Senior Manager, Associate Dean- HR Programs

Western Governors University; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 117,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Governors University is seeking a senior leader to guide academic operations and partnerships from Salt Lake City, UT. The role focuses on growing programs, building industry partnerships, and delivering strong educational outcomes through effective faculty leadership and coaching.

The position requires a Master’s in education or business or equivalent experience, with 5+ years in HR and a proven cross-functional leadership track record. Occasional travel up to 20% is expected.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Education, Business, or a relevant area from an accredited institution.
• 5 years of relevant experience in Human Resources.
• Proven track record leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and projects.
• In lieu of a master's degree, a bachelor's degree + 10 years of relevant experience may be considered if candidates possess the necessary skills and knowledge.
• Preferred: Experience in online, competency-based education environments.
• Knowledge of state regulatory/compliance considerations for education preparation providers.
• Travel up to 20%.

Responsibilities

• Organizational Leadership: Provide foundational leadership for all operations, overseeing a multi-layered team.
• Strategic Planning: Develop and execute strategies that enhance operational efficiency and partnership impact.
• Operational Excellence: Oversee process improvement initiatives leveraging root cause analysis and design-thinking.
• Partnership Management: Lead the strategic design and execution of district and funded partnerships.
• Financial & Portfolio Management: Manage cost structures with a focus on university contribution margins.
• Liaison & Advisor: Serve as a key advisor to the VP of Academic Operations.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive a culture of experimentation and measurement.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Partnership management

Data analysis

Communication

Team management

Education

Master's degree in Education, Business, or a relevant area

Bachelor's degree + 10 years experience (in lieu of master's)

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 609Pay Range: $116,600.00 - $209,900.00Job DescriptionFunctions as a subject matter expert and a respected academic business leader in driving the education and successful outcomes of students in their field. In collaboration with college and university leadership, other departments, and other university organizations, has end-to-end responsibility of the following: growing your programs with new, market relevant and innovative competency based program offerings, identifying and supporting the implementation of industry partnerships and go-to-market strategies to bring the right students and employers to these programs, and delivering great educational outcomes for these students by directly managing the instructional faculty and leveraging the coaching and mentoring faculty to drive student success. Success will be measured in terms of planning, building, delivering, and scaling the right programs profitably that cater to our underserved student population with a high-level of retention and ROI for the students.Location: This is a full-time, in-office position requiring 5 days per week inSalt Lake City, UT. Designed to foster the collaboration and connection that fuel our best work.Primary Responsibilities:Organizational Leadership: Provide foundational leadership for all operations, overseeing a multi-layered team including the Senior Manager of Strategic Operations and the Senior Manager of District and Funded Partnerships.Strategic Planning: Develop and execute strategies that enhance operational efficiency and partnership impact across the entire student lifecycle.Operational Excellence: Oversee process improvement initiatives leveraging root cause analysis, design-thinking, and change management methodologies to optimize faculty and student experiences.Partnership Management: Lead the strategic design and execution of district and funded partnerships, ensuring strict adherence to state and federal regulations while cultivating relationships with school districts and government agencies.Financial & Portfolio Management: Manage cost structures with a focus on achieving university contribution margins and data-driven portfolio management.Liaison & Advisor: Serve as a key advisor to the VP of Academic Operations on operational strategies and represent the division as the primary contact for internal operations.Continuous Improvement: Drive a culture of experimentation and measurement, using data-driven insights to rapidly improve program delivery and partnership health.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.QualificationsKnowledge, Skills, and AbilitiesDeep understanding of operational excellence and how innovative student support strategies drive employability and success.Industry or academic leader with expertise in partnership models, state requirements, and educational market trends.Credible voice for the department in external partnerships and high-level stakeholder engagement.Strong people leader to directly or indirectly lead a diverse team of 5-8 people including academic program leaders, instructional faculty, and student coaches/mentorsExecution focus with the ability to dive deep into details within a fast-paced environment.Ability to organize and coordinate activities across highly matrixed, cross-functional teams.Proven ability to analyze data to identify trends, extract root causes, and drive innovation.Sound judgment, decision-making skills, and strong oral and written communication.Competencies:Organizational Impact: Develops and recommends planning to accomplish division responsibilities that align with the department. Accountable for significant improvements to processes, programs, and systems that affect multiple departments.Problem Solving & Decision Making: Responsible for solving numerous, undefined problems that require detailed analysis and prior experience. May create and direct policy decisions within the scope of responsibility.Communication & Influence: Influences equivalent level management and senior leadership to accept division views and practices. Conducts briefings with senior leadership to gain approval on significant matters.Leadership & Talent Management: Manages a team of professionals, including Senior Managers who oversee their own teams (e.g., PPMs and Partnership Managers). Responsible for creating workforce and staffing plans, and overseeing all personnel decisions for the operations and partnership division.EducationMinimum Qualifications:Master's degree in Education, Business, or a relevant area from an accredited institution.5 years of relevant experience in Human ResourcesIn lieu of a master's degree, a bachelor's degree + 10 years of relevant experience may be considered if candidates possess the necessary skills and knowledge.Proven track record of leading complex, cross-functional initiatives and projects.Preferred Qualifications:Experience in online, competency-based education environments.Expertise in change management, strategic planning, and partnership lifecycle management.Knowledge of state regulatory/compliance considerations for education preparation providers.Travel: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 requirementsPhysical Requirements:Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.Ability to travel occasionally for partnership meetings and institutional events.#LI-JW1Position & Application DetailsFull-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.How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.Additional InformationDisclaimer: 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] Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.