"Program Director, McNair Scholars Program"

Job Details

Department: McNair Scholars Program

Campus Location: Wichita, KS - WSU Main Campus

Hire Type: Full Time

Pay: Range beginning $56,900/yr, adjusted based on qualifications

Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM, occasional weekends and/or evening hours

Export Compliance Requirement: No export control requirement.

Job Story

Seeking A Mission-Driven Leader for First-Gen Research Futures
The McNair Scholars Program has never been more essential than now! Higher education is facing a pivotal moment: declining graduate school enrollment, widening equity gaps, and rising concerns about access for first-generation and underrepresented students.

You’ll be the architect and champion behind a federally funded initiative designed to propel high-potential undergraduates into research, graduate school, and long-term academic success. We need a leader who can carry on our program responsibility with purpose, creativity, and absolute integrity.

Who Thrives in This Role
This position is ideal for someone who chooses purpose over prestige and finds fulfillment in watching students break cycles, reshape their futures, and enter spaces where representation has historically been missing.

• Believes deeply in the power of advanced degrees
• You see graduate education not as a luxury, but a gateway to equity, mobility, and generational change.
• Enjoys the world of research and all that is learned there.
• You love seeing students ask big questions, write about their discoveries, and step into scholarly identity.
• Holds the line on compliance and grant integrity. You follow the rules, respect them, and protect the program by being structured, precise, and proactive.
• You can support a student navigating struggles in the morning and coach another through a PhD application essay in the afternoon.
• Builds energized, mission-driven teams. You rally staff around goals, celebrate progress, and keep morale strong even when deadlines hit hard.
• Staying organized in a world full of moving parts is key to success here!
• Oversight of the daily operations, research projects, advising needs, renewal cycles; flowing steady and keeping it all ethically based.

You won’t just run a program; your work here will ripple into futures you may never even meet.
If you want a job that pays in impact, purpose, student success stories, and long-term fulfillment, this is it.

Job Summary

Directs assigned college readiness and/or retention program(s) to meet business objectives. Develops vision, goals, and oversees strategy development.

Essential Functions

Directs program team(s) to achieve goals utilizing strategies developed in consultation with managers. Ensures program activities and outcomes align with developed vision and direction. Defines program goals and infrastructure to align with strategies and partnerships. Identifies opportunities to expand the scope and available services in order to serve more students. Directs program leaders through creating program plans, management tools and reporting capabilities. Develops program budget and monitors and adjusts plan as resource requirements change. Communicates program results to stakeholders and oversees the documentation of program quality outcomes and progress metrics. Serves as liaison between programs, other internal departments and external partners. Writes and reviews grants and grant renewals.

Job Duties

• Grant writing for federally funded programs, renewals, reviews and execution of funding spent.
• Program planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Analyze program data, monitor progress toward objectives, and ensure compliance with federal grant guidelines.
• Handle budget oversight, and performance reporting.
• Supervisory responsibilities and team leadership with staff, mentors, or tutors.
• Academic advising, graduate school preparation, and undergraduate research training models involvement.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in education administration, counseling or related field
• Five (5) years of experience managing an educational program with diverse populations or related field, with two (2) years of experience in a leadership role

Required License/Certifications/Training

None

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong understanding of TRIO/McNair federal regulations, grant management, and compliance requirements.
• Knowledge of student retention and success strategies for first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented populations.
• Proficient in grant writing, budget oversight, and performance reporting for federally funded programs.
• Effective verbal and written communication with diverse student populations and campus partners.
• Ability to develop and maintain student-centered initiatives that improve persistence, research engagement, and graduation outcomes.
• Ability to build strong collaborative relationships across departments and external organizations.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining an inclusive, supportive environment.

Additional Information

Physical Requirements

Ability to remain in a stationary position. Ability to operate a computer and other office equipment including but not limited to phone, printers, copiers, and calculators. Ability to communicate with others and accurately exchange information. Ability to travel in a vehicle for distances including but not limited to across city, county, and state.