Position Overview
The mission of the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) is to support Kansas public works and agencies by providing innovative, cost-effective, and valuable services through training, technical assistance, and research applied to local needs. The role of the LTAP Director is to manage the LTAP program to ensure efficient and effective completion of project deliverables, as well as performing research for the KU Transportation Center.
Job Description
(60%) Director of the Kansas Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP). The Kansas LTAP Program includes training and outreach programs for local rural transportation agencies (i.e., counties and small cities) in Kansas. Kansas LTAP generally comprises three sub-programs: outreach and training workshops, the Local Field Liaison program, and the Road Scholar program. The following tasks are associated with this role:
- Manage all internal and external Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-Principal Investigator tasks (also known as project management) of the LTAP program, as required by the University of Kansas.
- Write the annual LTAP grant proposal to the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) including the development of the written content and the budget with support from the University of Kansas Center for Research (KUCR).
- Oversee the development and management of training, outreach, and technical support programming associated with the annual LTAP grant. This task includes such activities as supervising the training schedules for our contract trainers, monitoring their quality, and leading the process of continuous improvement of our products.
- Assist the KUTC Communications Coordinator in the development of timely and relevant quarterly newsletter articles for the LTAP newsletter.
- Manage the Kansas LTAP's Equipment Loan Program (ELP), which includes ensuring delivery of equipment to local agencies, overseeing the proper working order of the equipment in the ELP inventory, and determining changes in the ELP inventory to continue to meet the needs of Kansas local agencies.
- Coordinate with and report to the KDOT grant monitor on a regular basis.
- Proactively identify the needs of rural local transportation agencies (counties and small cities) in Kansas and develop plans to address them.
- Plan and chair all internal LTAP staff meetings, to ensure the delivery of tasks as outlined in the grant.
- Manage LTAP staff and student workers.
- Coordinate and chair the annual LTAP advisory board meeting.
(30%) Conduct research for state, regional, county, and/or city transportation organizations in Kansas and other locations. The following tasks are associated with this role:
- Seek transportation-related requests for proposals (RFPs).
- Write proposals in response to these RFPs.
- Lead efforts in conducting studies for project sponsors including analyzing data and writing reports that document findings.
- Manage a research team to support efforts of any grants received.
- Manage all internal Principal Investigator (PI) or Co-PI tasks of these grants, as required by the University of Kansas.
(5%) Represent the KUTC with external transportation organizations that are stakeholders in the technology transfer products and services of the KUTC. The following tasks are associated with this role:
- Participate in statewide event planning committees such as the Kansas Transportation Engineering Conference.
- Serve on statewide committees and support associated tasks.
- Serve as primary liaison with the Kansas Division of the Federal Highway Administration.
- Develop and maintain partnerships with other local, state, regional, and/or national organizations to further the efforts of the KUTC.
- Other duties as required in support of the KUTC.
(5%) Provide leadership duties within the KUTC with internal management tasks. The following tasks are associated with this role:
- Collaborate with the KUTC Management Team on office budgeting and staffing.
- Provide leadership, mentoring, and support for a positive workplace culture within the KUTC.
- Serve on all hiring search committees within the KUTC.
- Other duties as required in support of the KUTC.
Position Requirements
Travel <25%:
Travel will be in three basic categories:
- National conference travel. Approximately two-to-three air travel trips out-of-state per year.
- Regional conference travel. Approximately two-to-four driving trips out-of-state per year.
- In-state Travel. Multiple in-state driving trips per year to conferences, meetings with constituent groups, and project sponsor (i.e., KDOT). Could also include research travel to support other KUTC research projects. These would be either day trips or perhaps one-overnight. Perhaps 12 to 24 per year in total for this category.
Required Qualifications
- Master's degree or Bachelor's degree and five (5) years of related experience.
- Excellent written communication skills as demonstrated through application materials.
- Demonstrated experience working collaboratively in a team setting as shown in application materials.
- Demonstrated experience working independently to accomplish tasks and projects as evidenced in application materials.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in project management and process improvement as evidenced in application materials.
- Previous experience that required strong analytical skills as shown in application materials.
- Experience with local transportation issues as shown in application materials.
Additional Candidate Instructions
In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:
- Cover letter describing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications.
- Resume.
- List of three (3) professional references.
Only complete applications will be considered. Application review begins Monday, July 14, 2025 and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants are identified.
Contact Information to Applicants
Steven Schrock
schrock@ku.edu
Advertised Salary Range
$65,000-$80,000 commensurate with experience
Application Review Begins
Monday July 14, 2025
Anticipated Start Date
Monday August 18, 2025
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