arts a& Leisure Sciences, Family and Consumer Sciences, Natural Resources, and Mechanical Sciences) to support the 4-H youth development program in Douglas County. This individual will have programmatic responsibility for general projects, with the possibility of taking on additional work dependent on need, interest, and other factors. Other duties include: carrying out 4-H responsibilities at the county fair, representing 4-H at Douglas County Fair Board meetings, coordinating education for 4-H Ambassadors, 4-H councils, general volunteer development and management, and making contributions as needed to youth member recruitment, out-of-school programming, college and career prep, and state fair. This individual is expected to work closely with key volunteer leaders in general projects, assess and account for volunteer input in decision making and to empower volunteers as appropriate. The individual will manage relationships with the state 4-H team, CSU Extension and campus faculty, The Douglas County Fair Board and Staff, and other important partners. The individual will be responsible for evaluating and reporting programmatic impacts. An individual in this position may occasionally provide guidance to the broader (non-4-H) Douglas County community and will be responsible for other duties as assigned.

Every person in the Douglas County Extension Office is expected to assist with answering phones, walk-ins, and other customer service to help maintain office function.

The primary office location for this position is the Douglas County Extension Office in Castle Rock, Colorado. While this position is eligible for hybrid work arrangement, the individual in this position is expected to report for work at the Extension Office to effectively carry out the duties of the position. The work schedule will vary, and frequent evening and weekend work will be necessary. Time can be flexed to maintain a 40-hour work week. The Douglas County Extension Office is open to the public Monday through Thursday, 8 am to 5 pm. Fridays are a flexible day to balance life, and work demands or work from home, as appropriate. Regular travel within the County and infrequent travel outside of the county is required.

Essential Job Duties

• Plan, develop, deliver, evaluate, and report on 4-H educational programs to members, volunteers and other audiences.
• Work collaboratively with local government and organizational partners, including developing strong working relationships with the Douglas County staff, elected officials, and other key stakeholders.
• Manage 4-H volunteers by training, guiding, recognizing, facilitating decision-making, leading conflict resolution, and corrective actions as appropriate.
• Work collaboratively as part of the Douglas County 4-H team, including attending team meetings, participating in discussions and facilitated decision-making, contributing to event management, managing a team budget and pursuing funding opportunities.
• Actively participate in state 4-H work teams, meetings, and collaborative efforts to take advantage of and contribute to opportunities and to understand and meet statewide 4-H programmatic expectations.
• Conduct activities related to the preparation and execution of County Fair by liaising with the Douglas County Fair Board and Fair Staff as well as coordinating the use of County facilities.
• Communicate clearly verbally and in writing to colleagues, external stakeholders, volunteers, and 4-H families, including responding in a timely manner.
• Assess the needs of the 4-H community through meetings with key leaders, other volunteers and youth, as well as conducting surveys, program evaluations, and other assessment methods.

Conditions of Employment

• Pre-employment Criminal Background Check (required for new hires).
• Must have a valid driver's license or the ability to obtain a driver's license or access to a licensed driver by the employment start date.
• The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the United States by the proposed start date; Extension will not sponsor a visa for this position.

Supervision

No supervision responsibilities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Completed bachelor's degree. Conferred degree must be in education, family and consumer sciences, agriculture, or a closely related field.
• Course work and/or professional experience must provide a broad and significant understanding of youth development.
• 2+ years of professional experience relevant to the Essential Job Duties of this position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Completed master's degree. Conferred degree must be in education, family and consumer sciences, agriculture, or a closely related field.
• Professional experience in youth education and development.
• Professional experience in adult volunteer development, leadership, and management.
• Demonstrated experience and/or certifications in managing conflict, mediating outcomes, and facilitating group discussion/decision making.
• Demonstrated experience in evaluating and reporting results of programs.

For full consideration, all materials must be RECEIVED no later than 12:00 AM Mountain Time on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Please submit the following to apply:

• CV (not a resume) - Creating a Curriculum Vitae (CV) - Career Center
• Cover Letter
• Special Required Documentation Statement (no more than 5 pages) of how you meet all applicable "Required" and "Preferred" Job Qualifications. Please respond to each bullet point separately.

For questions regarding the application process, contact the OEE HR Unit at View email address on click.appcast.io. For questions regarding the job vacancy, responsibilities, and salary, please contact Guinevere Nelson @ View email address on click.appcast.io.

Salary Range

$55,000-$87,000

Required Application Documents

To apply, please upload the following applicant documents. Ensure your materials fully address the required and preferred job qualifications of the position. Please note, applicants may redact information from their application materials that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

Cover Letter, Resume/CV, Special Required Documentation

Employee Benefits

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