Careers at the WKREC
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.
Open positions at the WKREC
| Assistant Scientist |
Colby, Kansas |
On-site requirement |
|
| 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. --- |
| Extension Ag Economist- KFMA NW Colby |
Colby, Kansas |
On-site requirement |
|
| 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. |
| Research Associate |
Colby, Kansas, Garden City, Kansas |
On-site requirement |
|
| 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. |
| Post Doctorial Fellow |
Colby, Kansas, Garden City, Kansas |
On-site requirement |
|
|
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 NH3 volatilization. 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.
Click here for more information and to apply!
|
| Agricultural Tech II Research |
Colby, Kansas |
On-site requirement |
|
|
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.
Click here for more information and to apply!
|
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 at lhaag@ksu.edu
| Fellow (Post Doc) |
Hays, Kansas |
On-site requirement |
|
| The Weed Science program of Kansas State University at the Agricultural Research Center in Hays invites applications for a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow position. This position will start as soon as the appropriate candidate is selected and provides a competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. Responsibilities include designing and implementing experiments to evaluate nonchemical (cover crops, crop rotation, harvest weed seed control, etc.) and chemical strategies for weed control in Western Kansas cropping systems. The successful candidate will design, carry out experiments, collect data, perform statistical analyses, present research results at local, regional, and national scientific meetings, and prepare extension reports and peer-reviewed manuscripts for publication. The person in that position is expected to supervise undergraduate student hourly workers who assist in data collection and sample preparation, help with greenhouse/lab studies on weed seed germination and emergence, herbicide resistance evolution, and help organize extension events such as field days. |
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.
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 Ashlee Wood at awood22@ksu.edu or apply in-person at the SWREC.
| 4-H Youth Development Specialist |
Garden City, Kansas |
Hybrid and/or Remote eligible (must reside in US) |
|
| Kansas State 4-H Youth Development Specialist, SW Region with leadership to statewide Health and Wellness, and Food Systems youth programming. The Specialist will have responsibility for coaching and mentoring local extension units related to their program area and for communicating the impact of 4-H Youth Development programming to local Kansas communities. |
| Vehicle/Equipment Mechanic |
Garden City, Kansas |
On-site requirement |
|
| This position provides maintenance and modifications to vehicles and other property owned by the university. Ensures proper upkeep is provided to trucks, grounds keeping equipment, automobiles, heavy equipment and other farm related vehicles/equipment. |
| Research Associate |
Colby, Kansas, Garden City, Kansas |
On-site requirement |
|
| 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. |
Compensation at Kansas State University
At K-State, we are committed to providing a fair and competitive compensation program that will attract, retain and reward high-performing employees at all levels. Base salary for new employees is determined based on market pay for the position, candidate experience and education, internal equity and departmental funding. Want to learn more? Check out our compensation philosophy and click below for an in-depth explanation of how salary offers are made.
Learn more
Diversity & Inclusion
Kansas State University’s mission is to provide an inclusive, supportive community that values diversity in people and ideas. Since 1863, as the nation’s first operational land-grant university, K-State has maintained a commitment to diversity and inclusion, while being steadfast in our pledge to access, opportunity and success for all Wildcats. To learn more about K-State’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, please visit: https://www.k-state.edu/diversity-inclusion/.
Campus Safety
The Annual Security Report (Clery Report) is intended to inform the public of information about crime on and around campus, efforts to improve campus safety, and university policies.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Policy and Privacy Notice and Request for Consent for Individuals in the European Union
Effective May 25, 2018, the European Union (“EU”) General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) places additional obligations on organizations that control or process personally identifiable information about persons in the European Union.