Director, Online School

The Company:  GIA is the world’s foremost authority in gemology. GIA is a global organization with headquarters located in Carlsbad, CA. GIA in Carlsbad boasts a 17-acre ocean view campus that accommodates approximately 800 of its 3,400 total employees worldwide. It offers many competitive health and commuter benefits that promote the well-being of its employees as well as that of the environment.

The Location: This position is located in Carlsbad, California at our corporate headquarters.

What to expect:

• We offer competitive medical, dental, vision and matching 401-K plans
• Paid vacation, sick and holidays, tuition assistance, commuter benefits

The Environment:

• On-site cafe - affordable custom breakfast and lunch meals and Starbucks drinks!
• Economic friendly services - electric vehicle charging stations on-site
• Ergonomic assessments offered on-site and virtually

Position Summary

The Director, Online School provides strategic and operational leadership for GIA's online education business, ensuring high-quality, scalable, and compliant programs that support student success and institutional growth. This role is

accountable for Online School performance, including enrollment, retention, graduation outcomes, student experience, financial performance, academic technology, and regulatory compliance. The Director leads cross-functional teams, develops organizational capability, and drives continuous improvement initiatives that advance GIA's mission, reputation, and impact in online education.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership (30%)

• Lead the strategic direction and operational management of GIA's Online School, aligning priorities, systems, and governance with institutional goals and business objectives.
• Partner with Education leadership and key stakeholders to improve enrollment, retention, persistence, graduation, and student success outcomes.
• Establish, monitor, and drive performance against key operational, academic, enrollment, and financial metrics.
• Oversee student lifecycle performance, including inquiry-to-enrollment conversion, start rates, retention, persistence, and graduation outcomes.
• Manage the Online School budget, including forecasting, resource allocation, investment planning, and financial performance.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, industry trends, and regulatory developments to inform strategic planning and innovation.
• Lead risk management, business continuity, operational resilience, and reputation management initiatives.
• Develop organizational capability through talent development, succession planning, performance management, workforce planning, and leadership coaching.

Online Learning Quality & Faculty Support (30%)

• Provide leadership for the design, delivery, assessment, and continuous improvement of online and hybrid learning experiences.
• Partner with faculty and academic leadership to establish and maintain standards for instructional quality, accessibility, learner engagement, and technology integration.
• Provide strategic oversight of the Learning Management System (D2L Brightspace) and related academic technologies to ensure effective functionality, scalability, integration, and user experience.
• Champion best practices in online pedagogy, learner-centered instructional design, accessibility, and course consistency across programs.
• Establish quality assurance processes and evaluate course effectiveness through data, learner feedback, and outcomes assessment.
• Ensure compliance with accreditation standards, distance education regulations, institutional policies, and applicable educational requirements.
• Foster a culture of safety and operational excellence across online and on-campus instructional environments.

Student Experience & Operational Excellence (40%)

• Lead cross-functional initiatives that enhance the online student experience, improving engagement, responsiveness, satisfaction, retention, and student success.
• Ensure reliable delivery, scalability, and effectiveness of online learning technologies and student support services.
• Analyze operational, academic, enrollment, financial, and student experience data to identify trends and drive continuous improvement.
• Develop and implement reporting frameworks, dashboards, and performance analytics that support decision-making and accountability.
• Ensure compliance with FERPA, ADA accessibility standards, and all applicable regulations governing online education.
• Partner across departments, streamline processes, improve service delivery, and optimize the student journey.
• Drive operational effectiven