Find your place and purpose in the welcoming community of the Western Kansas Research and Extension Center (WKREC). With offices located in Hays, Colby, Garden City, and Tribune, WKREC offers a range of career opportunities tailored to individuals seeking meaningful work in western Kansas.
As an extension of Kansas State University's commitment to innovation and prosperity, WKREC is dedicated to supporting local talent and fostering career growth in the region. Our focus goes beyond professional development—we prioritize the well-being and security of our employees by offering comprehensive benefits packages.
Join us at WKREC and become part of a community where your contributions matter and your future is valued. Experience the warmth of western Kansas living while pursuing a fulfilling career that makes a difference. Discover the possibilities awaiting you at WKREC.
The Maintenance Manager is responsible for implementing, overseeing and managing multiple large and small maintenance projects, including building utility systems, equipment maintenance, building, and grounds maintenance and assisting faculty. This position is open to be filled at Hays, Colby, or Garden City.
The Northwest Extension Agronomy program at the Kansas State University Northwest Research-Extension Center at Colby, Kansas is looking for an Assistant Scientist. This person will be an integral part in conducting applied research of practical relevance to farmers in the Great Plains. The successful candidate will provide day-to-day leadership in conducting field operations; use, maintain, repair, and fabricate agricultural machinery; and play a critical role in the collection, analysis, and dissemination of high quality data. ---
The Kansas Farm Management Association (KFMA) Northwest is seeking applicants to fill the role of an Extension Agricultural Economist in our Colby, KS office. The responsibilities of an Extension Agricultural Economist are varied but center around providing education and consultation to KFMA member farms in the area of farm business management. KFMA Economists strive to provide cooperating farms with resources to make informed financial, production, and tax management decisions.
A research associate position is being requested to conduct irrigation research and extension activities including, but not limited to, maintaining and operating various complex and sophisticated irrigation systems (subsurface drip, research based lateral move overhead irrigation, and center pivot irrigation) with cutting edge technology installed including variable rate water and chemigiation capacity; installing, calibrating, and maintaining research instrumentation; detailed field data collection; maintaining records of field operations and providing write-ups (technical summaries) for various studies, which will impact the way water is applied in the state of Kansas and other surrounding states in the region; providing leadership to graduate students and summer interns; coordinating outreach activities (field days, short courses, etc.); and when necessary communicating with university, state, and industry personnel. In addition, the candidate will guide all agricultural practices at the research facilities relating to water use and management, which will involve transporting and operating heavy machinery for planting, fertilizing, harvesting, etc. At times the candidate will have to work irregular hours and travel across the state to different research locations. The candidate will be responsible for attending professional development programs and incorporating new ideas and concepts into the program. The candidate will be responsible for providing supervision on daily activities for other team members, including technicians, on-calls, temporary, graduate students, interns, etc.
The full-time Postdoctoral Research Associate will be an integral part of the Northwest Agronomy team at the Kansas State University Northwest Research-Extension Center, Colby, Kansas. This individual will have leadership responsibilities for the day-to-day operations of multiple research projects that are focused on improving nitrogen use efficiency in dryland cropping systems and reducing nitrogen losses to N2O greenhouse gas emissions and NH3volatilization. These projects are part of a DOE supported SmartFarm project and a FFAR AgMission project. This individual will take a lead role in the analysis and publication of data resulting from the many aspects of these projects while also being involved in field operations.
In addition, the individual will have the opportunity to become involved with a diverse set of projects that include corn, sorghum, wheat, dry beans/pulses, cotton, and other crops in the context of dryland and limited irrigation production systems. Opportunities for involvement could include field operations and data collection, data processing and analysis, publication of peer-reviewed manuscripts, and grant submissions.
The Northwest Extension Agronomy program at the Kansas State University Northwest Research-Extension Center at Colby, Kansas is looking for An Agriculture Tech II Research. This person will be an integral part in conducting applied research of practical relevance to farmers across the High Plains. The successful candidate will plan and conduct field operations such as planting, harvesting, irrigation, and application; use, maintain, repair, and fabricate agricultural machinery; and assist in the collection of high quality data.
Student Technicians - Part-Time (school year) and Full-Time (summer)
The scope of the job is to provide assistance to the agronomy in conducting field research.
Duties include:
assist in establishing field trials
maintaining crops during the growing season
collecting data
processing crop samples
entering data into a computer
assisting with other miscellaneous tasks.
Pay range: $13-$16/hour depending on experience
If you enjoy working outside, variety in your work day, and can follow written and oral instructions, paying close attention to detail, please apply by contacting Lucas Haag atlhaag@ksu.edu
Student Technicians - Part-Time (school year) and Full-Time (summer)
The scope of the job is to provide assistance to the agronomy in conducting field research.
Duties include:
assist in establishing field trials
maintaining crops during the growing season
collecting data
processing crop samples
entering data into a computer
assisting with other miscellaneous tasks.
Pay range: $13-$16/hour depending on experience
If you enjoy working outside, variety in your work day, and can follow written and oral instructions, paying close attention to detail, please apply by contacting the WKREC at wkrec@ksu.edu or inquire in-person at the Agricultural Research Center-Hays.
The purpose of this position is to support the activities of the irrigation program conducted inside and outside the SWREC research plots. Activities include installation of soil moisture sensors; operating and maintaining farm machinery and irri... Learn more and apply today!
A research associate position is being requested to conduct irrigation research and extension activities including, but not limited to, maintaining and operating various complex and sophisticated irrigation systems (subsurface drip, research based lateral move overhead irrigation, and center pivot irrigation) with cutting edge technology installed including variable rate water and chemigiation capacity; installing, calibrating, and maintaining research instrumentation; detailed field data collection; maintaining records of field operations and providing write-ups (technical summaries) for various studies, which will impact the way water is applied in the state of Kansas and other surrounding states in the region; providing leadership to graduate students and summer interns; coordinating outreach activities (field days, short courses, etc.); and when necessary communicating with university, state, and industry personnel. In addition, the candidate will guide all agricultural practices at the research facilities relating to water use and management, which will involve transporting and operating heavy machinery for planting, fertilizing, harvesting, etc. At times the candidate will have to work irregular hours and travel across the state to different research locations. The candidate will be responsible for attending professional development programs and incorporating new ideas and concepts into the program. The candidate will be responsible for providing supervision on daily activities for other team members, including technicians, on-calls, temporary, graduate students, interns, etc.
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