Lead Academic Program Manager - Subject Areas: Marketing, Human Resources, IT, Undergraduate Management, Supply Chain and Operations Management, and Business Administration

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.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
 

Grade: Professional 313

Pay Range: $119,400.00 - $185,100.00

Job Description

Join WGU as a Lead Academic Program Manager

Are you passionate about transforming education and driving student success? Western Governors University (WGU) is seeking a dynamic Lead Academic Program Manager to oversee our academic programs from start to finish. This is your chance to make a significant impact by leading programs through their entire lifecycle, from initial research to post-launch success.

Why This Role is Exciting:

• End-to-End Ownership: As the Lead Academic Program Manager, you will be responsible for every stage of the program lifecycle. This includes market-segment selection, competitive analysis, curriculum development, and program-level P&L management.
• Collaborative Environment: Work closely with academic program directors, subject matter experts, and cross-functional teams to build and launch high-quality programs on time and within budget.
• Impactful Work: Drive the adoption of programs, monitor student success, and make ongoing adjustments to ensure market relevance and high retention rates.

Key Responsibilities:

• P&L Ownership: Manage the program-level P&L, ensuring profitability and alignment with market demands.
• Continuous Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous experimentation, measurement, and learning to enhance program quality and delivery.
• Effective Communication: Promote teamwork, decision-making, and problem-solving through clear and effective communication.
• Collaboration: Work cooperatively across the organization to achieve shared objectives and gain buy-in, trust, and support from others.
• Managing Ambiguity: Comfortably handle the uncertainty of change, make decisions without the total picture, and remain calm and productive.
• Driving Results: Persist in accomplishing objectives despite obstacles, with a strong outcomes-based orientation and a continuous improvement mindset.
• Building Effective Teams: Form diverse teams, establish common objectives, and foster a sense of belonging and strong team morale.
• Organizational Learning: Quickly learn from new situations, experiment to find new solutions, and expand your knowledge base through ongoing curiosity.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Student-Centered Approach: Deep understanding of student learning needs and the ability to combine innovative curriculum and support strategies to drive student success.
• Customer or Student Obsession: Focus on driving successful outcomes for students.
• Industry Expertise: Insight into industry trends, job opportunities, and educational market trends in your discipline.
• Execution Focus: Ability to dive deep into details and maintain a fast-paced weekly execution cadence.
• Collaboration: Ability to organize and coordinate activities across cross-functional teams and lead teams in a remote environment.
• Change Agent: Ability to be an agent of change in a rapidly changing environment.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Proven ability to