Vice President for Engagement and Extension

Buffkin / Baker•Manhattan, KS

28d•Onsite

About The Position

Kansas State University seeks a dynamic and experienced leader to serve as the new Vice President for Engagement and Extension. The Vice President for Engagement and Extension reports directly to the President of Kansas State University and serves as a member of the President's Cabinet. This position provides executive leadership and strategic oversight for the following functional units: Office of External Engagement, Kansas State University Extension, Office of Government Relations, and Office of Economic Development. The Vice President maintains close internal working relationships with the Provost and Executive Vice President, Dean of the College of Agriculture/Director of the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Vice President for Research, Vice President for Communications and Marketing, KSU Foundation, K-State Alumni Association, K-State Athletics, and Academic College Deans.

Requirements

An earned advanced degree (master's or doctoral level) from an accredited institution in public administration, political science, agricultural sciences, higher education administration, communications, business, or a closely related field.
A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in university engagement, government relations, economic development, or a closely related function in a higher education, government, or comparably complex organizational setting.
Demonstrated success in developing and managing relationships with elected officials, government agencies, and legislative bodies at the state and/or federal level.
Proven ability to lead and inspire diverse teams of professionals in a complex, decentralized university environment.
Outstanding communication skills, including public speaking, legislative testimony, and written advocacy, with the ability to represent K-State effectively to multiple audiences.
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain productive working relationships with peer senior leaders across a complex organization with shared but distinct portfolios.
Deep understanding of land-grant university mission, values, and the role of public universities in advancing the public good.
Demonstrated commitment to inclusive excellence, access, and the equitable distribution of university resources and opportunities.

Nice To Haves

A doctoral degree in a relevant discipline, with the potential for tenure in an appropriate academic department.
Prior experience at a land-grant university in a senior leadership capacity in Extension, engagement, government relations, or economic development.
Direct experience with the Kansas Legislature, Kansas Board of Regents, and/or Kansas state agencies.
Familiarity with federal policy, sponsored funding programs, and federal agencies that support research, extension, workforce development, innovation, and community engagement relevant to land-grant universities (e.g., USDA, Department of Education, Department of Defense, NSF, NIH and other federal partners).
Experience working at the intersection of university research enterprise functions and governmental or external affairs, with an understanding of industry partnership and technology commercialization frameworks.
Familiarity with Cooperative Extension administration and the Smith-Lever and Hatch Act funding frameworks that underpin land-grant engagement missions.
Experience with the APLU Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities program or comparable economic development frameworks.
Knowledge of K-State's current strategic plan (Next-Gen K-State) and the university's engagement enterprise.
Established networks in Kansas agriculture, business, and civic communities.
Experience working with university foundations, alumni associations, and other external partners to advance university priorities.

Responsibilities

Lead and advance a comprehensive, integrated university engagement strategy that reflects K-State's commitment to reciprocal, mutually beneficial partnerships with communities, industries, organizations, and individuals across Kansas and nationally.
Serve as a university liaison and advocate for K-State Extension's statewide engagement mission, coordinating with the Dean of the College of Agriculture to align Extension priorities with broader university engagement and government relations strategies.
Serve as the President's principal liaison with external stakeholders — including community leaders, legislators, industry executives, civic organizations, alumni, and strategic partners — to facilitate initiatives and partnerships with significant local, state, national, and international impact.
Partner closely with the Vice President for Research and the corporate engagement team to identify, develop, and advance strategic industry relationships that serve both the university's research enterprise and its broader economic development mission.
Ensure that government relations and external engagement activities are aligned with and amplify the university's corporate engagement priorities.
Work with the Provost and Executive Vice President to foster a culture of engaged scholarship across academic units, supporting faculty and staff in connecting research, teaching, and service to real-world community needs and co-creating knowledge with public and private partners.
Partner with the KSU Foundation, the K-State Alumni Association, and K-State Athletics to amplify engagement opportunities, coordinate stakeholder outreach, and advance the Next-Gen K-State strategic plan.
Represent K-State in national higher education associations, including the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), the Engagement Scholarship Consortium, and other peer networks to advance the university's engagement mission and national profile.
Develop and maintain systems for tracking, measuring, and communicating the university's community and stakeholder engagement outcomes and impact.
Serve as K-State's chief governmental affairs officer, directing the university's comprehensive legislative and regulatory advocacy strategy at the Kansas Legislature, the Kansas Board of Regents, the Governor's Office, and with the United States Congress and federal agencies.
Represent K-State's interests and legislative priorities with state and federal elected officials and their staffs, ensuring that the university speaks with one coordinated, strategic voice in all governmental interactions.
Lead the Office of Government Relations, providing direction and mentorship to professional government relations staff and maintaining university protocols that ensure all official governmental contacts are appropriately coordinated.
Develop, monitor, and advocate for K-State's annual state and federal budget priorities, including appropriations for Education and General operations, Public Service and Agriculture programs, research funding streams, and capital projects.
Identify, monitor, and proactively respond to state and federal legislation, regulatory changes, and policy initiatives that affect K-State's operations, mission, and strategic goals — including those with implications for agricultural research, K-State Extension, higher education policy, research funding, and workforce development.
Maintain K-State's relationships within the Kansas congressional delegation and with key federal agencies, particularly the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and other research-funding partners, in close coordination with the Vice President for Research.
Work collaboratively with the Vice President for Research to align federal relations activities with the university's research, innovation, and corporate engagement priorities, presenting a unified K-State voice on policy and funding matters at the federal level.
Coordinate with the Kansas Board of Regents and peer institution government relations offices to advance shared higher education policy priorities in Kansas and nationally.
Lead and develop the K-State Advocates program and related grassroots legislative engagement efforts, mobilizing faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners as effective advocates for K-State's public policy agenda.
Provide leadership in emergency legislative and regulatory response when critical policy developments require rapid, coordinated university action.
Ensure full compliance with applicable lobbying regulations, conflict-of-interest policies, and university protocols governing all governmental relations activities.
Lead the university's strategic economic development agenda, working in close partnership with the Vice President for Research to position K-State as a driver of business attraction, innovation, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and community prosperity throughout Kansas and the region.
Serve as the primary external-facing university liaison for economic development partnerships with the Governor's Office, the Kansas Department of Commerce, the Kansas Legislature's economic development committees, regional economic development organizations, industry associations, and chambers of commerce — ensuring that K-State's corporate engagement capabilities, research assets, and extension resources are effectively communicated and deployed in support of Kansas economic growth.
Coordinate the Office of Economic Development and ensure alignment of university economic development activities with the state of Kansas's economic priorities, including agriculture, food systems, manufacturing, energy, and the biosciences.
Partner with the Vice President for Research, KSU Research Foundation (KSURF), and the corporate engagement team on business attraction, technology commercialization, and industry partnership development, serving as a government relations and external engagement bridge between K-State's research enterprise and Kansas's economic development infrastructure.
Advance K-State's role in the APLU Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities framework, coordinating comprehensive self-assessment, strategic planning, and reporting for the university's IEP designation.
Champion K-State's innovation infrastructure — including the Edge Collaboration District, the Agriculture Innovation Initiative facilities (the L. Eldon Gideon Agronomy Research and Innovation Complex, the Western Star Global Grain and Food Center, the BIVAP Innovation Center, and the Bilbrey Family Event Center), and related assets — as tools for economic development and partnership in coordination with the Vice President for Research.
Develop and communicate compelling narratives about K-State's economic impact for use with legislators, state officials, media, and community partners, grounded in data and economic impact analyses.
Lead the development of regular economic impact studies and data-driven analyses that demonstrate K-State's value to Kansas communities and businesses, the Legislature, and the public.