"Director of Outreach and Engagement (AA26114)"

Job Description

The Outreach and Engagement Director for the School of Applied Agriculture, Food Natural Resources at Minnesota State University, Mankato leads strategic recruitment, marketing, and partnership efforts to grow and sustain Ag-related academic programs. This role involves:

• Recruitment Marketing: Designing and executing outreach campaigns to attract prospective students and raise awareness of current and future programs.
• Partnership Development: Building strong relationships with K–12 schools, colleges, industry groups, and statewide organizations to expand career and academic pathways.
• Student Support: Guiding students from inquiry through graduation, including advising and retention strategies in collaboration with university teams.
• Event Coordination: Planning and managing School-sponsored events, including budgeting, scheduling, stakeholder communication, and problem-solving.
• Program Growth Inclusion: Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion while enhancing student experience, enrollment, and industry engagement.

Reporting to the Executive Director, this position plays a central role in shaping a vibrant, inclusive, and future-focused agricultural education ecosystem.

Minimum Qualifications

Master’s degree related to agricultural education, educational leadership, student affairs/development, marketing or other related major plus two years of experience working in a college or university in outreach, recruiting, customer service, project management, advising and/or marketing related area (Conferred on an official transcript at the time of application).
Or
Bachelor’s degree related to agricultural education, educational leadership, student affairs/development, marketing or other related major plus four years of experience working in a college or university in outreach, recruiting, customer service, project management, advising and/or marketing related area (Conferred on an official transcript at the time of application).

• Demonstrated ability to develop, refine and track operational budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, develop and orchestrate recruitment and student advising-related activities.
• Strong organizational and multi-tasking skills.
• Demonstrated ability to handle and process sensitive and confidential information.
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully with a diverse population of students, faculty, staff and external parties and commitment to fostering a diverse working and learning environment.

Preferred Qualification

• Knowledge of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum and/or similar transfer curriculum in other states.
• Familiarity with higher education trends, especially with non-traditional adult learners, and experiential education.
• Ability to organize work and create internal processes to support performance outcomes.
• Ability to learn and retain a wide-range of institutional information.
• Demonstrated high-level of comfort with phone, internet, and face to face sales outreach.

Other Requirements

Work safely at all times, which includes but is not limited to, participating and completing all required safety trainings, as well as performing all job tasks in accordance with Minnesota State University, Mankato policies and procedures utilizing appropriate tools, equipment and personal protective equipment.

This position requires a valid, applicable driver’s license, as well as a DVS records check with an acceptable rating. Employees must have an active, valid, and, applicable driver’s license if they drive a vehicle on state business. For further information, please refer to the Driver’s License and Record Check Policy (HR/LR Policy #1419), which can be found at: https://mn.gov/mmb-stat/policies/1419-hrpolicy-dlrchecks.pdf.

This position requires a passing background check under Minnesota Statutes 299C.60 to 299C.64 – Minnesota Child Protection Background Check Act. It is expected that the employee maintains the ability to pass applicable background check throughout employment. It is the employee’s responsibility to notify the supervisor no later than the beginning of your next shift of any charges, allegations, convictions that may impact their standing under the applicable background check.

Occasional in-state and out-state travel may be required to attend professional work-related conferences and partnership meetings. Some travel to other locations within the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota may be required.

Some weekend and evening hours may be required.

Telework

Based on the essential functions of this positions, MMB Policy #1422, and University policies relating to flexible work, this position is eligible for the following work modes:

Telework: Up to 40% of the time. A position with a work arrangement that allows an employee to perform work on a regular basis at a telework location that is not the employee's permanent/principal work location.

About

Additional information on Minnesota State University, Mankato can be found at: www.mnsu.edu.

The salary range denoted above is the contractual range; however, salary upon hire is dependent upon qualifications and experience.

Minnesota State University, Mankato is a member of the Minnesota State system. Minnesota State has established a strategic vision, Equity 2030, which aims to close the educational equity gaps across race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, ability, and geographic location by the end of the decade at every Minnesota State college and university and to provide an opportunity for all Minnesotans to create a better future for themselves, for their families, and for their communities. The focus of the work includes:

• Enhancing access and student success.
• Providing Minnesota with the talent it needs.
• Anchoring the communities and regions we serve.

Equity 2030 seeks to bridge efforts occurring within divisions and institutions, creating an intentional statewide culture of equity-minded collaboration and resulting in equitable practice embedded throughout our institutions. The full Equity 2030 plan is linked here: https://www.minnstate.edu/Equity2030/index.html.

Destination 2030, the University’s strategic plan announced by President Edward Inch in August 2023, commits the University to making transformative strides in four main areas: being a lifelong provider of access to an equitable and affordable education; being a leader in transformational learning generating inspired action; being a nimble and innovative steward of resources; and being a community of care built upon diversity, inclusion, and belonging. We seek to attract teacher-scholars who will be culturally and academically diverse faculty members, and staff with a demonstrated commitment to creating an inclusive learning and working environment. Minnesota State University, Mankato, is student-centered and focuses on applied research that expands knowledge; improves learning; and serves the region, state, and nation.

Founded as a Normal School in 1868, Minnesota State University, Mankato is now the second largest university in Minnesota with a tradition of combining big-ideas with real-world thinking to find solutions for pressing problems in the state, region, and global society. Mankato, Minnesota, is a community of nearly 44,500 people, about 85 miles southwest of the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The University acknowledges the land and the tribal nations upon this land whose work is being accomplished. We acknowledge that we are on Dakota land. We also take the opportunity to recognize that we live, work, and learn in the homeland of the Dakota people, whose language frames our name—Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Serving approximately 17,900 students annually, the University is an applied research institution, with more than 200 academic programs, from bachelor’s through doctoral degrees. The University is a diverse and global campus with 18% students of color and1,175 + international students from 95 countries, cutting-edge information technology solutions and extensive partnerships, with 1,600 faculty and staff, including 700 teaching faculty. The University has additional locations and a growing number of on-line programs to accelerate educational access and opportunity. These locations include partnerships in northern Minnesota’s the iron range region. Fast facts about the university can be found here: https://mankato.mnsu.edu/about-the-university/fast-facts/.