Fort Hays State University seeks a strategic, high-impact leader to serve as an operational leader within the President’s Office. Reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the executive leadership team, the Senior Advisor for Executive Operations provides broad direction and operational coordination in partnership with the vice presidents across all university divisions. As a key member of the executive leadership team, the Senior Advisor for Executive Operations acts as a force multiplier for the President, managing complex institutional initiatives and ensuring that the university’s highest priorities are executed with precision and alignment.
The successful candidate will act as both a senior strategist and institutional catalyst, overseeing high-stakes communications and the flow of critical information. By leading planning efforts and serving as a pivot point for crisis and issue management, Senior Advisor for Executive Operations fosters a culture of transparency and collaboration while ensuring institutional accountability through robust performance and change management systems.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Executive Leadership & Advisor: Serve as a trusted, unbiased and communicative advisor to the President on institutional priorities and policy regarding the day-to-day management of the University. Ensure the university’s highest priorities are executed with precision and alignment. This includes anticipating challenges, identifying solutions, and overseeing the coordination of Executive Leadership Team (ELT) activities. The Senior Advisor tracks and reports on progress and outcomes, acting as an institutional integrator to ensure budget, communications, and operations remain synchronized.
- Institutional Coordination & Accountability: Facilitate high-level collaboration among senior leadership, faculty, staff, students, and governance groups. Manage executive decision-making processes by prioritizing critical issues and ensuring timely follow-through on presidential directives. Oversee special projects and key institutional initiatives, maintaining effective feedback loops from stakeholders, including donors, legislators, and campus constituents—to inform executive strategy.
- Strategic Communication & Marketing: In partnership with the University President, provide supervision and guidance to the Office of University Marketing. Coordinate crisis and high-stakes communications, serving as a senior University spokesperson when necessary. Oversee the development of executive-level written and visual materials, ensuring all business correspondence and design pieces reflect the University’s brand and impact.
- Crisis, Change & Issue Management: Coordinate responses to urgent and sensitive issues with a high degree of discretion, diplomacy, and judgment. Provide change management leadership for major institutional transformations, such as enrollment strategy shifts, financial sustainability, or technology/AI adoption. Coordinate the University’s critical incident planning group and maintain regular engagement with University Police to ensure communication lines are seamless during transitions or emergencies.
- Operations of the Office of the President: Oversee the planning and execution of presidential events and engagements, vetting all major communications to ensure clarity and alignment. Support leadership development and institutional continuity by strategizing for key personnel changes and implementing robust onboarding and offboarding programs. Advise and develop the VIP program to establish meaningful and measurable outcomes. Oversee scholarships administered by the Office of the President. Assist in visits from dignitaries and other special groups. Serve as the primary conduit between the President’s Office and the FHSU Foundation, collaborating with Foundation staff, board members, and alumni relations to drive institutional success.
Minimum Qualifications:
- A Master’s degree or higher in Public Administration, Higher Education Leadership, Business, Communication, or a related field.
- A minimum of five years of experience in a senior leadership or administrative role, with supervisory responsibilities, within a complex organization - preferably in higher education, government, or a large non-profit.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Operational Integration: Proven track record of managing cross-functional initiatives and ensuring that disparate departments (e.g., finance, marketing, and operations) are aligned with a central mission.
- Crisis & Issue Management: Demonstrated experience leading organizational responses to sensitive, high-profile, or urgent challenges with a high degree of diplomacy and judgment.
- Strategic Communication: Superior written and verbal communication skills, with experience drafting executive-level correspondence and collaborating with marketing/communications teams on institutional branding or crisis messaging.
- Change Management Expertise: Experience leading or facilitating significant institutional transformations, such as technological shifts, structural reorganizations, or new enrollment paradigms.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Ability to build and maintain trust-based relationships with a wide range of internal and external constituents, including boards, donors, faculty, and community leaders.
Benefits: To review our competitive benefit package, please visit
FHSU Benefits.
Priority Deadline: March 19, 2026. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately following the priority deadline and will continue until the position is filled.
Application Process: To apply for this position, please visit
FHSU Careers. Only electronic applications submitted through the webpage will be accepted.
Required Application Documents: Applicants must submit a cover letter why you are uniquely qualified for the position, resume or CV, and names and contact information for three to five professional references including a direct report and recent supervisor.
Applicant documents should be submitted in one PDF.
If you have questions regarding the position, please contact:
Jill Arensdorf, Ph.D.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
785-628-4241 (office)
jrarensdorf@fhsu.edu
Community of Hays
FHSU is located in Hays, a vibrant college town of approximately 20,000, located halfway between Kansas City and Denver on Interstate 70. Hays is the regional center for education, health care, professional services, shopping, culture, and recreation for the western half of Kansas. The community boasts excellent recreational programs and facilities, including the comprehensive Center for Health Improvement, Hays Aquatic Park, Smoky Hill Country Club, Hays Municipal Golf Course, and extensive walking, running, and biking trails. Hays is within 45 minutes of two large lakes that offer great opportunities for boating, fishing, and camping. The Hays Municipal Airport provides connecting service to Denver with several flights daily. The Hays community is home to excellent Pre-K and K-12, public and private schools. With over 60 restaurants, major retail outlets, a low unemployment rate, and very short commute times, the city provides a safe, welcoming, low-cost, high-quality living environment for the residents who call "Hays, America" home.
Notice of Non-discrimination: FHSU is committed to providing equal opportunity and access to its educational programs, employment, services, and activities in compliance with federal and state nondiscrimination laws. FHSU prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity and expression), age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in its programs, activities, admissions, or employment.
Background Check: Final candidate will have consented to and successfully completed a criminal background check.
Notice to KPERS retirees applying for a position: Recent legislation changes working-after-retirement rules for both you and your employer if you go back to work for a KPERS employer. Please contact your KPERS representative or
www.kpers.org for further information on how this might affect you.
