Lead Apprenticeship Program Manager

Lead Apprenticeship Program Manager

Company: Western Governors University

Job Location:

Category: Career Development and Services

Type: Full-Time

Job Type: Full time

Job Number: JR-025149

Location: United States

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 312 Pay Range: $106,700.00 - $165,400.00

Job Description

Serves as the enterprise lead and strategic architect for WGU's apprenticeship portfolio, responsible for defining and scaling the university's approach to integrating competency-based education with work-based learning at a national level. This role operates at the intersection of higher education, workforce systems, and employer partnerships, and is accountable for building scalable, repeatable apprenticeship models that can be deployed across industries, states, and employer partners. This role has enterprise-wide impact, shaping how WGU designs, delivers, and scales apprenticeship and work-based pathways across all colleges and partner ecosystems. This is a highly external-facing role requiring regular engagement with employers, workforce intermediaries, state agencies, and national organizations. Success will be measured by the ability to design, launch, and scale apprenticeship programs that deliver strong learner outcomes, address workforce needs, employer satisfaction, and sustainable growth. This role is expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy and will be a key contributor to WGU's long-term strategy in workforce-aligned education.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Lead the design and scaling of apprenticeship programs across WGU.
• Design and operationalize scalable apprenticeship systems and models, including turnkey employer solutions.
• Influence institutional strategy, design and build decisions, and operating models related to apprenticeship pathways.
• Serve as a primary external-facing leader with employers, workforce partners, and regulatory bodies.
• Translate federal and state apprenticeship policies into scalable, employer-ready program designs.
• Define and operationalize WGU's role as RTI provider, sponsor, or partner.
• Drive employer onboarding, including mentor/journey worker readiness and adoption.
• Collaborate across external employers and partners and internal WGU academic, compliance, product, and partnership teams.
• Establish and monitor KPIs including enrollment, retention, and completion.
• Drive continuous improvement through data-informed insights.
• Serve as a national representative and thought leader in apprenticeship innovation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep expertise in apprenticeship systems and workforce models.
• Strong understanding of federal and state apprenticeship regulations.
• Proven ability to build external partnerships.
• Ability to translate policy into scalable program design.
• Strong systems-thinking mindset.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills.
• Ability to operate in a remote, matrixed environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Understanding of the industry trends, job opportunities, and educational market trends in the discipline
• Credible voice of the department in external partnerships and presentation opportunities
• Execution focus with the ability to dive-deep and live in the details with a fast-paced weekly execution cadence
• Ability to organize and coordinate activities and results across cross-functional teams
• Ability to build relationships and influence at all levels, both internally and externally
• Ability to be an agent of change in a rapidly changing environment
• Proven ability to analyze data to identify trends and drive innovation

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in a related field.
• 8 years of progressively responsible experience in apprenticeships, workforce development, Higher Education Administration or Leadership, student or academic affairs, or related fields.
• Experience designing and scaling programs or systems.
• Experience working with external partners.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with registered apprenticeship systems.
• Experience in competency-based education.
• Experience scaling multi-state or multi-employer initiatives.

Disclaimer

This job description is intended to describe the general nature of work performed and is not exhaustive.

Travel

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.

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 recruiting@wgu.edu.

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

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