Now Hiring: Environmental Educator

Job Purpose

The Environmental Educator position is a full-time 1-year contract position of the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District. The position of Educator is housed at the District Office.

The Environmental Educator is assigned the responsibility of administering and promoting educational and outreach programs of the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District, as assigned by the Board of Supervisors. The major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to the incumbent’s involvement in and promotion of the Conservation Art & Writing Contests, National Conservation Poster Contests, Soil Stewardship Programs, Earth Day Events, Conservation Field Days, Recognition Award Ceremonies, Local Science Fairs, Kentucky Envirothon Program, Kentucky Agricultural Water Quality, assistance with 319 Grant Community Education & Engagement and Conservation Cost-Share programs.

The Environmental Educator will:

1. Use a hands-on approach to promote and implement environmental education studies within schools.

2. Coordinate opportunities and develop approaches to extend teacher training within the educational community.

4. As a part of the District’s overall program, the incumbent will coordinate the district’s involvement and assistance in a variety of programs and activities with the District Executive and the District Board.

6. Plan, construct, install, operate, and coordinate support for conservation exhibits and displays, as directed by the Board. Including Social Media marketing graphics for educational outreach classes and programming.

7. Have responsibility for promoting, managing and maintaining a supply of informational and educational materials that will be available for loan or distribution to educators and the public.

8. Actively seek opportunities to present information and conservation programs to public bodies, civic organizations, clubs and interest groups.

10. Initiate and direct a public information program through individual contacts, newspapers, T.V., radio, public appearances at civic groups, schools, meetings and other events.

11. Seek and secure grant funding to establish new educational and outreach programs and sustain existing programs.

12. Work to develop partnerships with Jefferson County and Louisville based organizations to assist in community educational and engagement programs and projects.

13. Administration tasks associated with educational outreach, including correspondence, record keeping, scheduling, time management, programming, planning, instruction, communications and development of outreach programs.

14. Maintain records, files and documentation as required to support district programs and activities.

15. Provide periodic updates to the Jefferson County Farm Bureau on outreach activities to landowners and farmers as well as agricultural educational initiatives.  I think this would be a good one to keep in as I’d like to redevelop our relationship with Farm Bureau and see if they would be interested in providing financial assistance for the Environmental Educator position, as they have in the past.

16. Represent the Soil and Water Conservation District in a professional and business-like manner and will keep the Board informed of planned activities and new initiatives.

17. Take care to avoid conflicts of interests, to document all monetary transactions to assure accountability, and to be honest in all dealings with the District Board, staff, and all persons and groups with which the Educator interacts.

Employment At Will

This is not a contract for employment, nor is any contract intended between the District and any employee. Employment with the District is considered “at will,” permitting either the employee or the District to end the relationship at each other’s own choice.

Qualifications

A bachelor's/master’s degree in the fields of earth science—agriculture/biology or education are desired. Equivalent experience and background will be weighed in lieu of degrees.

Required Skills

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

• Working knowledge of Google Suite products (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, etc.).

• Strong professional skills: timeliness in communications, collaboration with other staff, and maintenance of a professional environment.

• Knowledge of gardening/agriculture, environmental education, soils, plant growth, and water quality initiatives.

• Ability to develop educational materials such as brochures, flyers, and social media graphics. The ability to communicate conservation education effectively to the public, and in a manner suitable to a division of government is important.

• Ability to manage time independently with little direct oversight, to coordinate events, and to file reports promptly.

Physical Requirements

This position requires some work outdoors. Applicants should be able to stand for extended periods of time and lift objects up to 50 (fifty) pounds unassisted.

Pay & Benefits

This is a full-time 1-year contract position with a salary of $60,000. No benefits will be provided.