Lead Apprenticeship Program Manager

WGU; United States; On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Governors University seeks a strategic leader to serve as the enterprise lead and architect for its apprenticeship portfolio, defining and scaling the university's approach to integrating competency-based education with work-based learning at a national level. This role operates at the intersection of higher education, workforce systems, and employer partnerships.

This highly external-facing role requires engagement with employers, workforce intermediaries, state agencies, and national

Qualifications

• Master's degree in a related field.
• 8 years of progressively responsible experience in apprenticeships, workforce development or higher education leadership.
• Experience designing and scaling programs or systems.
• Experience working with external partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and scaling of apprenticeship programs across WGU.
• Design scalable apprenticeship systems and turnkey employer solutions.
• Influence institutional strategy and operating models for apprenticeship pathways.
• Serve as a primary external-facing leader with employers and partners.
• Translate federal and state policies into scalable program designs.
• Define WGU's role as RTI provider, sponsor, or partner.
• Drive employer onboarding and mentor readiness.
• Collaborate across internal teams and external partners to achieve KPIs.
• Establish and monitor enrollment, retention, and completion metrics.
• Drive data-informed continuous improvement and thought leadership.

Skills

Apprenticeship systems

Workforce models

Policy translation

External partnerships

Communications & influence

Remote work in matrix

Data analysis

Industry trends

Change agent

Education

Master's degree in related field

Job description

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 312

Pay Range: $109,900.00 - $170,400.00

Job Description

Serves as the enterprise lead and strategic architect for WGU's apprenticeship portfolio, responsible for defining and scaling the university's approach to integrating competency-based education with work-based learning at a national level. This role operates at the intersection of higher education, workforce systems, and employer partnerships, and is accountable for building scalable, repeatable apprenticeship models that can be deployed across industries, states, and employer partners. This role has enterprise-wide impact, shaping how WGU designs, delivers, and scales apprenticeship and work-based pathways across all colleges and partner ecosystems. This is a highly external-facing role requiring regular engagement with employers, workforce intermediaries, state agencies, and national organizations. Success will be measured by the ability to design, launch, and scale apprenticeship programs that deliver strong learner outcomes, address workforce needs, employer satisfaction, and sustainable growth. This role is expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy and will be a key contributor to WGU's long-term strategy in workforce-aligned education.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Lead the design and scaling of apprenticeship programs across WGU.
• Design and operationalize scalable apprenticeship systems and models, including turnkey employer solutions.
• Influence institutional strategy, design and build decisions, and operating models related to apprenticeship pathways.
• Serve as a primary external-facing leader with employers, workforce partners, and regulatory bodies.
• Translate federal and state apprenticeship policies into scalable, employer-ready program design.
• Define and operationalize WGU's role as RTI provider, sponsor, or partner.
• Drive employer onboarding, including mentor/journey worker readiness and adoption.
• Collaborate across external employers and partners and internal WGU academic, compliance, product, and partnership teams.
• Establish and monitor KPIs including enrollment, retention, and completion.
• Drive continuous improvement through data-informed insights.
• Serve as a national representative and thought leader in apprenticeship innovation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep expertise in apprenticeship systems and workforce models.
• Strong understanding of federal and state apprenticeship regulations.
• Proven ability to build external partnerships.
• Ability to translate policy into scalable program design.
• Strong systems-thinking mindset.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills.
• Ability to operate in a remote, matrixed environment.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Understanding of the industry trends, job opportunities, and educational market trends in the discipline
• Credible voice of the department in external partnerships and presentation opportunities
• Execution focus with the ability to dive‑deep and live in the details with a fast-paced weekly execution cadence.
• Ability to /*??*/ build relationships and influence at all levels, both internally and externally
• Ability to be an agent of change in a rapidly changing environment
• Proven ability to analyze data to identify trends and drive innovation

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in a related field.
• 8 years of progressively responsible experience in apprenticeships, workforce development, Higher Education Administration or Leadership, student or academic affairs, or related fields.
• Experience designing and scaling programs or systems.
• Experience working with external part