Lead Academic Program Manager (Department Chair), WGU School of Technology
About the role
WGU's IT degree programs prepare students for careers in high growth technology domains. As Lead Academic Program Manager, you will be accountable for these programs from concept through continuous improvement. That means you're as comfortable ideating about a new degree as you are in a data dashboard tracking student outcomes six months post-launch.
This is a high-ownership individual contributor role focused on product management across the entire product lifecycle - from program concepts and market research through curriculum development, marketing, launch, support, and student experience. You'll lead by influence across a complex, matrixed organization -- working with our program development team, instructional faculty, program mentors, marketing, and external partners.
Primary Responsibilities
- Product strategy: Conduct market research, competitive analysis, skills and competency definitions, segmentation analysis, and positioning. Define the product roadmap for one or more academic programs.
- Product development: 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: Track KPIs including applicants, enrollment, progress, retention, key financial metrics, and alignment with employer needs.
- Stakeholder alignment: Align cross-functional stakeholders on priorities, decisions, and execution.
What success looks like
Based on analysis and understanding of key metrics and their underlying drivers, you will act based on which programs are performing well, which require attention, and proactively identify and address risks or gaps.
Our ideal candidate has
- Experience owning a product, program, or major initiative across its full lifecycle, including voice of the customer.
- Strong analytical skills: proficient with data analysis, able to synthesize insights, and communicate data-driven recommendations 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 apply across a wide range of audiences, from students to senior leaders, with the ability to tailor communication to the audience
Preferred:
- Experience with curriculum and/or assessment development
- Up-to-date knowledge of a broad range of technologies, especially IT operations, cloud & network infrastructure, Agile methodologies, and technology product management.
- Experience with online program marketing, SEO, or digital acquisition metrics
Qualifications:
- Master's degree in a business or technical field. In lieu of a master'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 business outcomes.
Reports to: Associate Dean, Cloud & Network Engineering
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