Minority and Women-Owned Business Director

An application, cover letter and résumé must be submitted to be considered for this position. The Department of Commerce participates in the E-Verify program.

Agency: Department of Commerce

As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses. Through Commerce’s project successes, Kansas in 2021 was awarded Area Development Magazine’s prestigious Gold Shovel award and was named Site Selection Magazine’s Best Business Climate in the West North Central region of the United States.

The Kansas Department of Commerce administers the KANSASWORKS workforce system, which links businesses, job seekers, educational institutions and training providers to ensure the state’s workforce is equipped to meet industry needs.

Learn more at kansascommerce.gov

About the Position:

Who can apply: Open to all who meet the minimum requirements

Classified/Unclassified Service: Unclassified

Full-Time/Part-Time: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00a – 5:00p

Eligible to Receive Benefits: Yes

Veterans' Preference Eligible: Yes

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Compensation: $70,000.00 to $80,000.00 per year

• Salary can vary depending upon education, experience, or qualifications.

Position Summary & Responsibilities:

Position Summary:

This office is tasked with making sure that minority and women-owned businesses have the tools and resources available to grow and succeed in the Kansas economy. This includes enhancing awareness of such businesses and providing them with procurement and government contracting opportunities.

Job Responsibilities may include but are not limited to the following:

• Directs, plans and supervises activities designed to assist minority-owned and women-owned businesses throughout the state. Implements an outreach plan to collaborate with external stakeholders to identify minority-and women-owned businesses (both certified and non-certified) in Kansas.

• Develops a registration process for listing companies in the directory and determines a strategy to connect these businesses to purchasing agents from federal, state, and local governments, as well as private corporations, nonprofits and other entities involved in the procurement of goods and services.

• Supervises and oversees staff of the Single Source Certification Program of the Office of Minority and Women Business Development in the certification of minority-owned and women-owned businesses to allow them to compete for contracts from entities that have goals for contracting with minority-and women-owned businesses.

• Coordinates and assists economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, small business development centers, certified development companies and other agencies in organizing small business seminars, conferences, educational forums and networking opportunities for minority-owned and women-owned businesses.

• Provides workshops and presentations related to certification for minority-and women-owned businesses.

• Consults with other division directors, federal, state and local agencies and other economic development agencies to coordinate activities to ensure success in providing support to minority-and women-owned businesses.

• Organizes the annual Minority Enterprise Development Week awards recognition program

• Evaluates legislative proposals that impact minority-and women-owned businesses and gives feedback through the Director of Legislative Affairs.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications: Licensing & Certification:

• Four years of professional experience in economic development, finance, accounting, marketing, small business development or business planning

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or related field (Accounting, Finance, Marketing, etc.)

• Knowledge of Salesforce or other customer relationship management system a plus

Contact Information:

Name: Angie Krahe
Email: angie.krahe@ks.gov
Phone: 785.291.3568
Mailing Address: 1000 SW Jackson; Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66612

Required Documents for this Application to be Complete:

On your Careers - My Job Applications page, verify these documents are present and valid.

• Tax Clearance Certificate
• DD FM 214 (if you are claiming Veteran’s Preference)

Inside this job's Job Application, upload these documents:

• Cover Letter
• Résumé

Kansas Tax Clearance Certificate Required: Each applicant (even non-residents) applying for a State of Kansas job vacancy must obtain a valid Kansas Certificate of Tax Clearance by accessing the Kansas Department of Revenue's website. A Tax Clearance is a comprehensive tax account review to determine and ensure that an individual's account is compliant with all primary Kansas Tax Laws. A Tax Clearance expires every 90 days. All applicants, including current state employees, are responsible for submitting a valid certificate to the hiring agency within 10 days of the date the applicant has been offered an employment position. This is in accordance with Executive Order 2004-03. If you need assistance with the tax clearance, please contact 785-296-3199.

Visit the Tax Clearance site for more information on and where to obtain this Kansas Department of Revenue document.

Employment Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, mental, dental, vision, and additional coverage

• Sick & vacation leave

• Work-life balance programs: parental leave, military leave, jury leave, funeral leave

• Paid state holidays (designated by the Governor annually)

• Employee discounts with the STAR Program

• Retirement and deferred compensation programs

Visit the Employee Benefits page for more information…

Job Application Process:

• Sign into your existing account or Register for a new account.

• Review and complete your contact information on the My Contact Information page.

• Upload documents listed in the Required Documents section of this job posting to the appropriate location.

• Complete and Submit your application.

• Check your email and My Job Notifications for written communications from the Recruiter.

  • Email - the email listed on the Careers>My Contact Information page.

  • Notifications - view the Careers>My Job Notifications page

How to Claim Veterans Preference

Veterans' Preference Eligible (VPE): Former military personnel or their spouse that have been verified as a "veteran"; under K.S.A. 73-201 will receive an interview if they meet the minimum competency factors of the position. The veterans' preference laws do not guarantee the veteran a job. Positions are filled with the best qualified candidate as determine by the hiring manager.

Learn more about claiming Veteran’s Preference

Equal Employment Opportunity

The State of Kansas is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential elements that create and foster a welcoming workplace. All qualified persons will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, political affiliation, disability or any other factor unrelated to the essential functions of the job.

If you wish to identify yourself as a qualified person with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and would like to request an accommodation, please address the request to the agency recruiter.