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 311
Pay Range: $100,000.00 - $150,000.00
Job Description
The Strategist within the Program Experience Futures team plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the university’s digital learning experiences. This role is accountable for developing program experience strategies, fostering collaboration and alignment across departments, conducting research and evaluation, analyzing data to derive insights, ensuring ethical and legal compliance, implementing pilot programs, facilitating training and development initiatives, and optimizing performance metrics.
Location: This position will be based on-site at our Salt Lake City, UT office.
Job Duties
- Develops and implements comprehensive strategies to enhance program experiences and student outcomes.
- Fosters collaboration and alignment among various departments and stakeholders to ensure the successful execution of strategies.
- Conducts research and evaluation of emerging technologies, pedagogical approaches, and industry best practices to inform decision-making.
- Utilizes data analysis techniques to derive actionable insights and drive data-informed decision-making processes.
- Ensures ethical and legal compliance in the development and deployment of technologies and digital learning initiatives.
- Plans, implements, and evaluates pilot programs to test the efficacy of new technologies and strategies.
- Develops and delivers training programs to educate faculty and staff on technologies, best practices, and ethical considerations.
- Establishes key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the effectiveness of strategies and continuously optimize program experiences.
- Performs other job-related duties as assigned.
KSAs
- In-depth understanding of educational technologies and data analytics.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex data sets.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
- Knowledge of ethical and legal considerations related to digital learning technologies.
- Experience in project management, including planning, execution, and evaluation.
- Ability to stay abreast of emerging trends and technologies in higher education and online learning.
- Proficiency in data visualization tools and statistical analysis software.
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive organizational change. Demonstrated experience in developing and refining educational programs, courses, and curricula within the higher education sector.
- Understanding of accreditation standards, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices related to program development and institutional compliance.
- Proven ability to design and assess curriculum effectiveness, learning outcomes, and student engagement strategies, particularly within a Competency-based Education model.
- Experience with online learning platforms, learning management systems (LMS), and educational technologies used in online and hybrid learning environments.
- Knowledge of adult learning theories and principles, including instructional design methodologies tailored to adult learners in diverse academic settings.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with academic departments, faculty members, subject matter experts, and instructional designers to develop and deliver high-quality educational programs.
- Strong project management skills, including the ability to coordinate cross-functional teams, manage project timelines, and ensure alignment with departmental goals and objectives.
- Proficiency in data analysis and interpretation to inform program development decisions, assess program efficacy, and identify areas for continuous improvement.
- Clear and concise communication skills, with the ability to articulate program objectives, outcomes, and value propositions to internal and external stakeholders.
- Willingness to explore innovative approaches to program development, incorporate emerging technologies, and adapt to evolving trends and student needs in higher education.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Education, or related field.
- 2 years of experience in strategic planning, program management, or related field within higher education or similar industry.
- Experience with AI Innovation
- Experience in data analysis and proficiency with relevant software tools.
- Strong project management skills, with experience managing complex projects from initiation to completion.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's Degree in Business Administration, Education, or related field.
- Experience with educational technology platforms and learning management systems.
- Experience working with diverse student populations in online learning environments.
- Knowledge of accessibility standards and guidelines for digital learning materials.
- Certifications in data analysis or project management.
What Success Looks Like in This Role
- Introduces and validates new, scalable approaches to program and learning experience design grounded in strong learning science principles.
- Applies product design thinking to create intuitive, student-centered experiences that improve engagement and outcomes.
- Effectively leverages and translates emerging technologies (especially AI) into practical, high-impact educational innovations.
- Demonstrates strong collaboration, building trust and alignment across academic, product, and technology teams in a matrixed environment.
- Exhibits strong strategic thinking, connecting long-term vision to actionable. pilots and scalable solutions.
- Raises the bar for innovation across our centralized curriculum.
Job Description Disclaimer: This position description provides the major duties/responsibilities, requirements and working conditions for the position. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current position, however management reserves the right to revise or change as necessary to meet organizational needs. Other responsibilities may be assigned when circumstances require.
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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.
