Western Governors University · 1 day ago
Senior Manager, Academic Program Production & Improvement
Durham, NC
Full-time
Hybrid
Mid, Senior Level
$113K/yr - $204K/yr
7+ years expWestern Governors University is committed to expanding access to higher education through innovative online programs. The Senior Manager of Academic Program Production & Improvement will lead the design and continuous improvement of academic programs, managing a cross-functional team to ensure quality and effectiveness in program delivery.
Higher Education
Responsibilities
Operationalizes department strategy by leading a management team to implement existing processes and change initiatives to deliver outcomes for production and student success
Functions as a player-coach who understands the need for first-hand contribution and close (shoulder-to-shoulder) proximity to the programs at every stage of production and improvement
Manages the portfolio of work across their management team in terms of high-level objectives, project plans, budgets, resource allocation, vendor engagement, instructional quality, use of technology, and more
Leads in solving complex issues that require significant analysis, troubleshooting, and negotiation (for which exceptions or revisions to established processes and procedures may need to be made)
Maintains an authoritative coaching relationship not only with their management team but with their managers’ production teams and contractors (~25+ resources)
Builds upon their individual domain expertise in assessment, instructional design, educational psychology, AI, or learning project/program management to develop cross-disciplinary fluency and provide expert insight across the full range of skills essential to program production
Ensures that the vendors and contractors used by their management team have detailed requirements upfront and that they deliver at the level of quality agreed upon and within the established timeframe
Works laterally with other leaders on process engineering, innovation, quality, team culture, and other shared objectives
Represents and curates the best work of their managers and their teams, curating their most innovative work for purposes of advocacy, credibility, and cross-departmental education
Shares responsibility for fostering positive relationships with program stakeholders but provides specific consultation to anticipate and respond to concerns, troubleshoot issues, negotiate solutions, etc
Performs other job-related duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
Experience in leading and developing first-level leaders
Expertise in instructional psychology and technology, with specialization in some aspect of online program development
Consultative rather than transactional stakeholder communications
Leadership of digital transformation with a high degree of complexity and a high degree of personal accountability
Effective change management and readiness enablement skills with the ability to promote, evaluate, and develop these skills on their management team
Fluency in production, learning analytics, and reporting
Strong aptitude for learning new technology and implementing it on their team
High degree of financial acumen and experience in managing fixed budgets across a diverse program portfolio
Master's degree in educational psychology, instructional design, or other related discipline (alternative credentials plus relevant work experience will also be considered)
Evidence of successful learning program leadership that demonstrates both cross-disciplinary knowledge and specialist domain expertise
Hands-on experience with project management applications, course authoring tools, and related technologies
7 years of demonstrated experience
Evidence of successful learning program leadership that demonstrates both cross-disciplinary knowledge and specialist domain expertise
Hands-on experience with project management applications, course authoring tools, and related technologies
Onsite collocation is required in Raleigh, NC
Travel up to 15-20% may be required on an ad hoc basis
Preferred
Doctorate in a relevant discipline, paired with demonstrable expertise in program development with stellar student outcomes
10 years of leadership experience in higher education program development
3 years of leading other managers to achieve outcomes
Background in online higher education preferred but relevant or overlapping experience in corporate, government, or other non-profit contexts may also be considered
Experience in leading AI transformation of both the program development and student learning experience
A mix of online higher education experience and corporate learning experience to support the organization's workforce-relevant approach
Benefits
Eligible for bonuses
Medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare
Health savings account and flexible spending account
Basic and voluntary life insurance
Disability coverage
Accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages
Legal and identity theft coverage
Retirement savings plan
Wellbeing program
Discounted WGU tuition
Flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual
Flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual
11 paid holidays
Other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave
Company
Western Governors University
Western Governors University focuses on improving lives by creating pathways to opportunity for its students.
5001-10000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Western Governors University has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (6)
2024 (4)
2023 (12)
2022 (30)
2021 (17)
2020 (37)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
unknownKey Investors
Kauffman Foundation
2025-05-08Grant
Leadership Team
Stephen Herzig
Vice President of Enterprise Solutions
Kacey Thorne
Senior Director, Academic Strategic Initiatives
Recent News
2025-12-02
2025-10-29
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