Regional Roots Program Specialist

The Regional Roots Program Specialist will lead the continued development, implementation, delivery, assessment, and expansion of Regional Roots: Culinary Training to Enhance School Meals with Local Foods, a flagship initiative of the Cornell Farm to School team within Cornell Cooperative Extension's Harvest NY program. The Specialist will manage program planning, statewide implementation, partner engagement, training logistics, budgets, and continuous quality improvement. They will work closely with contracted culinary subject matter experts and other technical partners who develop and deliver hands-on instruction, ensuring trainings are well coordinated, responsive to participant needs, and aligned with program goals.The Specialist will assess community and partner needs through surveys, focus groups, and other engagement strategies. They will use process and outcome evaluation to improve program quality, measure impact, and guide future development, and prepare reports that communicate accomplishments and meet sponsor and organizational requirements.Working with the Farm to School Support Specialist, the Specialist will coordinate communications and outreach by developing and editing program materials, success stories, research summaries, website and social media content, and other outreach materials that increase the program's visibility and share best practices. The Specialist will represent Regional Roots at meetings, conferences, and community events, building support for scratch cooking in school meals and increased procurement of New York-grown foods across the state.About the College, School, Unit or DepartmentThe College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)is a pioneer of purpose-driven science and Cornell University's second largest college. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education, and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: We believe that achieving next-generation scientific breakthroughs requires an understanding of the world's complex, interlocking systems. We believe that access to nutritious food and a healthy environment is a fundamental human right. We believe that ensuring a prosperous global future depends on the ability to support local people and communities everywhere. By working in and across multiple scientific areas, CALS can address challenges and opportunities of the greatest relevance, here in New York, across the nation, and around the world. Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE)provides the educational outreach functions for Cornell University's role as New York State's Land Grant University. Programmatically, Cornell Cooperative Extension connects the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the College of Human Ecology (CHE)with 55 off-campus Associations, Integrated Pest Management, New York State Sea Grant, Area Specialists, and CCE New York City. Harvest New York is an innovative Cornell Cooperative Extension team that focuses on workforce development and business expansion projects that increase profitability and investment in key sectors of New York's agriculture industry throughout the State. Harvest New York Specialists respond to emerging issues and develop new opportunities using the research of Cornell University (both in Geneva at Cornell AgriTech and the Ithaca campus), the resources of Cornell Cooperative Extension and relationships with partnering organizations statewide. The four project areas covered by Harvest New York are: Food and Beverage Systems, Urban Agriculture, Climate Resiliency, and Emerging Crops.Hours, Location, and TravelThis is a full-time, hybrid position based in New York State. The employee will typically work on-site two days per week at an agreed-upon location and may work remotely three days per week. The work location will be discussed with the selected candidate based on program