Operations Manager

WGU; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 68,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

WGU is seeking an Operations Manager to oversee operational functions across multiple units in Salt Lake City. You will partner with university leaders to identify fixes, prioritize initiatives, and drive execution from concept to impact.

Expect a mix of strategic thinking and hands-on delivery to improve learner and employee outcomes. You will define scalable improvements, lead data-driven projects, and build standards that endure.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; two or more years of related work experience including project management and change management.
• Experience delivering operational services, programs, and initiatives with measurable impact.
• Strong analytical and communication skills; able to lead cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Partner with initiative leaders to deliver services and initiatives.
• Define scalable process improvement strategies and long-term plans.
• Analyze operations to identify improvement opportunities.
• Establish and monitor operational metrics to shape initiatives.
• Develop standards and policies with leaders.
• Lead cross-functional teams to implement new standards.
• Allocate resources effectively and build partnerships.
• Create and manage communication and training plans.
• Monitor trends and technologies for future needs.
• Set up audits and reliable data reporting.
• Perform other related duties as needed.

Skills

Project planning

Analytics

Problem solving

Communication

Organizational skills

Change management

Cross-functional leadership

Data-driven decision making

Coaching & feedback

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Job description

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 307

Pay Range: $68,300.00 - $102,500.00

Work Location

This is a full-time, in-office role based in our Salt Lake City, Utah office.

Make an Impact at WGU

As an Operations Manager, you'll oversee and lead established operational functions across multiple business units. You'll partner with leaders across the university to figure out what needs fixing, prioritize the initiatives that will move the needle, and drive them from idea to execution. This role is a good mix of big-picture thinking and hands-on delivery - you'll help set standards based on best practices, dig into data to see what's working and what isn't, and lead the cross-functional work needed to actually make improvements stick. Everything comes back to one goal: making things run better for our learners and our employees.

What You'll Do

• Partner with initiative leaders - business partners, project managers, business owners, and others - to deliver operational services, programs, and initiatives
• Work with leadership to define process improvement strategies, both short- and long-term, that are scalable and support continuous improvement
• Analyze current business operations, processes, and systems to spot opportunities for improvement
• Establish key operational metrics, analyze the data, and use it to shape improvement initiatives
• Develop functional and department standards and policies in partnership with leaders and stakeholders
• Identify and implement solutions that improve operations and support functional and department goals
• Lead cross-functional teams to put new standards and business models into practice across the department
• Determine the best use of available resources and build efficient partnerships across functional operations
• Build and lead communication and training plans for anyone impacted by process changes or operational improvements
• Keep an eye on new trends and technologies that could support current or future operational needs
• Set up audits and reporting to keep data accurate and reliable
• Take on other related duties as they come up

What You'll Bring

• Ability to plan, organize, coordinate, and lead projects in a way that ties back to bigger strategic goals
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Clear, effective communication skills, both written and verbal
• Strong organizational skills and a genuine attention to detail
• Ability to build consensus and keep people motivated
• Comfort creating and tracking data tied to project impact
• A track record of coaching others and giving useful feedback
• Strong listening skills and the ability to adapt well when things change
• Ability to look at business operations and processes and identify where things can improve
• Broad management know-how, with deep expertise in your own area and an understanding of how your work affects the rest of the university

What You'll Bring - Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field of study
• Two or more years of related work experience, including experience with project management and change management

Bonus Points

• PMP or CMP certification
• Change Practitioner certification
• Six Sigma certification
• Master's degree in a related field of study

Experience in Lieu of Education

Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this role may substitute for education requirements. Generally, one year of relevant experience may be considered in place of one year of education, at the discretion of the hiring manager.

Physical Requirements

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

What to Expect

At WGU, our mission drives everything we do, including how