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 313Pay Range: $123,000.00 - $190,700.00

Job Description

Location: Salt Lake City HQ

About the role

WGU'sIT degreeprograms prepare students for careers inhigh growthtechnology domains.As Lead Academic Program Manager,you will be accountable for these programs from concept through continuous improvement. That meansyou'reascomfortable ideating abouta new degree asyou arein a data dashboard tracking student outcomes six months post-launch.

This is a high-ownership individual contributor rolefocused on product management across the entire product lifecycle – from program concepts and market research through curriculum development, marketing, launch, support, and student experience.You'lllead by influence across acomplex, matrixed organization -- working with our program development team,instructional faculty,program mentors, marketing, and external partners.

Primary Responsibilities:

Productstrategy:Conduct market research, competitive analysis, skills and competency definitions,segmentation analysis,and positioning. Define the productroadmapfor one or more academic programs.

Productdevelopment:Lead cross-functional work with subject matter experts, the program development team, and the broader organization to build degree programs that deliver strong student outcomes and labor market relevance.

Post-launch performance:TrackKPIs includingapplicants, enrollment, progress, retention,key financial metrics,and alignment with employer needs.

Stakeholder alignment:Align cross-functional stakeholders on priorities, decisions, andexecution.

What success looks like:

Based on analysis and understanding ofkey metricsand their underlying drivers,you willact based onwhich programs are performing well,which requireattention,andproactivelyidentifyand address risks or gaps.

Our ideal candidate has:

Experience owning a product, program, or major initiative across its full lifecycle, includingvoiceof the customer.

Strong analytical skills: proficient with data analysis, able to synthesize insights, and communicatedata‑drivenrecommendations to inform decisions.

Experience managing or developing educational programs, products, or similar complex initiatives with measurable outcomes.

Ability to navigate process-heavy organizations without letting process stifle innovation

Exceptional writing and presentation skills that applyacross a wide range of audiences, from students to senior leaders, with the ability to tailor communication to theaudience

3–5 years of professional experience in Cybersecurity and/or Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Preferred:

Experience with curriculum and/or assessment development

Up-to-dateknowledgeofa broad range of technologies,especiallyCyber Security, risk assessment, AI application to cybersecurityAgile methodologies, and technology product management.

Experience with online program marketing, SEO, or digital acquisition metrics

Qualifications:

Master's degree in abusiness or technical field. In lieu of amaster's, a bachelor's degree plus 7 years of directly relevant experience will be considered.

4+ years in product management, product marketing, program or operations management, or a customer-facing role (e.g., sales) with accountability for measurable businessoutcomes.

Reports to:Associate Dean, Cybersecurity

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.

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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.

Lead Academic Program Manager

Multiple Teams

WGU

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