"Senior Manager, Assessment and Psychometrics"

Senior Manager, Assessment and Psychometrics

Company: Western Governors University

Job Location: Salt Lake City Office

Category: Assessment, Accreditation, and Compliance

Type: Full-Time

Job Type: Full time

Job Number: JR-023550

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 610 Pay Range: $126,800.00 - $228,300.00

Job Description

Leads the strategic design, validation, and continuous improvement of the institution's assessment ecosystem to ensure validity, reliability, fairness, and alignment with accreditation standards and institutional goals. This role directs a high-performing team of assessment experts, translating complex measurement science into scalable, data-driven solutions that support student success, program integrity, and institutional accountability. Partnering with academic, faculty, and administrative leaders, defines performance metrics, advances innovation through research and emerging technologies, and ensures compliance with regulatory and accreditation requirements.

Location: This position will be located in our Salt Lake City, Utah office and would require you to work a hybrid schedule in the office 4 days a week with one day remote.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Defines and executes the vision, strategy, and roadmap for assessment quality, psychometric rigor, and innovation across products.
• Establishes and stewards governance structures for assessment development, validation, score reporting, data stewardship, and policy compliance; aligns with accreditation standards and regulatory frameworks.
• Leads, mentors, and develops a high-caliber team of assessment experts; cultivates a culture of methodological excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Oversees the end-to-end design, calibration, equating, scaling, and validation of assessments (cognitive, non-cognitive, performance-based, portfolio-based, and competency-aligned measures) to ensure high validity, reliability, fairness, and alignment with program learning outcomes.
• Champions defensible validation frameworks (construct validity, criterion-related validity, content validity, measurement invariance, DIF analyses) and robust item banking practices.
• Promotes multi-method assessment ecosystems, integrating formative and summative approaches, to enhance instructional feedback, program improvement, and student success.
• Leads advanced psychometric analyses, DIF testing, measurement invariance across populations, and longitudinal cohort analyses; translate findings into strategic recommendations for programs and policy.
• Oversees data governance, privacy, consent, data quality, and secure reporting practices; ensures ethical handling of assessment data and accessibility compliance.
• Collaborates with institutional research, analytics, and IT to deploy scalable dashboards and reporting that drive decision-making for accreditation, program review, and strategic planning.
• Ensures all assessments and processes meet accreditation standards, accessibility requirements, and ethical guidelines; promotes bias reduction and inclusive design.
• Maintains rigorous documentation, audit trails, validation reports, and governance records; prepares materials for accreditation visits, audits, and professional review.
• Stays current with developments in assessment and measurement science, higher education policy, and regulatory changes; leads timely adaptations to practices.
• Collaborates with academic leadership, curriculum teams, faculty, student success, and institutional effectiveness to translate program goals into reliable assessment strategies.
• Communicates complex measurement concepts clearly to diverse audiences; develops compelling business cases, outcomes analyses, and impact narratives for leadership and governance bodies.
• Leads cross-functional initiatives and steering committees; manages stakeholder expectations, risk, and deliverables.
• Oversees assessment platforms, data systems, and tooling; manages internal and external partnerships, including vendors and consultants, to ensure quality and compliance.
• Prioritizes resource and budget for assessment initiatives; oversees program portfolios, milestones, and risk management.
• Drives continuous improvement through research, pilots, and pilot-to-implementation cycles; champions scalable, automated, and user-centered processes.
• Attracts, coaches, and retains senior and mid-level talent; designs succession plans and promotes a diverse, inclusive, and innovative team culture.
• Invests in professional development, certifications, and cross-functional exposure to advance expertise and institutional impact.
• Represents the institution in professional forums, consortia, and accreditation bodies; publishes findings, presents validation studies, and contributes to best-practice communities.
• Leads thought leadership on measurement science, AI-assisted assessment, and fairness in higher education measurement.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.
• Fosters a culture of continuous improvement, leveraging research, AI, and emerging technologies to advance assessment practices.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Demonstrated leadership experience managing technical and strategic teams in assessment and psychometrics.
• Strong expertise in assessment strategy, validity frameworks, and psychometric methods (IRT, CTT, equating, scaling, DIF analysis, etc.).
• Ability to manage projects and teams in a complex, matrixed organization with competing priorities.
• Excellent data analysis and interpretation skills, with the ability to translate complex psychometric findings into actionable recommendations.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to present technical content to diverse audiences including leadership, faculty, and external partners.
• Experience applying assessment strategies in competency-based, online, or higher education environments.
• Ability to coach and develop team members while fostering innovation and collaboration.
• Sound judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making skills in a dynamic environment.
• Knowledge of accreditation standards, accessibility requirements, and assessment best practices in higher education.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Psychometrics, Educational Measurement, Educational Psychology, Assessment, or a related field.

Experience

• Seven (7) years of experience in assessment development, psychometrics, or educational measurement, including at least three (3) years in a supervisory or team leadership role.
• Proven track record managing both strategic and technical aspects of assessment design, validation, and evaluation

Preferred Experience

• Master's or Doctoral degree in Psychometrics, Educational Measurement, Assessment, or a related field.
• Experience in competency-based, online, or large-scale assessment environments.
• Demonstrated experience implementing innovative assessment models and technologies.
• Success in stabilizing and structuring complex or ambiguous initiatives.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

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.

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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