Senior Manager, Clinical Experience

Western Governors University; United States; Remote; USD 98,000 - 162,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounted WGU tuition

Bonuses eligible

Wellbeing program

11 paid holidays

Flexible paid time off

Job summary

Western Governors University is seeking a senior leader for the Leavitt School of Health to design, coordinate, and continuously improve student clinical experiences across programs. You will oversee clinical placement operations, ensure student readiness, and drive service excellence with data-driven decisions.

You will manage partnerships with clinical sites, align programs to accreditation standards, and lead teams to optimize resources, policies, and training.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a school/discipline related field.
• Education is verified and must be from an accredited institution.
• Note: a bachelor’s degree with five years of direct leadership experience may be substituted.
• Three years of leadership or supervisory experience in managing projects and cross-functional teams.
• Experience substituting education with equivalent relevant experience may be accepted.
• Terminal degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead clinical placement management and coordinate student placements.
• Design and evaluate clinical education programs to support student and faculty competency.
• Manage budgets, staffing, and scheduling for clinical and lab operations.
• Build strategic relationships with clinical partners and healthcare organizations.
• Ensure compliance with accreditation standards and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee policy updates and staff development.

Skills

Influences others

Effective communication

Collaboration

Gains buy-in

Change management

Education

Master’s degree in health education or related field

Bachelor’s degree with 5 years relevant experience

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 607 Pay Range: $98,200.00 - $162,100.00.

Job Description

This role in Leavitt School of Health is a key strategic leader responsible for the design, coordination, and continuous improvement of student clinical and field experiences across diverse academic programs in. This role oversees high‑performing teams focused on clinical placement operations and student success, ensuring a seamless, complaint, and student‑centered transition from academic preparation to clinical practice. Operating at the intersection of academic operations, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder engagement, this role shapes the infrastructure, policies, and processes that underpin clinical education. This includes managing complex internal and external partnerships, aligning programs with state and national accreditation standards, and leading initiatives that drive operational efficiency, technological integration, and service excellence. In collaboration with academic leadership, clinical staff, and shared services, advances innovative clinical placement models while upholding the integrity and quality of student experiences. The role is accountable for enhancing student readiness, satisfaction, and success, and for reinforcing institutional effectiveness through data‑informed decision‑making and continuous quality improvement.

Primary Responsibilities

• Responsible for clinical placement management directing the planning, coordination, and quality assurance of student clinical placements.
• Designs, Implements, and evaluates clinical education programs to support student and faculty competency in patient care.
• Manage budgets, staffing models, scheduling, and resourcing for clinical and lab operations.
• Align resources with programmatic needs and institutional priorities to maximize clinical capacity.
• Oversee and supports training and support to stakeholders regarding clinical experiences, compliance, clinical partner/affiliation agreements, and updates to policies and procedures.
• Builds and maintains strategic relationships with clinical partners and healthcare organizations.
• Serve as the primary liaison to address placement logistics, resolve issues, and align expectations.
• Hires, manages, coaches, and actively develops direct reports accountable through established performance management processes.
• Supports staff as they work with students to develop and demonstrate professional behaviors and dispositions.
• Serves as subject matter expert for Health Professions.
• Provides strategic leadership to improve programs and services.
• Aligns programs and policies with accreditation standards, licensing requirements, and institutional goals.
• Collaborates cross‑functionally across the university to meet the needs of changing requirements and practices.
• Responsible for all Human Resources functions on the team including compensation, disciplinary actions (in coordination with Supervisors), and expense reimbursement approvals/reviews.
• Supervises the maintenance and updates to all policies and procedures for Health Placement and Health Professions Success.
• Implements and manages ongoing projects.
• Communicate with students, mentors, other WGU personnel, and outside professionals, i.e. Clinical Faculty, Clinical Facility Coordinators.
• Set team initiatives/goals in alignment with the university and Clinical Experience department.
• Provide high‑level support and consultation regarding escalated concerns, student issues and communications.
• Supervises and delegates security and storage of all documents, policies and procedures to maintain the historical record to respond to data requests from Compliance and Accreditation or other WGU Departments.
• Oversee and guide long‑term projects that support stakeholders, improve student experience, and develop department and team initiatives/goals.
• Exhibit professional conduct, interaction, and communication as a representative of the company and the department.
• Provides strategic leadership to improve programs and services to support students, WGU stakeholders and external stakeholders during didactic and clinical experiences.
• Conduct annual performance reviews for team members.
• Completes additional responsibilities as directed by the Senior Director, Clinical Experience.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
• 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.

Qualifications

• Influences Others and Communicates Effectively – Communicates to improve and promote teamwork, decision making, and problem solving.
• Listens and responds effectively to the reactions and positions of others and encourages the expression of diverse ideas and opinions.
• Adjusts message and style to fit the audience.
• Provides timely and helpful feedback.
• Communicates appropriately to win support with all.
• Collaborates - Works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives.
• Represents own interests while being fair to others and their areas.
• Partners with others to get work done.
• Credits others for their contributions and accomplishments.
• Gains buy‑in, trust and support of others.
• Manages Ambiguity - Deals comfortably with the uncertainty of change.
• Effectively handles risk.
• Can decide and act without the total picture.
• Is calm and productive, even when things are up in the air.
• Deals constructively with problems that do not have clear solutions or outcomes.
• Being Resilient - Is confident under pressure.
• Handles and manages crises effectively.
• Maintains a positive attitude despite adversity.
• Bounces back from obstacles and setbacks.
• Grows from hardships and negative experiences.
• Drives for Results - Has a strong outcomes‑based orientation.
• Persists in accomplishing objectives despite obstacles and setbacks.
• Has a track record of successfully exceeding goals.
• Pushes self and helps others achieve results to positively impact WGU and our students.
• Has a continuous improvement mindset.
• Builds Effective Teams - Forms teams with appropriate and diverse mix of styles, perspectives, and experience.
• Establishes common objectives and a shared mindset.
• Creates a feeling of belonging and strong team morale.
• Shares wins and rewards team efforts.
• Fosters open dialogue and collaboration among the team.
• Creates a team that works well cross‑functionally.
• Organizational Learning - Learns quickly when facing new situations.
• Experiments to find new solutions and enhance the student experience.
• Takes on the challenge of unfamiliar tasks.
• Extracts lessons learned from failures and mistakes.
• Expands knowledge base through ongoing curiosity.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a school/discipline related field.
• Education is verified and must be from an accredited institution.
• Note, in lieu of the educational requirement, a bachelor's degree and five (5) years of direct experience applicable to the position may be accepted.
• Experience Three (3) years of leadership or supervisory experience in the following areas: managing projects in a fast-paced and complex environment, leading cross-functional teams, leading teams to impact organizational outcomes through specific interventions, facilitating training, analyzing data, using data to drive decisions, presenting to diverse audiences
• 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

• Terminal degree from an accredited institution in a school/discipline related field
• Applicable licenses or certifications.
• Experience with Field Placement.
• Experience handling and resolving student behavior/conduct concerns.
• Experience leading process improvement projects.
• Compliance and Accreditation experience

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods 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.

Position & Application Details

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.

• 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
• 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

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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.