Research Development Manager Jobs in Manhattan, KS

The Assistant Vice President of Research Technology will lead and mentor a team of IT professionals responsible for supporting the full spectrum of research technology services, including high performance computing, secure research environments, data systems, departmental applications, and core laboratory technologies. The role requires a leader who can balance operational excellence with future focused planning-overseeing maintenance, upgrades, and continuity of operations while also developing roadmaps that position K State for emerging research needs. A strong emphasis will be placed on cybersecurity, compliance, and alignment with university, state, and regulatory standards, ensuring that research systems are both resilient and trusted.
Collaboration sits at the heart of this position. The AVP will work closely with university leadership, faculty researchers, IT partners, and external vendors to ensure technology solutions effectively support the research lifecycle. This individual will serve as a bridge between technical teams and the research community, translating complex technology capabilities into practical, research enabling outcomes. By conducting risk assessments, benchmarking peer institutions, and monitoring technology trends, the AVP will guide informed decision making and foster the adoption of modern tools and best practices that enhance research productivity and competitiveness.
Aligned with K State's Next Gen Strategic Plan, the AVP will play a pivotal role in expanding and strengthening the University's research enterprise. Through strategic planning, financial stewardship, and thoughtful project management, this leader will help ensure that research technology investments deliver measurable value and long term impact. The ideal candidate will be a trusted advisor, consensus builder, and visionary leader who understands the unique demands of a complex academic research environment and is committed to enabling discovery, innovation, and collaboration across Kansas State University.

The AVP position profile can be viewed on our website.

Kansas State University's Office of the Vice President for Research supports and advances the university's research mission by fostering a collaborative, innovative, and ethical research environment. The office provides leadership and strategic direction for research development, oversees sponsored projects administration and research compliance, and promotes interdisciplinary scholarship across the university. K-State is home to 90+ research centers, institutes, and major facilities, spanning agriculture, biosecurity, engineering, health, the sciences, and the humanities. Collectively, these research centers are supported and coordinated by the OVPR which provides strategic oversight, facilitates collaboration, and ensures compliance and research integrity.

In FY24, K-State received $264.9 million in research and development expenditures. This is a 21.5 percent jump from the prior year, which was nearly three times the national average growth rate among research universities.

Kansas State University's Division of Information Technology, led by the Associate Vice President and CIO, Thomas Bunton, is committed to providing excellent IT services to the K-State community in support of the teaching, learning, research, and service missions. They offer a wide range of information, technology, and communications services. They provide leadership for developing and delivering computing and digital resources to K-State students, faculty and staff. In addition to the operation and management of IT Services, the Division comprises the administrative service functions of HR, finance, and communications. The Division coordinates and manages central IT business services including Enterprise Systems, Portfolio & Project Governance, Infrastructure & Operations, Academic Applications, Information Security, and Academic IT, and Research Technology.

For more information about Kansas State University, please review our University Profile.

Learn more about Manhattan, Kansas at www.madeformanhattan.org.

This position is On-site.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Requires a bachelor's degree and ten years of relevant experience. Education beyond the minimum degree requirement may count toward required experience if deemed relevant by the hiring manager. The degree requirement ensures candidates possess the academic foundation, critical thinking, and analytical skills necessary to guide complex university functions with credibility and strategic insight. These competencies are typically developed and rigorously validated only through the comprehensive curriculum and experiential learning inherent in a formal degree program.

The degree requirement ensures candidates possess the academic foundation, critical thinking, and analytical skills necessary to guide complex university functions with credibility and strategic insight. These competencies are typically developed and rigorously validated only through the comprehensive curriculum and experiential learning inherent in a formal degree program.

Preferred Qualifications:

* Ph.D. in a scientific or engineering discipline with substantial information technology Leadership experience.
* Demonstrated experience in architecting and overseeing support for a complex technology ecosystem, including specialized research hardware, software, and data acquisition systems.
* Experience with HPC systems and their utilization for research.
* Proven experience with research computing and large-scale data storage systems common in research environments.
* Experience leading and mentoring a technical team responsible for supporting the unique IT needs of researchers, faculty, and laboratory staff.
* Experience evaluating and implementing emerging technologies and computational methods in scientific research.
* Experience navigating the IT and data management landscape of a higher education environment, including familiarity with grant proposal processes and data compliance requirements.
* Proven ability to enable advanced research analytics by providing access to and support for a robust ecosystem of data analysis and visualization tools.
* Experience consulting with research administration teams to support data analytics needs from quality control to complex modeling and interpretation.
* Strong record of strategic planning, including developing business cases for technology investments and managing operational and capital budgets.
* A history of fostering a collaborative environment that bridges the gap between technical staff and scientific researchers.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
* Strong leadership skills
* Excellent written and oral communication skills.
* Excellent interpersonal skills
* Ability to present ideas in business-friendly and user-friendly language.
* Highly self-motivated and directed
* Keen attention to detail
* Proven analytical, evaluative, and problem-solving abilities.
* Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.
* Exceptional customer service orientation.

Other Requirements:

• Candidates must hold or be able to secure a security clearance

Sponsorship eligibility:

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship

Kansas State University has retained the national search firm Isaacson, Miller to assist in recruiting its new Assistant Vice President of Research Technology. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and resumes with cover letters should be sent via the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: Isaacson, Miller website for the search.Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged.

Screening of applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process.

$175,000-$195,000