Department Head - Animal Sciences & Industry

Department Head - Animal Sciences & Industry

Kansas State University is seeking a Department Head for the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. The Department Head provides strategic leadership and administrative oversight for the department, advancing the university’s mission of teaching, research, and extension. The role collaborates with faculty, staff, students, industry partners, and university leadership to strengthen programs, expand impact, and position the department for future success.

The Department of Animal Sciences and Industry is a large, comprehensive academic unit with national reach. It serves more than 1,200 undergraduate and nearly 60 graduate students, and is supported by approximately 50 faculty members. The department integrates teaching, research, and extension across disciplines such as animal health, nutrition, breeding and genetics, physiology, dairy product processing, and meat science. Extensive facilities include species‑specific teaching and research units (beef, dairy, swine, sheep, goats, poultry, and equine) and modern laboratories and food processing facilities that support applied learning and cutting‑edge research.

Kansas State University is a comprehensive R1, land‑grant university committed to advancing the land‑grant mission and becoming a Next‑Generation Land‑Grant University. The College of Agriculture has long placed agriculture at the center of the student experience, research, and application of knowledge, serving Kansas, the United States and the world.

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.

Applicants should demonstrate the qualifications and experience outlined below and possess the legal ability to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship.

• Earned doctorate in animal sciences or a closely related field.
• Record of scholarly achievement consistent with appointment as a tenured full professor in the department.
• Demonstrated experience in leadership, administration or program management.
• Evidence of success within a land‑grant or comparable allied industry environment.

• Demonstrated experience leading or contributing to interdisciplinary programs or initiatives.
• Understanding of teaching, research, and extension roles in the land‑grant mission.
• Success in securing extramural funding or developing externally supported programs.
• Experience with budget management, personnel supervision and strategic planning.
• Established relationships or engagement with animal agriculture industries or stakeholder groups.
• Experience supporting student success initiatives, including recruitment, retention and career placement.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively across diverse stakeholder groups.

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