Manager, Operations

Western Governors University; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 78,000 - 129,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement savings plan

Wellbeing program

Discounted WGU tuition

Flexible paid time off

Flexible paid sick time

11 paid holidays

Parental leave up to 12 weeks

Job summary

Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, UT seeks an Operations Manager to lead operational excellence across multiple business units, guiding teams to work smarter and move faster while delivering exceptional experiences for students and staff. This role blends strategic leadership, process improvement, product ownership, and change management to drive measurable outcomes.

Requires five years in operations with supervision, and a Bachelor's degree; travel up to 20% and in-office five

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Five years of experience in operations, process improvement, or project/change management, including team supervision.
• Experience in lieu of education is accepted; equivalent experience may substitute for education requirements.

Responsibilities

• Serve as subject matter expert for assigned operational processes and supporting technologies, ensuring effectiveness, consistency, and quality across services.
• Partner with executive leaders to develop and execute operational strategies aligned with goals.
• Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, improve efficiency, and scale programs that enhance student and employee experiences.
• Lead process improvement and change management initiatives, driving adoption through training and stakeholder engagement.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to operationalize standards and deliver strategic initiatives.
• Manage projects, resources, and priorities while tracking outcomes and adoption metrics.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team focused on accountability and continuous improvement.

Skills

Team leadership

Change management

Analytical thinking

Communication

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration/Operations Management or related field

Experience in lieu of education

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

ServiceNow

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: Management_Executive 605 Pay Range: $78,200.00 - $129,000.00

Impact at WGU

As an Operations Manager, you will lead operational excellence across multiple business units, helping teams work smarter, move faster, and deliver exceptional experiences for both students and employees. This role combines strategic leadership, process improvement, product ownership, change management, and team development to drive measurable business outcomes and support organizational priorities.

What You'll Do

• Serve as the subject matter expert for assigned operational processes and supporting technologies, ensuring effectiveness, consistency, and quality across services.
• Partner with executive leaders and key stakeholders to develop and execute operational strategies aligned with departmental and organizational goals.
• Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, improve efficiency, and scale operational programs that enhance the student and employee experience.
• Lead process improvement and change management initiatives, driving adoption through communication, training, and stakeholder engagement.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to operationalize standards, align priorities, and deliver strategic initiatives.
• Manage operational projects, resources, and priorities while tracking outcomes, adoption metrics, and progress against key objectives.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team focused on accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

What You'll Bring

• Demonstrated ability to coach and lead teams in achieving operational goals
• Strong judgment and adaptability when managing change and ambiguity
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Proficiency with workflow and reporting tools (e.g., ServiceNow, Power BI, Tableau)
• Proven ability to lead projects from initiation through completion
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders
• Experience using data and metrics to guide decisions and measure performance
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Five (5) years of experience in operations, process improvement, or project/change management, including team supervision.
• Experience in lieu of education
• Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements. Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as 1 year of experience for 1 year of education and is the discretion of the hiring manager.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or related field
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
• Change Management certification (e.g., Prosci Change Practitioner)
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification
• Experience developing and managing performance metrics or dashboards in platforms

Work Location

This is a full-time, in-office position requiring five days per week in our Salt Lake City, Utah office, designed to foster the collaboration and connection that fuel our best work.

Visa Sponsorship

While we welcome applicants from all backgrounds, WGU is not able to provide visa sponsorship for this role.

Travel Requirement

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.

Position & Application Details

• Full-time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours)
• eligible for bonuses
• medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare
• health savings account
• 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

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.

In 1997, a coalition of 19 U.S. governors founded Western Governors University with a singular vision: to make higher education more accessible by offering full degree programs online. Starting small, we quickly expanded. Today, we’re one of the largest accredited online universities in the U.S.