Kan. Stat. § 75-5005
The secretary of transportation shall appoint a state transportation engineer, who shall be a licensed professional engineer. The state transportation engineer shall be in the unclassified service under the Kansas civil service act and shall receive an annual salary fixed by the secretary of transportation and approved by the governor. The secretary of transportation also may appoint such other staff assistants and employees as are necessary to enable the secretary to carry out the duties of his or her office. Such staff assistants and employees shall be within the classified service under the Kansas civil service act unless otherwise specifically provided by law. The state transportation engineer and such other staff assistants and employees shall be within the office of the secretary of transportation and shall have such powers, duties and functions as are assigned to them by the secretary or are prescribed by law. Such state transportation engineer, staff assistants and employees shall act for and exercise the powers of the secretary of transportation to the extent authority to do so is delegated by the secretary of transportation.
K.S.A. 75-5005