Gardenline Outreach Program Specialist, College of Agriculture and Bioresou

at  University of Saskatchewan

GARDENLINE OUTREACH PROGRAM SPECIALIST, COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND BIORESOURCES

The Department of Plant Sciences and the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) invite applications for a 0.5 FTE position (April – September) in horticulture outreach and engagement, renewable annually. The USask Gardenline and Gardening at USask programs are unique: no comparable university-based horticultural outreach programs exist in Canada. Gardenline has been providing free, credible, non-biased, quality information continuously for 51 years. These are valued services with local, national, and international reach, raising the public profile of the university.
Primary Purpose: Gardenline answers questions from the public on a wide range of home gardening issues using applied science-based, best sustainable horticulture practices, supporting a healthy garden ecosystem.
Nature of Work: The Gardenline outreach program operates annually between May and September with an April offline start date for preparation. Occasionally, candidates may be asked to travel for outreach and engagement activities.
Typical Duties or Accountabilities: Historically, Gardenline answered questions solely by phone. This has evolved to the current multiple contact methods including responding to request forms by email or by phone, populating the gardening.usask.ca website information base (development of factsheets, videos), and posting weekly social media posts (Facebook, Instagram). The candidate is expected to answer questions through these various methods in a timely manner, update/develop written material/videos, and post weekly horticulture information of interest through social media. In addition, the candidate must collect information for the database and write the annual report. All requests are documented including demographic/geographic information, question(s) and the answer(s) produced by Gardenline, number of social media followers and website views.
Education: The position requires either a degree in Horticulture Science, or a degree in another field combined with either the Prairie Horticulture Certificate (PHC) or Master Gardener Certificate.
Licenses: Candidates must be eligible for membership in the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrologists (https://sia.sk.ca/).
Experience: Extensive gardening experience and knowledge of video production/editing are assets.
Skills: The candidate must possess excellent verbal/written communication and interpersonal skills, and have an aptitude for diplomacy.
Department: Plant Sciences
Status: Term
Employment Group: Research Positions - Non-union
Full Time Equivalent (FTE): 0.50
Salary: The starting salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
Salary Phase/Band: Salary Band 4
Posted Date: 12/2/2024
Closing Date: 1/30/2025
Number of Openings: 1
Work Location: On Campus
The University is committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion, and are proud to support career opportunities for Indigenous peoples to reflect the community we serve. We are dedicated to recruiting individuals who will enrich our work and learning environments. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. We are committed to providing accommodations to those with a disability or medical necessity. If you require an accommodation to participate in the recruitment process, please notify us and we will work together on the accommodation request. We continue to grow our partnerships with Indigenous communities across the province, nationally, and internationally and value the unique perspective that Indigenous employees provide to strengthen these relationships. Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship at the University of Saskatchewan is led and determined by the deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapwewin: Indigenous Truth policy and Standing Committee in accordance with the processes developed to enact the policy. Successful candidates that assert Indigenous membership/citizenship will be asked to complete the verification process of Indigenous membership/citizenship with documentation. The University of Saskatchewan’s main campus is situated on Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Métis. We pay our respects to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirm our relationship with one another. Together, we are uplifting Indigenization to a place of prominence at the University of Saskatchewan

Please refer the Job description for details