Visiting Assistant Extension Educator in Land Use

INTRODUCTION We seek an individual whose professional skills and abilities can provide statewide outreach and training to land use commissioners and others on issues related to land use planning and decision making. This position (Visiting Assistant Extension Educator in Land Use) will lead the award-winning Land Use Academy in the Center for Land Use Education and Research, advance the Center’s mission of supporting communities in balancing growth and natural resource protection, and have the opportunity to contribute to efforts to connect undergraduates with community extension work. The ideal candidate will have professional, municipal-level experience in land use planning, an understanding of community resilience in extreme weather events, and experience in outreach or teaching on these topics. This non-tenure track faculty level position reports to the Head of the Department of Extension, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Duties And Responsibilities The successful incumbent will:

• Develop and implement Extension programs to provide information, education, and technical assistance to community land use decision makers on a wide range of planning topics, including comprehensive planning, open space planning, conducting community resource inventories, economic development, affordable housing, resilience, and roles and responsibilities of land use commissioners. This work will include, but is not limited to: developing Extension education programs, tools and materials for land use decision makers and other audiences, including workshops (formal and informal), publications, and web information; evaluation of programs; and writing of grant proposals and project reports;
• Lead the Land Use Academy (LUA), a UConn CLEAR outreach program that focuses on basic and advanced training for land use commissioners;
• Work with the CT State Office of Policy and Management (OPM), the CT Chapter of the American Planning Association, CT Bar Association, and related agencies to identify and meet the needs of land use commissioners in complying with new mandated land use training requirements;
• Assist with efforts to connect undergraduate students with outreach to municipalities on land use and resilience issues;
• Assist in developing and delivering outreach programs focused on natural resource protection, farmland protection and access, housing availability and other pressing issues;
• Support and enhance access to online training courses, including required training by CT DEEP; and,
• Integrate the LUA training program with other CLEAR research and outreach programs, with the Connecticut Sea Grant program, and with existing and new partner organizations involved with training local officials.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in land use planning, natural resources, environmental management, or related discipline;
• Two years’ professional experience in a field related to land use planning, preferably as a town, regional or consulting planner;
• Demonstrated experience with municipal land use issues, roles, and responsibilities;
• Demonstrated experience with the connection between land use activities and sustainability;
• Demonstrated communication skills, including public speaking and writing of educational materials;
• Interpersonal skills;
• Demonstrated experience working as a member of a diverse project team, as well as experience working independently;
• Experience with standard office word processing, spreadsheet and internet browsing software.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working directly with local land use commissioners or other officials on community planning issues, including economic development, housing, resiliency, and natural resource protection;
• Experience in developing and delivering effective educational materials, workshops and presentations;
• AICP certified planner;
• Experience with land use planning and policy in Connecticut;
• Demonstrated experience in resiliency planning at the local level;
• Demonstrated successful experience in grant writing;
• Experience as funded project director/manager;
• Experience in teaching;
• Experience with Geographic Information Systems/geospatial technologies;
• Experience with Cooperative Extension or similar non-advocacy, research-based, educational programming;
• Experience with developing online training materials and courses.

APPOINTMENT TERMS This is a visiting full-time, 11-month, non-tenure track position with an anticipated start date of August 22, 2026. This is currently a grant-funded position with annual review. The successful candidate will work primarily at the University of Connecticut’s Middlesex County extension office located in Haddam, CT, with occasional travel to the Storrs Campus, other extension centers, and elsewhere in the state.

The selected incumbent will be required to travel to meeting sites, including some out-of-state travel, and work a flexible schedule, which may include occasional evenings and weekends, to reach target audiences.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.

TO APPLY Please apply online at Faculty and Staff Positions, Search #499671 and submit the following application materials:

• A cover letter,
• Curriculum vitae,
• Name and Contact information for 3 professional references.

Job will be open until position is filled.