The Bureau of Labor Education, established in 1966, is a department within Cooperative Extension. The Bureau provides the working people of Maine with information and knowledge necessary to make sense of their place in history and the economic, political, and social environment in which they live and work.  

The Labor Education Professional supports the mission of the Bureau of Labor Education by providing specialized educational programs for organized and unorganized workers through research, writing, non-credit teaching, presentations, grant writing, and outreach to workers and organized labor.  

Educational programming is often in accomplished partnership with labor unions and non-profit organizations and may involve other academic departments within the university system. The position will prepare educational programs for academic students, workers and worker organizations on a wide variety of subjects, recent examples include collective bargaining, contract maintenance, grievance handling, arbitration, union administration, conflict resolution, federal and state anti-discrimination and equal opportunity law, labor law, contract costing, labor history and Robert’s Rules of Order. The position conducts labor related research in support of the Bureau’s labor education mission and maintains a liaison with labor organizations throughout Maine. Typical hiring range for this position is $47,000 to $55,000 commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Complete Job Description

The University of Maine is a community of more than 11,900 undergraduate and graduate students, and 2,500 employees located on the Orono campus, the regional campus in Machias, and throughout the state. UMaine is a land, sea and space grant university, and maintains a leadership role as the University of Maine System's flagship institution. UMaine is the state's public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, dedicated to providing excellent teaching, research and service for Maine, the nation and the world. More information about UMaine is at umaine.edu. 

The University of Maine offers a wide range of benefits for employees including, but not limited to, tuition benefits (employee and dependent), comprehensive insurance coverage including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and short and long term disability as well as retirement plan options. As a former NSF ADVANCE institution, the University of Maine is committed to diversity in our workforce and to dual-career couples.

UMaine is located in beautiful Central Maine. Many employees report that a primary reason for choosing to come to UMaine is quality of life. Numerous cultural activities, excellent public schools, safe neighborhoods, high quality medical care, little traffic, and a reasonable cost of living make the greater Bangor area a wonderful place to live. Learn more about what the Bangor region has to offer here.

Required:

• Minimum of a Master's Degree in a discipline or interdisciplinary field relevant to Labor Studies.
• Approximately 3-5 years of verifiable and related experience.
• Familiarity with the structure and function of U.S. labor organizations and the history of the labor movement.
• Adult education or undergraduate teaching experience.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Experience using spreadsheets and databases.
• Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, teach and evaluate non-credit educational programs for adult audiences.
• Sensitivity to a broad variety of diversity issues and comfort engaging in controversial topics with diverse audiences.
• Computer and educational technology skills.
• Ability to travel both in- and out-of-state, usually requiring a valid driver's license. 

Preferred:

• Experience working with labor unions, community organizing or non-profit organizations.
• Ability to use WordPress to maintain websites.
• Fluency in a second language.
• Working knowledge of Cooperative Extension services.
• Knowledge of or experience in grant writing.
• Demonstrated experience with community needs assessments.
• Demonstrated experience working with diverse audiences and knowledge of equal opportunity, affirmative action and civil rights policies.

Materials must be submitted via "Apply For Position" below. You will need to create a profile and application; upload:

1.) a cover letter which describes your experience, interests, and suitability for the position
2.) a resume/curriculum vitae
3.) contact information for three professional references

You will also need to submit the affirmative action survey, the self-identification of disability form, and the self-identification of veteran status forms. Incomplete application materials cannot be considered. Materials received after the initial review date will be reviewed at the discretion of the University.

Search Timeline is as follows:
Review of applications to begin: September 28, 2023
Screening interviews to begin no earlier than: October 12, 2023
On-site interviews to begin no earlier than: October 30, 2023
Tentative start date: December 1, 2023

For questions about the search, please contact search committee chair: Marc Cryer, Director, [email protected].

The successful applicant is subject to appropriate background screening.

In complying with the letter and spirit of applicable laws and pursuing its own goals of diversity, the University of Maine System does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, transgender status, gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship status, familial status, ancestry, age, disability physical or mental, genetic information, or veterans or military status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies: Director of Equal Opportunity, 127 Alumni Hall, Orono, ME 04469-5754, 207-581-1226, TTY 711 (Maine Relay System).