Assistant/Associate/Full professor

Montgomery County Maryland; Manhattan, Northern (KS, KY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Kansas State University’s Staley School of Leadership invites applications for a nine-month tenure-track professor (open rank) in Leadership Studies. We seek a scholar focused on leadership education, development, and civic leadership, with a forward-looking research program and a portfolio of teaching that advances innovative leadership education.

The successful candidate will teach undergrad courses in leadership and graduate courses in research methods, build a vibrant research agenda, advise

Qualifications

• Earned doctorate in leadership studies, leadership education, higher education, student development, or closely related field.
• ABD applicants with strong research/teaching record and degree completion plan by Jan 2027 or Aug 2027 preferred.
• Experience teaching undergraduate/graduate leadership courses and commitment to graduate faculty responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Teach undergraduate leadership courses (e.g., intro to leadership, culture/context of leadership).
• Teach graduate courses in research methods or topics related to LeadCOMM and leadership programs.
• Develop a forward-looking research agenda in leadership education and development.
• Advise graduate students and serve on dissertation committees after achieving graduate faculty status.
• Apply for internal/extramural research grants to support research/teaching.
• Engage in school, university, and community service and contribute to strategic initiatives.
• Foster a collegial, growth-minded faculty culture and collaborative governance.

Skills

Leadership education

Curriculum development

Research on leadership

Education

Doctorate in leadership studies

Job description

About This Role

The Staley School of Leadership at Kansas State University invites applications for a nine-month tenure-track professor (open rank) position in Leadership Studies. We seek a scholar whose research and teaching engage leadership education and development, civic leadership, and leading change—broadly conceived. The successful candidate will bring a forward-looking research agenda and teaching portfolio that advances innovative ways to develop and practice leadership, mobilizing people, organizations, and communities to make change on the world's critical challenges. We are especially interested in candidates whose scholarship intersects with one or more of the following: higher education leadership education (i.e, curriculum development, pedagogy, assessment of leadership programs); student leadership development; adaptive leadership; complexity and systems leadership; collective, processual, and practice-based leadership; critical, cultural, and global perspectives of leadership; and community-engaged approaches to organizational and societal change. Across these areas, we especially value candidates who build capacity for pedagogical innovation (in person and online), co-curricular learning activities, applied learning, community partnerships, participatory research, and public scholarship. The successful candidate will contribute to a culture of shared accountability and a growth mindset and demonstrate the potential to advance the university’s Next-Gen K-State goals.

What is expected:

1. Teach a variety of courses in the undergraduate leadership curriculum, such as introduction to leadership concepts, culture and context of leadership, nonprofit leadership, or global food systems leadership, as well as develop new courses that reflect the candidate’s expertise in leadership studies and leadership development.
2. Teach graduate-level courses in research methods or special topics related to research interests in the Staley School graduate programs and in the interdisciplinary Leadership Communication (LeadCOMM) doctoral program.
3. Develop and sustain a vibrant, forward-looking research agenda that engages the future of leadership education and the evolving nature of leadership and leadership development in a complex world. The candidate’s research program should demonstrate a trajectory commensurate with school, college, and university expectations for tenure and promotion (e.g., a record of publishing in peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations).
4. Advise graduate students and serve on project or dissertation committees after attaining graduate faculty status at the master’s and doctoral levels.
5. Apply for internal and extramural research grants individually and/or through multidisciplinary collaborations to support research and teaching where applicable.
6. Engage in school, university, and community service, including leveraging scholarly expertise toward School- and university-level strategic initiatives that advance institutional transformation.
7. Contribute to building and sustaining a collegial, supportive intellectual community characterized by shared accountability, growth-mindset, and a commitment to collaborative faculty governance.

About Us

The Mary Lynn and Warren Staley School of Leadership at Kansas State University is a values-centered learning community that provides academic, co-curricular, and applied learning experiences to students across the university with the purpose of developing bold, curious, and connected learners to address our world’s most complex challenges.

The Staley School brings together leadership studies, leadership and service programs, scholar development and undergraduate research, university honors, and applied learning faculty and staff committed to building and sustaining a positive, thriving organizational culture.

The Leadership Studies unit seeks to advance the study, practice, and development of leadership that supports the well-being and progress of people, organizations, and communities in a complex and changing world. Students can earn undergraduate certificates in Leadership Studies and Non-Profit Leadership; a secondary major in Global Food Systems Leadership; a graduate certificate in Non-Profit Leadership or Leading Change; a for-credit graduate micro-credential in Leadership Coaching; or engage in other non-credit micro-credentials designed to prepare learners to exercise leadership in professional careers. We are also host to the interdisciplinary Leadership Communication doctoral program.

Our faculty is deeply committed to Kansas State’s land-grant mission, as outlined in the Next-Gen K-State strategic plan. As the home of Third Floor Research partnership, Leading Change Institutes, and K-State’s Applied Learning initiative, the School actively encourages and rewards public-facing, community-engaged scholarship in our tenure and promotion process. For more information, visit https://www.k-state.edu/leadership/.

Kansas State University: The University was founded in 1863 as the first operational land-grant university. K-State is located in Manhattan, Kansas, about 120 miles west of Kansas City. The student population totals over 20,000. K-State leads the nation among state-supported schools in Rhodes, Truman, Marshall, and Goldwater scholarships. The university’s athletic teams compete in the Big 12 Conference.

Kansas State University’s Accompanying Partner service assists candidates with information on area employment and community resources for family members; the website is http://www.manhattancvb.org

Manhattan: The city has a permanent population of more than 56,000. Manhattan is the county seat for Riley County and the retail center for a three-county region. Manhattan is in the middle of the scenic Flint Hills of northeast Kansas. The city boasts a remarkably high quality of life, including a variety of arts programs, an abundance of parks and walking trails, many sports and recreation facilities, shopping opportunities, and the KSU-focused Aggieville business district. The public school system is considered one of the best in the state. See the websites www.manhattan.org and www.themercury.com/Community for more information.

Worksite Description

This position is ON-SITE.

All employees must reside in the United States when they begin working to comply with state law. K-State is unable to provide remote or hybrid work opportunities for residents of the state of Idaho.

What You'll Need to Succeed

Minimum Qualifications

1. Earned doctorate in leadership studies, leadership education, higher education, student development, agricultural leadership, organizational studies, or a closely related field.
   1. Consideration for assistant professor includes ABD applicants with a strong research record, teaching experience, and the expectation of completing the doctoral degree by January 2027 (preferred) or August 2027. ABD candidates should outline plans and timelines for degree completion in their cover letter, and at least one referee should be able to confirm said timelines.
   2. Consideration for associate professor includes current rank of associate professor and 6+ years of related experience.
   3. Consideration for professor includes current rank of professor and 10+ years of related experience.
2. Evidence of a programmatic research agenda, or a likely research trajectory sufficient to earn tenure and promotion, that engages the future of leadership education and the evolving nature of leadership and leadership development in a complex world.
3. Prior experience teaching undergraduate and/or graduate courses in leadership studies or related areas.
4. Interest in serving as graduate faculty for Staley School graduate programs and in the Leadership Communication (LeadCOMM) doctoral program.
5. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively as part of a dynamic and engaged faculty and staff team committed to a culture of shared accountability and growth-mindset.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Expertise in one or more of the following: leadership theories and frameworks (e.g., systems, collective, processual, adaptive, leadership as practice), leadership curriculum design and assessment, emergent and applied pedagogies (e.g, coaching, dialogue, case in point, service learning), quantitative or qualitative methodologies, or community-engaged research.
2. Research interests that complement and extend the current faculty research across the Staley School.
3. Experience with or demonstrated commitment to applied learning, community-engaged scholarship, or participatory research, with capacity to contribute to Leading Change Institutes, Third Floor Research, Applied Learning, Undergraduate Research or similar initiatives.
4. Evidence of, or demonstrated willingness to pursue, external funding for research activities.
5. Commitment to mentoring and advising undergraduate student research and/or graduate students, including thesis and dissertation supervision.
6. Experience with or commitment to building capacity for community partnerships, participatory research, public scholarship, and/or other forms of community-engaged inquiry.
7. Commitment to fostering an inclusive intellectual community that values all perspectives, collaborative inquiry, and continuous professional development.

Sponsorship eligibility

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship

Application Window

Applications close on: September 21st, 2026

The appointment begins in January or August 2027.

Anticipated Hiring Pay Range

Salary is competitive and commensurate with rank and experience.

For more information, contact the search committee chair: Dr. Andrew Wefald, at [e-mail].