General Information
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Description and Requirements
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
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Leads and holds accountable the sales organization. Sets sales strategy, performance goals, and operating discipline to drive revenue growth and results.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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
- Annual Bonus Award
- Annual Equity Award
- Participation in the Deferred Compensation Plan
- 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.*
The University does not discriminate in its employment practices or in its educational programs or activities on the basis of sex/gender. Sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking are forms of sex discrimination, which are prohibited under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and by University policy. Reports of misconduct, questions regarding Title IX, and concerns about noncompliance should be directed to the Title IX Coordinator:
Kelly Hermann, Vice President, Accessibility & Student Affairs
4035 S. Riverpoint Parkway
Phoenix, AZ 85040
602-387-9936 office / 480-749-5515 mobile
For a complete copy of the University’s Equal Opportunity, Harassment and Nondiscrimination Policy and additional information on Title IX, please click the Title IX Information link at the bottom of the page.