Associate Director of Extension Programs

Montgomery County Maryland; Manhattan (KS); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Kansas State University, through K-State Extension, seeks an Associate Director of Extension Programs to provide strategic, programmatic, fiscal, and organizational leadership for the statewide educational mission. The role leads the development and implementation of priorities, aligns programs with goals, and advances impact across Kansas communities.

The Associate Director oversees a statewide program portfolio and budgets, ensuring stewardship of public funds and data-driven decision making.

Qualifications

• Earned Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree.
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience in a complex organization.
• Experience in strategic planning, program development, evaluation, budget management, and fiscal accountability.
• Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and stakeholder communication skills.
• Understanding of Extension audiences, communities, and needs served by Extension and commitment to research-based educational programming.
• Willingness to travel across Kansas and nationally; valid driver’s license.
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States on an ongoing basis without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Provide statewide program portfolio oversight across agriculture, family and consumer sciences, community vitality, youth development, and emerging areas.
• Lead strategic priorities and cross-program, transdisciplinary initiatives; manage grants and funds.
• Build accountability, evaluation structures, and data-informed decision making.
• Cultivate partnerships with federal agencies, foundations, industry, community organizations, and university partners.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Program development

Evaluation

Budget management

Stakeholder communication

Team collaboration

Education

Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree

Tools

Technology & digital tools

Job description

The Associate Director of Extension Programs serves as a senior faculty leader within K-State Extension, providing strategic, programmatic, fiscal, and organizational leadership for Extension’s statewide educational mission. Reporting directly to the Assistant Vice President – Director for Extension, this position leads the development and implementation of strategic priorities, ensures alignment of programs and resources with organizational goals, and advances Extension’s impact across Kansas communities.

The role provides oversight for Extension’s statewide program portfolio, including agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, community vitality, youth development, and emerging program areas. The position oversees assigned budgets and resources, ensuring responsible stewardship of public and external funds and data-informed decision-making.

The Associate Director serves as a systems-level leader responsible for advancing the relevance, quality, impact, and long-term sustainability of Extension programming across Kansas. The position identifies emerging statewide needs; develops cross-program and transdisciplinary priorities; leads strategic and grant-funded initiatives; builds accountability and evaluation structures; and cultivates partnerships with federal agencies, foundations, industry, community organizations, and university collaborators, and resources necessary for Extension to address complex community and statewide challenges.

The position also serves as a senior representative of K-State Extension, strengthening relationships with stakeholders, policymakers, educational partners, and Cooperative Extension systems nationwide.

The Associate Director works closely with Extension administration, program leaders, faculty, specialists, educators, academic and administrative partners, state and federal agencies, community organizations, and external stakeholders to ensure Extension programming remains research-based, responsive, outcomes-focused, and aligned with Kansas State University’s land‑grant mission.

This is a 1.0 FTE, tenure or non-tenure faculty appointment.

About Us

K-State Extension improves Kansans' lives, livelihoods and communities through education, research, engagement and leadership. With scientists, educators and volunteers in each of the state's 105 counties, our professionals strive to make the university's research and scientific accomplishments accessible and relevant to every household.

Worksite Description

This position is On-site.

What You'll Need to Succeed

Minimum Qualifications:

• Earned Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree.
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience in a complex organization.
• Proven ability to translate strategic vision into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
• Experience in strategic planning, program development, evaluation, budget management, and fiscal accountability.
• Demonstrated strong written, verbal, interpersonal, and stakeholder communication skills
• Understanding of Extension audiences, communities, and needs served by Extension and commitment to research-based educational programming that addresses the needs of Kansas communities.
• Ability and willingness to travel throughout Kansas and nationally as needed, including occasional evening and weekend commitments.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States on an ongoing basis without sponsorship.

The degree requirement is necessary for accreditation purposes and to ensure candidates possess the specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities that can only be attained through a formal educational program at this level.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Five or more years of professional Cooperative Extension experience with increasing leadership responsibility.
• Experience designing and delivering Extension, outreach, or community-based educational programming.
• Demonstrated success in acquiring, administering, and managing external funding from federal, state, multistate initiatives, foundation, philanthropic, or partnership sources.
• Experience developing and leading interdisciplinary teams and fostering cultures of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of transdisciplinary approaches to addressing statewide and community challenges.
• Experience using technology and digital tools to enhance educational delivery, accessibility, and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience working with legislators, government agencies, industry representatives, community organizations, and external partners.

Additional Role Information:

Knowledge, Skills, and Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate strategic leadership, organizational awareness, and the ability to balance long-term vision with operational execution. Strong supervisory, coaching, team-building, decision-making, and relationship-management skills are essential, along with the ability to influence and collaborate across organizational boundaries. The position requires expertise in program quality, evaluation, resource stewardship, accountability, and continuous improvement, as well as a strong commitment to the land-grant mission and public service.

Scope and Impact

This position influences Extension programming and services across Kansas, shaping statewide priorities, resource allocation, organizational partnerships, externally funded initiatives, and program effectiveness. The role requires independent judgment, strategic decision-making, and the ability to align diverse stakeholders around common goals while advancing Extension’s mission, visibility, and long-term impact.

Sponsorship eligibility:

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

How to Apply

Please submit the following documents:

1. Cover letter
2. CV/Resume
3. Three professional references

Application Window

Applications close on: October 21, 2026

Anticipated Hiring Pay Range

Salary commensurate with education and experience.