Associate Dean & Director, Graduate Business Programs

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

Academic Product Development

• Maintains strategic oversight of new academic program roadmap and product offerings
• Collaborates with external and internal stakeholders across a multitude of organizations to design and execute program offerings that meet intended outcomes and that are market and skill aligned
• Provides thought leadership and makes recommendations for innovations in learning products, learning design, and delivery based on analysis of data and learning science 
• Partners cross-functionally for the timely execution of new products, processes, and procedures that support the growth of the school

Research & Insights

• Collaborates with executive leadership to identify key macro-economic and societal trends and produces reports and visualizations to inform strategic decision making
• Oversees ongoing market research for new programs and product proposals, including research on repositioning of existing products, and potential new service offerings
• Directs research projects aimed at elevating the school and the executive team’s thought leadership profile

Partnerships

• Collaborates with regions and partnerships to establish key partnerships and a scalable B2B2C channel that results in new student starts
• In partnership with the Regional Vice Presidents, conducts research to validate local employer and students needs and opportunities as a means of finding “best fit” partners
• Collaborates with regions and partnerships to develop a B2B2C partnership framework and scorecard aligned with the university’s strategy for partnership development

General responsibilities

• Endeavors to incorporate WGU’s leadership principles into all aspects of the individual’s work and interactions with others
• Produces timely, consistent, and accurate reports for stakeholders and executives  
• Maintains professional knowledge of innovative and current practices in the areas of learning science, competency-based education, and online learning through analysis of research and participation in conferences 
• Provides measurable feedback to direct reports (cross-functional team of managers) and suggestions for improved performance  
• Develops appropriate analytics for measuring employee performance and student outcomes
• Establishes a network of strategic relationships with Academy partners and external organizations to remain up to date on new research and strategies and initiatives, and to disseminate this to other leaders as appropriate.
• Represents Academy Academic Programs/Product to external and internal stakeholders at all levels
• Inspire and motivate leaders, managers, teams to meet and exceed expectations. Develops and recruits top talent and future leaders.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities:

• Ability to build relationships and influence at all levels, both internally and externally
• Proven ability to analyze data to identify trends and drive innovation
• Ability to organize, coordinate, and direct team activities and results
• Ability to coach, direct and develop direct reports
• Sound judgment and decision-making skills
• Ability to be an agent of change in a rapidly changing environment
• Strong organizational and demonstrated communication and research skills
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, including the ability to effectively handle multiple tasks and pay attention to detail
• Requires composure under pressure, dealing with ambiguity and comfort working closely with executive leadership.

Competencies: 

Organizational Impact: 

• Develops and recommends strategies that align with college and university goals. 
• Performance leads and impacts college and u