Manager, Design & Development

Western Governors University; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 88,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligibility

Comprehensive benefits

Tuition discount

Job summary

Western Governors University in Salt Lake City is seeking a senior leader to guide design and development of online curriculum and assessments. You will supervise instructional designers, assessment developers, and educational technologists to deliver high‑quality learning experiences that align with program goals and outcomes.

You’ll use data to identify trends, mentor teams, and advance innovative instructional strategies with AI integration.

Qualifications

• Experience leading teams to deliver high-quality educational products.
• Strong coaching and talent development skills with direct reports.
• Experience in fast-paced, dynamic educational environments.
• Ability to build relationships and influence across a matrixed org.
• Solid project management and organizational skills.
• Analytical mindset using data to drive decisions and improvements.
• Ability to foster innovation and best practices in curriculum design.
• Experience using AI in curriculum and assessment design.

Responsibilities

• Leads and supervises teams of instructional designers, assessment developers, and educational technologists.
• Ensures curriculum and assessments meet quality, alignment, and program goals.
• Uses data-driven insights to identify trends and improvements.
• Models and mentors best practices, including AI integration in design.
• Manages design and development processes, timelines, budgets, and quality.
• Leads assessment design for validity and alignment with objectives.
• Plans staff assignments and resource approaches for projects.
• Collaborates with stakeholders across design, development, and delivery phases.
• Coordinates delivery to vendors/partners and maintains cross-functional partnerships.
• Provides feedback and professional development to direct reports.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching & development

Instructional design

Curriculum development

Project management

Data-driven decision making

AI in design

Collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

LMS

AI in product design

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.

Pay Range: $87,600.00 - $144,700.00

Location: This role is located in our Salt Lake City, UT office.

Primary Responsibilities

• Leads and supervises teams of instructional designers, assessment developers, and educational technologists, ensuring high performance, engagement, and accountability.
• Ensures overall design and development deliverables meet quality, consistency, and alignment expectations of curriculum and assessments with program goals, design specifications, and best practices.
• Uses data-driven insights to identify trends, challenges, and opportunities for improvement in curriculum and assessment content; develops actionable strategies to address them.
• Models and mentors best practices in leveraging AI in curriculum and assessment design, fostering innovation and continuous improvement within the team.
• Manages the design and development process for assigned projects, ensuring adherence to timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
• Leads assessment design efforts, ensuring validity, relevance, technical accuracy, and alignment with program competencies and learning objectives.
• Plans staff assignments and determines best approaches/methods for completing assigned projects.
• Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders, maintaining alignment through the design, development, delivery, and maintenance phases of projects.
• Analyzes stakeholder feedback and implements necessary improvements or changes to curriculum and assessments.
• Coordinates the delivery of course designs, scope specifications, and other design and development deliverables to development vendors or partners.
• Builds and maintains cross-functional partnerships to support the development and maintenance of high-quality learning experiences.
• Provides direct reports with measurable feedback, coaching, and professional development opportunities to enhance performance and growth.
• Manages risks and removes barriers to keep projects on track and aligned with institutional goals.
• Collaborates with stakeholders to establish detailed project timelines and milestones, ensuring proactive communication and on‑time delivery.
• Participates in the development of innovative and engaging instructional strategies and assessment methods.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proven ability to lead, organize, and manage teams and their activities to achieve high-quality outcomes.
• Strong coaching and talent development skills, with experience managing direct reports.
• Experience delivering high-quality educational products in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment.
• Ability to build relationships, collaborate effectively, and influence at all levels within a matrixed organization.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to handle multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail.
• Analytical mindset with experience using data to identify trends, drive decisions, and implement process improvements.
• Sound judgment, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills in fast‑paced and dynamic environments.
• Ability to foster innovation, continuous improvement, and best practices in curriculum and assessment design.
• Experienced using AI in product design and development.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to various audiences and provide constructive feedback.
• Adaptability and resilience, with the ability to manage ambiguity and lead teams through change.
• Strong understanding of instructional design, curriculum development, adult learning theory, and assessment best practices.
• Commitment to creating inclusive, engaging, and learner‑centered educational experiences.
• Proficiency with digital tools, learning management systems, and production workflows in online learning environments.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree.

Experience

• 5 years of relevant experience, including supervisory or team leadership experience.
• Broad management knowledge and understanding of instructional design and/or assessment development, with awareness of its impact on broader institutional goals.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Instructional Design, Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Technology, Learning Sciences, or a related field.
• Experience creating innovative, mobile‑first, social‑by‑design, gamified, or non‑linear learning experiences at scale.
• Experience with UI/UX design principles, using AI in product design and development.
• Demonstrated experience with process development, implementation, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong understanding of the higher education landscape and competency‑based education models.
• Success in change management, particularly in stabilizing and structuring diffuse or ambiguous projects or processes.
• Strong organizational, time‑management, prioritization, and project management skills.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business‑related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements.

This job description includes a general representation of job requirements rather than a comprehensive inventory of all required responsibilities or work activities. The contents of this document or related job requirements may change at any time with or without notice.

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Additional Information

Full‑Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full‑time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is 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; and 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, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

• Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive.
• Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at [e-mail].
• Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.