VP, Continuing Education (Virtual)

University of Phoenix; Phoenix, Northern (AZ, KY); Hybrid; USD 157,000 - 335,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Bonus Award

Annual Equity Award

Deferred Compensation Plan

Job summary

University of Phoenix is seeking a seasoned leader to drive the Continuing Education portfolio with full P&L responsibility and cross-functional accountability. The role focuses on strategy, revenue growth, and profitability across the portfolio, aligning capabilities and investments for accelerated expansion.

The position partners with Marketing, Enrollment, Provost, Curriculum, and Sales to define go-to-market plans, optimize the student journey, and implement AI-enabled experiences that

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field and at least 10 years of leadership experience in general management or digitally enabled growth.
• Proven experience scaling a direct-to-consumer or digitally enabled business with strong acquisition and ecommerce understanding.
• Strong financial acumen with experience in forecasting and ROI analysis.

Responsibilities

• Owns strategy and financial performance of the Continuing Education portfolio including revenue, profitability, pricing, and expenses.
• Defines portfolio strategy and identifies opportunities for growth, partnerships, and market expansion.
• Leads cross-functional collaboration with Marketing, Enrollment, Provost, Curriculum, and Sales to execute go-to-market plans and growth initiatives.
• Sets growth targets and monitors performance with executive leadership to decide on scale, redesign, or exit of offerings.
• Develops digital customer experiences from discovery to enrollment and course completion, improving conversion and engagement using data and AI-enabled tools.

Skills

Customer acquisition

Digital discovery

Ecommerce

Conversion optimization

End-to-end customer journey

Strategic leadership

Sales leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or related field

Job description

At the University of Phoenix, we are committed to the future of work by providing a fully remote, work-from-home environment. This strategy enables us to attract top talent nationwide. Are you looking for a rewarding and fulfilling position that offers challenging work and the opportunity to make a significant impact while collaborating with a team of fun, innovative individuals? Would you prefer to work with an organization that positively contributes to the world? If so, we would love to hear from you!

Are you searching for a rewarding, fulfilling position that offers challenging work and the ability to make a big impact while working side-by-side with a team of fun, innovative people? Ideally, would you like this position to be with an organization that makes a positive contribution to the world? If so…we would love to hear from you!

About Us

University of Phoenix is a leading higher education institution founded in 1976 by Dr. John Sperling. Our mission is to improve the lives of our students, their families and future generations through higher education. Our values (which hopefully you share) are: Brave. Honest. Focused.

Our University values and embraces all team members and their unique perspectives. We fundamentally believe in fostering an environment which deeply respects, celebrates, and actively encourages a diverse workforce. We are committed to hiring – and learning from – those who share our passion to help others achieve their educational aspirations.

We offer excellent benefits, an effective recognition program, and outstanding learning and development tools, including tuition vouchers for employees and their qualified family members.

About the Position

Provides strategic leadership and full profit-and-loss accountability for the University’s Continuing Education portfolio, which includes continuing education and degree-based single-course offerings. Accountable for setting the portfolio strategy, achieving revenue and profitability goals, and driving overall business performance for the business line. The role works across the institution to align the capabilities, investments, and execution required to deliver accelerated, profitable growth and significant expansion of the portfolio.

What You’ll Do

• Owns the strategy and financial performance of the Continuing Education portfolio, with accountability for revenue, profitability, pricing, operating expenses, forecasting, and investment decisions. Establishes annual and multi-year plans, financial targets, and a disciplined business review cadence.
• Defines and executes the portfolio strategy for Continuing Education. Identifies new revenue opportunities and determines where to build, buy, partner, scale, reposition, or exit based on market demand, academic standards, differentiation, and expected financial returns.
• Works closely with Marketing and Enrollment to define the go-to-market strategy for the portfolio, including positioning, priority customer segments, pricing, and demand generation. Works with Marketing and Enrollment to translate that direction into customer acquisition, conversion, retention, and growth plans.
• Leads and holds accountable the sales organization. Sets sales strategy, performance goals, and operating discipline to drive revenue growth and results.
• Works closely with the Provost organization to define the portfolio and curriculum priorities based on market demand, learner needs, academic quality, and financial potential. Works with the Provost organization and Curriculum teams to develop, improve, and retire offerings as appropriate.
• Owns the digital customer and learner experience from discovery through enrollment, engagement, and course completion. Sets priorities for the shopping-cart and other digital experiences and uses data, experimentation, AI-enabled capabilities, and emerging technologies to reduce friction, improve conversion and engagement, and drive growth.
• Defines the growth strategy across multi channels including direct-to-consumer. Works with Workforce Solutions and other leaders to develop partnerships and distribution opportunities that extend reach and create new revenue.
• Establishes financial targets, product performance measures, and investment criteria for the portfolio. Reviews business performance regularly with executive leadership. Uses performance insights to make investment decisions and determine when to scale, redesign, reposition, or retire offerings.
• Aligns cross-functional leaders around shared business outcomes, decision rights, and resource priorities. Resolves competing priorities and holds teams accountable for milestones and results through influence and direct authority.
• Builds and develops a high-performing, growth-oriented organization. Creates a culture that is customer-focused, analytical, collaborative, and accountable for business and learner outcomes.
• Select, mentor, coach and evaluate staff; establish and monitor appropriate employee performance objectives; prepare and present employee performance discussions, including one‑on‑one meetings and quarterly check‑ins; implement mentoring and coaching plans, or correction action, where appropriate.
• Performs other duties as assigned or apparent.

NOTE: The Primary Accountabilities above are intended to describe the general content and requirements of the position and are not intended to be an exhaustive statement of duties. Incumbents may perform all or most of the Primary Accountabilities listed above. Specific goals or responsibilities will be documented in incumbents’ performance objectives as outlined by the incumbents’ immediate manager.

Supervisory Responsibility

Includes direct supervision of Continuing Education personnel, with indirect leadership of cross-functional teams and business partners supporting the portfolio.

Minimum Education and Related Work Experience

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, education, finance, product management, or a related field
• Ten (10) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in general management, profit-and-loss ownership, direct-to-consumer or digitally enabled business growth, sales, or related disciplines, including at least five (5) years leading high-performing teams, setting business strategy, and influencing cross-functional and executive stakeholders; or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Additional Qualifications

• Proven experience scaling a direct-to-consumer or digitally enabled business, with strong understanding of customer acquisition, digital discovery, ecommerce, conversion, and the end-to-end customer journey.
• Demonstrated ability to apply technology, AI-enabled capabilities, and emerging digital tools creatively to improve customer acquisition and experience, solve business problems, and drive growth.
• Demonstrated ability to challenge conventional approaches, develop creative growth solutions, and move with urgency to materially grow a business. Brings a builder's mindset, is comfortable pushing the organization to think differently, and can translate ideas into action and results.
• Collaborative leader with demonstrated ability to build strong relationships, work effectively across teams, and influence senior leaders across Marketing, Academic, Technology, Finance, Operations, and other enterprise functions to align around shared business outcomes.
• Strong strategic judgment and market orientation, with the ability to set clear direction, assess customer needs and market opportunities, make sound tradeoffs, and translate insights into growth strategies and portfolio priorities.
• Demonstrated ownership of a substantial profit and loss statement, including revenue, profitability, forecasting, investment decisions, and delivery of significant business growth.
• Strong financial acumen and demonstrated ability to evaluate business cases, pricing, customer acquisition economics, investment tradeoffs, resource allocation, and return on investment.
• Demonstrated success leading sales organizations, establishing performance expectations, and driving pipeline, forecasting, account growth, and results; experience with school districts, employers, or other institutional buyers preferred.
• Strong executive presence and people leadership, with a record of building high-performing teams, setting clear priorities, and operating effectively with a lean team in a fast-moving environment.
• Experience in online higher education, education technology, professional learning, continuing education, workforce development, or certification strongly preferred

#LI-SM1

Pay Range

The annual pay range for this position is $156,600 (minimum), $245,800 (midpoint), and $335,000 (maximum).*

*Typical hiring range is between the minimum and midpoint of the above pay range. Actual starting base pay may vary based on factors such as education, experience, skills, location and budget. Compensation above the midpoint is generally associated with experienced, long-tenured employees who have demonstrated sustained performance and expertise in the role.

Individuals in this role are eligible for:

• Annual Bonus Award
• Annual Equity Award
• Participation in the Deferred Compensation Plan

Your work is critical to helping adult learners achieve their dreams, and we’re committed to rewarding you for your efforts. We offer a competitive, comprehensive total rewards package designed to help you achieve your health, financial, educational and work-life balance goals.

Full-time employees are eligible for:

• Medical, dental and vision plans; Flexible Spending Accounts; Health Savings Accounts; Life and Disability insurance; and our Wellness incentive program;
• Competitive 401(k) employer match;
• Substantial tuition discount for you and eligible dependents; and,
• A generous time off package, including paid vacation, sick time and company holidays.*

*For more details around paid time off benefits, please click here .

University of Phoenix is an equal opportunity employer.

If you are an active-duty military member seeking employment when off‑duty, compliance with Department of Defense Joint Ethics Regulation, 5500-7‑R, is required prior to starting employment with University of Phoenix. You are advised to contact your base Judge Advocate General to seek such approval and answer any questions.