About This Role:

Sedgwick County is a multi-agent county in south central Kansas. Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County, which includes 19 other cities. The diversified urban, suburban, and rural population is near 500,000. Sedgwick County extension programs focused in the areas of Family and Consumer Sciences, 4-H Youth Development, Agriculture/Horticulture, and Community Development are conducted from a 41,000 square foot Extension Education Center located on 12 acres.

Extension agents are community based faculty of Kansas State University who make a difference by connecting community needs with university resources. Agents are administratively responsible to the local extension director and the local extension board.

This position will provide primary leadership for the development and implementation of research-based educational programming to support successful individuals and families and the systems that serve them. Programming topics may include chronic disease management, caregiving, intergenerational relationships, independent living solutions, long term care planning, end of life issues, and Medicare education.

Primary Area of Responsibility: Adult Development and Aging programming

Location:  Office located in Wichita, KS

Duties/ Responsibilities:
Extension agents are professional educators who serve as a link between Kansas State University and communities across Kansas. Agents are administratively responsible to the Director of K-State Research and Extension (represented by a designated administrator) and the local extension board.

• Provide primary leadership for the development and implementation of research-based educational programming to support successful individuals and families and the systems that serve them. Programming topics may include chronic disease management, caregiving, intergenerational relationships, independent living solutions, long term care planning, end of life issues, and Medicare education.
  • Specific programming responsibilities will include Stay Strong, Stay Healthy; Gray for a Day; Keys to Embracing Aging; advance directives education; Powerful Tools for Caregivers; understanding reverse mortgages; and Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate? ™
• Coordinate the Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansans (SHICK) program in Sedgwick County, including training and supervising approximately 60 SHICK volunteers.
• Serve as the primary supervisor for a SHICK Program Assistant and a part-time office professional.
• Programming will include these steps:

1. • Identify local needs and emerging issues related to K-State Research and Extension’s five Grand Challenges: (water, community vitality, health, developing tomorrow’s leaders and global food systems) by engaging with program development committees and other community organizations and professionals.
   • Design appropriate educational strategies to engage clientele. These strategies might include delivering educational programming in a community-based setting, coordinating events and activities that provide experiential learning opportunities, using innovative technologies, providing individual educational consultations and facilitating groups seeking similar educational outcomes. Some overnight travel and evening and weekend work will be required.
   • Develop and implement strategies to expand the reach of educational programming to under-served audiences and to make certain K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider of educational programming.
   • Collect and communicate evidence of educational program impact.
   • Develop specialized knowledge and skills by engaging as a member of the Adult Development and Aging Program Focus Team.

• Secure external funding such as grants, gifts and cost recovery to supplement local tax revenue to support and expand educational programming.
• Serve as a member of the Sedgwick County team cooperating in the planning and delivery of county-wide programming and related events.

What You’ll Need to Succeed:
Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Academic coursework and/or professional employment related to the position responsibilities
• Evidence of strong academic and/or professional performance as documented by college transcripts, acceptance into a graduate program or documented success in increasingly responsible professional positions
• Experience with volunteer recruitment, training, and management.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with individuals, groups and through mass media
• Leadership skills as evidenced by working with individuals, groups and co-workers
• Have, or be able to earn, SHICK (Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansans) certification

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree
• Experience working with adults and youth from various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds
• Commitment to personal professional development
• Ability to utilize electronic communication and computer applications to fulfill programming responsibilities
• Self-motivation and ability to work with a minimum of supervision, balancing multiple projects
• Ability to design, promote, implement and evaluate educational programs
• Skills in group facilitation
• Knowledge of adult and youth teaching/learning processes
• Experience in seeking and administering external grant funding
• Ability to communicate effectively with both English and Spanish learners.

Other Requirements:

• Access to a personal vehicle and the ability to obtain/maintain a valid driver’s license
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States at the time of employment

Salary, Benefits, and Professional Development:

• Salary commensurate with professional experience and available funding as negotiated by the regional extension director, the local extension board and the applicant. The base starting salary is $43,000 for a BS degree with no professional experience and $47,000 for a MS degree with no professional experience.
• Extension agents are Kansas State University educators and have the Board of Regents retirement plan, health and life insurance and vacation and sick leave.  For a complete list of benefits see: http://www.k-state.edu/hcs/benefits/overview/
• Reimbursement for travel related to achieving program objectives.
• New agents will be provided with comprehensive Early Career Professional Development training throughout their onboarding period. This series will include both virtual and in-person training and networking opportunities.
• Tuition assistance is available to full-time employees and their spouse/dependents