Director - School Compliance

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 607Pay Range: $95,300.00 - $157,300.00

Job Description

Job Profile Summary

Helping to maintain the university’s compliance within its current realm of influence, this position plays a key role in the department by leading the school’s compliance efforts to include state approvals, programmatic accreditation, and students’/graduates’ abilities to obtain jurisdiction-specific professional licenses/certifications. The position helps ensure that the university maintains a consistent, high level of integrity and public trust.

Responsibilities

• Oversee a team of analysts and advisors—providing guidance, mentorship, and support to ensure the effective execution of compliance activities. This position is responsible for hiring, training, evaluating, and developing staff to support the school’s compliance team.
• Consults with school leadership, participates in relevant programmatic meetings, and engages with the program lifecycle process on major and minor curriculum changes, substantive change reports, and other changes that may affect compliance with accreditation or approval agencies.
• Serve as the key subject matter expert to liaise with external regulatory agencies, helping them understand and accept the practice, approach, or novel concept suggested.
• Keep informed of changes to national, state, and professional regulations and standards to support accreditation and compliance activities for each program offered within the school.
• Ensure the development of reports and self-studies needed to obtain and maintain programmatic approval.
• Provide decision support on policy issues and matters related to compliance and institutional risk management.
• Develop and implement long-term strategic plans for all compliance efforts in the school.
• Advise internal departments on operational and regulatory requirements for faculty within the assigned discipline.
• Remain knowledgeable of the legal structure (multi-national, federal, state, and local laws and regulations) and trends within the school’s programmatic verticals.
• Source methods of working with approval bodies to lower each school’s regulatory burden, raise the level of trust in that field, and ensure students’/graduates’ abilities to obtain their respective license/certificate to practice.
• 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

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Technological competence with MS Office suite (Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and Office 360).
• Superb communication skills as evidenced by a record of publications, presentations, and peer reviews. Interpersonal relationship skills (social-emotional intelligence) of confidence, focus, ethics, and accountability as demonstrated by checks with multiple layers of references.

• An earned graduate degree from an accredited institution or equivalent work experience in a field currently offered by the school.
• 10 years specific experience to include a minimum of 5 years leading a hybrid team.
• 5 years of experience in a highly regulated environment (higher education regulation preferred).
• Success managing the pursuit of initial or reaffirmation of approval from a state-based regulator that approves a program offered by the school (if applicable).
• Relevant (by school) current or prior license/certification in a field that was not revoked for disciplinary reasons
• Success managing the pursuit of initial or reaffirmation of a university-relevant accreditation.

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

• Success managing the pursuit of initial or reaffirmation of programmatic accreditation from two separate accreditors.
• Experience in morphing a proposed regulatory/legislative change in multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience as a quality examiner (Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award preferred) or accreditation evaluator.
• A record of publication including peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, or two full-length manuscripts (i.e., book or dissertation).

Physical Requirements:

•     Travel will occur up to 40% of the time with some seasonality.

•     Work on nights and weekends may be necessary to complete the tasks of this position.

•     Prolonged periods at a desk, working on a computer and on videoconferencing or telephone calls.

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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.

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 Information

Disclaimer: 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 [email protected].

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.