Lead Educator Position Description

Organizational Citizenship/Lead Educator Role (approximately 20%):

Serve in, contribute to, or support the Lead Educator role.  Coordinate with Engagement Zone Coordinator(s) and other Extension professionals locally and in accountability region to develop a robust Nebraska Extension presence.

  • Cooperate with local faculty and staff in a team environment to promote Extension’s educational opportunities and impact in the host county. 
  • Cultivate a culture of collaboration with local leaders and community members that builds positive relationships between the University and the community.
  • Support engagement of advisory or policy groups such as the Extension Board, Ag Society, or County Commissioners/Board of Supervisors.
  • Understand and adhere to Equal Employment Opportunities; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and Civil Rights compliance efforts. 
  • Serve in the following Lead Educator roles as described in the Roles and Responsibilities of the Lead Educator document found at https://myextension.unl.edu/ : (insert appropriate tasks, by ‘letter’, from Roles and Responsibilities Document here)

Roles and Responsibilities of the Lead Educator:

Lead Educators provide local leadership for the assigned county office(s) and serve as the local point of contact. The Lead Educator is appointed by the Engagement Zone Coordinator for a designated county or group of counties.

Duties of Lead Educators:

  1. Serve as the local point of contact for county and administrative communication in a designated county or group of counties. 
  2. Build relationships and engage local elected and department officials individually and in partnership with the EZC. (Commissioners, Supervisors, County Clerk, Health Department, Emergency Management, etc.) 
  3. Facilitate local Extension Board operations and communication. Support the Engagement Zone Coordinator in the development of leadership and advocacy skills with the Extension Board members.  
  4. Oversee office maintenance, renovations, technology and furniture acquisition, inventory, vehicle maintenance.   
  5. Facilitate effective two-way communication with Accountability Region Educators serving their geographic area for the purpose of addressing local critical issues. This includes coordination of regular Accountability Region Educator updates for extension advisory groups, county commissioners/supervisors, stakeholders, etc. of the latest educational opportunities and impacts. 
  6. Promote effective working relationships and teamwork among office team. Foster effective communication among office team members, including planning and leading regular office team meetings.  
  7. Hire and supervise local support staff and interns and support their professional development opportunities. Hire and co-supervise Extension Assistants, where appropriate, and support their professional development opportunities.  
  8. Provide leadership for the annual budget planning, accountability of financial operations, and IT audit/inventory in order to adhere to county, university and state regulations and “best management” practices. 
  9. Coordinate local Equal Employment Opportunities and Civil Rights compliance efforts. 
  10. Ensure annual completion of the following reports:
    1. County Annual Report as outlined by Nebraska State Statute 2-1606. 
    2. County or Unit Impact Reports for Extension Administration and Stakeholders.
    3. County Emergency Action Plan.   
  11. Such other responsibilities as the parties hereto may mutually agree. 

EZC Contributions to the Lead Educator Role: 

  • Be well-versed in the Lead Educator role with an understanding of the Roles and Responsibilities. Maintain regular communication with Lead Educators in order to offer real-time support and coaching. Provide leadership for individual Lead Educator on-boarding, training, and coaching.
  • Network with elected officials, advisory groups, and community stakeholders and provide them impact on the total extension program. Listen to stakeholders and engage them in conversations about their local needs. 
  • Support Lead Educators and Accountability Region, content-focused, Extension Educators assigned to their geographic areas in the following ways:
    • Aid in informing regional educators of critical local issues in their content area 
    • Communicate with Lead Educators and other Zone Coordinators to ensure content-focused programming is widespread in the region. 
    • Support Lead Educator in coordination of regional updates of extension advisory groups, county commissioners/supervisors, stakeholders, etc. of the latest educational opportunities. 
  • Provide leadership and coordination of extension efforts related to local disaster planning, mitigation, and recovery efforts for county offices. 
  • Support development of county impact reports for Extension Administration and Stakeholders
  • Set an example for effective working relationships and teamwork among staff. Support offices in teamwork development and communication skill development. 
  • Offer support and guidance for hiring and supervising office staff and Extension Assistants. 
  • Extension Board Support:
    • NACEB Relationships & Zone Coordination
      • Legislative Day 
      • Award Reminders 
      • Director Election 
    • Regional Extension Board leadership development and advocacy training, including Extension Board Orientation  
    • Cultivate consistency among Extension Boards