New

Senior Manager, Program Experience Research

Western Governors University
life insurance, flexible benefit account, parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, sick time
United States, Utah, Salt Lake City
3949 South 700 East (Show on map)
May 09, 2025
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 609 Pay Range: $109,000.00 - $196,200.00 Job Description The Senior Manager, Program Experience Research oversees strategic planning, resource management, staff supervision, and research initiatives to evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs, courses, content, and assessments-specifically focused on Program Development outcomes. This role serves as the primary liaison with Institutional Analytics & Research (IAR), translating both qualitative and quantitative insights into actionable strategies. Through focused studies, the team informs content and assessment design, delivery, and optimization. This leader also ensures research findings are communicated broadly, creating a culture of awareness and continuous improvement across the University. Location:This position requires you to live and work in our Salt Lake City, UT location, with the ability to work a hybrid schedule in the office 4 days a week and one day remote. Primary Responsibilities Develops and implements strategic plans for qualitative program experience research initiatives, ensuring alignment with institutional goals. Manages research team operations, including staffing, budgeting, timelines, and tool administration. Leads the design and execution of complex qualitative research studies to evaluate student learning, assessment quality, and curriculum effectiveness. Oversees a diverse portfolio of research projects with a focus on quality, timeliness, and strategic impact. Identifies opportunities to apply research insights to program and assessment design, operational improvements, and institutional decision-making. Guides the team to analyze educational challenges and develop evidence-based, data-informed solutions. Partners closely with Institutional Analytics & Research (IAR) to define Program Development's quantitative data needs and ensure collaborative support. Translates IAR's quantitative findings into operational recommendations and integrates those with qualitative insights to provide holistic guidance. Leads the communication and socialization of research findings across Program Development and other institutional partners. Builds and maintains effective communication channels with stakeholders to create strong institutional awareness of ongoing research efforts. Ensures qualitative methodologies are applied effectively to determine the quality of educational content and assessments and surface areas for improvement. Monitors trends in adult learning, assessment, and online education to drive innovation and continuous improvement in research approaches. Develops and enforces research policies that support compliance with regulatory standards and institutional expectations. Represents Program Development's research function in external forums and contributes thought leadership to the field. Performs other job-related duties as assigned. 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. Qualifications Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Advanced knowledge of qualitative research methodologies and their application in higher education. Proven ability to lead complex research projects that drive institutional strategy and program-level decisions. Strong leadership and mentoring skills, with a demonstrated ability to build a collaborative, research-oriented team culture. Proficiency in research project management, including planning, execution, and evaluation. Experience managing day-to-day research operations and developing processes for quality assurance and impact measurement. Ability to synthesize findings and clearly communicate them to both technical and non-technical audiences, including senior leadership. Strategic thinking with a track record of designing research to address institutional priorities and improve student outcomes. Skilled in stakeholder engagement, consensus building, and influencing cross-functional decision-making. Comfortable bridging analytical language from IAR with the operational needs of academic and program teams. Knowledge of higher education compliance, accreditation, and regulatory standards. Familiarity with adult learning theory, instructional design principles, and competency-based education models. Experience working with LMS platforms, educational technologies, and learning assessment tools. Ability to promote innovation, maintain high ethical standards, and create structures that support research rigor and institutional impact. Education Ph.D. in Education, Research Methods, or a related field. Experience 7 years in educational research, program evaluation, or institutional research. 3 years leading and managing research teams. Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder research initiatives. Proven success translating research into operational or strategic recommendations. Strong record of publishing research findings and presenting to varied audiences. Experience administering research programs and overseeing research compliance. Preferred Qualifications Post-doctoral research experience in Education, Research Methods, or a related field. Experience leading research in online or hybrid education environments. Successful track record managing research grants or externally funded projects. Experience conducting large-scale educational program evaluations. Recognized thought leadership or influence in the educational research community. Experience presenting at national conferences or publishing in peer-reviewed journals. #LI-TG1 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.