The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public land-grant research university committed to excellence in teaching, research, and public engagement. The Outreach & Communication Lead will manage communication and outreach activities, support program coordination, and maintain relationships with farmers and stakeholders in Illinois.
Responsibilities
- Develop clear, accessible outreach materials such as summaries of nutrient management research and recommendations, newsletters, and website and social media content
- Translate technical or scientific content into formats for diverse audiences, with particular emphasis on farmers and crop advisors
- Produce short, easily digestible video clips for web, presentations, and social media platforms
- Prepare meeting materials, agendas, minutes, and follow-up actions
- Work closely with iSEE communication and Extension staff to ensure smooth distribution of communication materials
- Collaborate with web developers to maintain an accessible online presence
- Prepare and deliver public speaking presentations
- Cultivate existing and initiate new relationships with commodity groups, grower associations, Illinois Extension, industry partners, and conservation organizations
- Facilitate communication between stakeholders, the advisory committee, and the co-leads to ensure INSA remains farmer-focused
- Lead planning, coordination, and delivery of outreach efforts, including workshops and field days
- Represent INSA at events to strengthen visibility and engagement with the agricultural community
- Support the Executive Manager in day-to-day program operations of INSA
- Coordinate schedules, meetings, and communications among research teams, partner organizations, and the INSA Advisory Board
- Assist the Executive Manager in preparing progress reports and tracking program evaluation metrics
- Perform other duties that contribute to the mission of INSA programming, as assigned
- Local, regional, statewide, and (limited) interstate travel required
Skills
- Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, radio/television broadcasting, web/digital media, or a related field
- One (1) year (12 months) of professional work experience in public relations, journalism, social media communications, newspaper reporting, radio/television broadcasting with emphasis on production, or web/digital media
- Demonstrated experience in agricultural research, agricultural outreach and/or agricultural extension
- MS degree in agricultural sciences, agricultural communications or marketing, agricultural business, agricultural engineering, environmental studies or sustainability, environmental engineering, or a related technical discipline
- Experience with on-farm research and/or outreach on nutrient management and agronomy
- Experience with planning educational events (e.g., field days, workshops)
- Experience with graphic design and video editing programs, including webinar skills
- Demonstrated experience preparing and delivering research presentations to non-scientific audiences
Benefits
- This position may be eligible for a hybrid or remote work arrangement dependent with unit operational needs.
- The university offers a highly competitive benefits package designed to support your well-being, growth, and financial security.
- This position is intended to be eligible for benefits . This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.
Company Overview
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is dedicated to building upon its tradition of excellence in education, research, public engagement and economic development. It was founded in 1915, and is headquartered in Champaign, IL, US, with a workforce of 10001+ employees. Its website is http://illinois.edu.