Field Specialist in Community Development - Jackson County, MO

Job Title Assistant/Associate/Full Extension Professional Location Kansas City, Missouri. Primarily serves Jackson, Clay, and Platte Counties in the Urban West Region, with additional service across the state as needed. Program Area Community Development Responsibilities Foster research‑based community leadership programming in all counties of responsibility and statewide. Leadership programs include Neighborhood Leadership Academy, Neighborhood Leadership Fellows, Youth Empowerment Project, Public Boards Training, and Build Your Board. Support community leaders with asset mapping, planning, resource development support, and resident empowerment tools. Develop new leadership programming and curriculum using data and evidence‑based models. Participate with the Extension engaged neighbor team. Collaborate with other Community Development specialists for statewide impact. Collaborate with various UM System departments and programs for interdisciplinary impact. Collaborate with external partners to broaden community impact. Assess, document, and evaluate programming. Actively pursue resources to support both local and organizational operations and programming through grants, contracts, gifts, fees, and partnerships. Other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support the mission and purpose of MU Extension. This position is a 12‑month, ranked, non‑tenure track appointment at the rank of assistant, associate, or full Extension Professional. Rank will be determined at the time of appointment based on qualifications and experience in accordance with MU Extension faculty standards. The working title will be Field Specialist in Community Development. Workload distribution: 90% Extension Teaching and 10% Traditional Service. The appointment is renewable annually at the discretion of the University and may change with leadership decisions. Circumstances affecting continued employment include work performance, fund availability, and educational priorities. Core Duties of MU Extension Specialists MU Extension Specialists deliver the University of Missouri to all Missourians by bringing research‑based solutions to local problems. They teach new and foundational concepts, link people to resources, support partner organizations, participate in research, train volunteers, evaluate programs, foster innovation, and serve communities. These duties fall into three major areas: Educate, Create, and Connect Educate: design, conduct, and evaluate educational programs; teach research‑based information via meetings, in‑person and online courses, continuing education classes, technical assistance, volunteer training, media, websites, consultation, and other educational methods. Create: develop innovative and research‑informed educational products, services, materials, and other scholarly works. These include curricula, publications, presentations, educational tools, websites, and similar resources. Connect: engage with learners, stakeholders, volunteers, and communities—county extension councils, government officials and agencies, partners, and University and professional organizations—to foster engaged partnerships and robust connections to the whole University of Missouri System. Professional Expectations Engage with councils, commissions, legislators, and stakeholders in all coverage counties to identify educational needs and collaborate with internal and external partners. Create an annual plan‑of‑work reflecting local needs and aligning with statewide program area efforts. Provide a monthly report of impact to county extension council, supervisors, county commissioners, and others. Attend at least one county extension council meeting each month and provide an oral update on program efforts. Collaborate with campus‑based specialists on research projects and deliver findings via demonstrations, field days, courses, workshops, consultations, publications, and appropriate media. Work with other specialists to serve the needs of the headquartered county, ensuring counties receive promotional materials in advance of programming. Effectively work with supervisors, other specialists, and local leaders to complete administrative tasks as needed. Demonstrate competency in communication, educational programming, subject matter knowledge, educational delivery, volunteer management, grant acquisition, teamwork, interpersonal relations, organization knowledge, leadership, and professionalism. Offer timely, research‑based information during times of natural disasters or similar events. Represent the University of Missouri on boards and committees as assigned. Participate in professional development events to improve technical and leadership skills. Other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support the mission of MU Extension. Additional Expectations MU Extension programs often occur outside normal business hours. Specialists should expect to attend these events as needed. MU Extension specialists travel regularly throughout Missouri and occasionally to out‑of‑state locations. Specialists must have a valid Missouri driver's license, a legally operating vehicle, and wireless telephone/data service for university use. Reimbursement for approved travel expenses is provided per MU policy. Qualifications Earned Ph.D. or master’s degree at the time of appointment. Coursework demonstrating knowledge of community processes, facilitation, and cultural competency. Degree in community development, community social work, regional or applied economics, urban/rural planning, or public administration. Effective, engaging, innovative program development and delivery in community settings. Demonstrated ability to facilitate research‑based community development knowledge in community settings. Years of experience in leadership development, local government, coalition and partnership building, community and organizational facilitation, community planning. Experience using data and mapping tools for community decision‑making. Expertise in building relationships with audiences. Strong listening, written, and oral communication skills. Ability to work collaboratively in teams and build partnerships, virtually and in person. Commitment to the mission and values of MU Extension. Salary Minimum starting salary of $58,000, with final salary determined by qualifications and experience. Application Materials Cover Letter Resume / CV Copies of all unofficial academic transcripts List of 3–5 references Contact View email address on click.appcast.io or call View phone number on click.appcast.io for questions about the online application process. For technical problems, contact View email address on click.appcast.io or call View phone number on click.appcast.io. Visa Sponsorship Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The University will not sponsor employment visas. Benefits This position is eligible for University benefits, including medical, dental, vision plans, retirement, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information, visit Equal Employment Opportunity The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA Accommodations To request ADA accommodations, please call the Director of Accessibility and ADA at View phone number on click.appcast.io. #J-18808-Ljbffr University of Missouri-Columbia