Senior Manager, Academic Program Management

Responsibilities

• Lead the execution and continuous improvement of curriculum, assessment, and instructional model initiatives.
• Translate academic strategy and product vision into actionable delivery plans, managing scope, timelines, and resources.
• Partner with academic leaders and cross-functional teams to ensure high-quality delivery aligned with institutional priorities.
• Evaluate program and assessment performance using quantitative and qualitative data to identify improvement opportunities.
• Manage and develop a team of managers and individual contributors, providing coaching and performance feedback.
• Monitor delivery against budgets and timelines, surfacing risks and dependencies to leadership.
• Drive process improvements to enhance efficiency and scalability in academic product development.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in education, instructional design, learning science, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 7 years of related experience in academic product management or program leadership.
• 3 years of experience supervising a team.
• Proven experience in curriculum and assessment development.
• Experience managing budgets and leading complex, cross-functional projects.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a related discipline.
• 10 years of leadership experience within a higher education environment.
• Subject matter expertise in specific areas such as healthcare, business, or information technology.
• Experience navigating and structuring ambiguous organizational situations.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and mental healthcare.
• Flexible paid time off and flexible paid sick time.
• Retirement savings plan and health savings account.
• Discounted WGU tuition.
• 11 paid holidays and up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

About the Company

Western Governors University (WGU) is a leading accredited online university dedicated to expanding access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs. Founded by a coalition of U.S. governors, WGU pioneers innovative ways to learn in the 21st century to help students graduate and build better futures.