Senior Manager, Academic Portfolio Research

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:
 

Pay Range: $109,000.00 - $196,200.00

Job Description

Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing research team, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Expand research capabilities beyond reporting, including White Space analysis and innovative research solutions.
• Drive ROI and workforce alignment improvements to enhance economic outcomes for students and alumni.
• Identify and evaluate opportunities to diversify and strengthen portfolio health based on workforce demand and emerging markets.
• Guide research efforts that shape portfolio priorities and inform strategic initiatives.
• Collaborate with leaders to assess analytic needs and identify growth opportunities.
• Support annual planning with workforce intelligence and market trend insights.
• Produce accurate forecasts and actionable insights to reduce decision-cycle time.
• Present findings and strategic insights to executive leadership, academic teams, and external partners.
• Develop and maintain best practices for research methodologies, impact evaluations, and reporting.
• Implement automation and scalable processes to improve efficiency and quality.
• Foster research innovation by identifying gaps and trends for portfolio diversification.
• Monitor and evaluate program performance, recommending improvements for strategic alignment.
• Ensure accuracy, consistency, and integrity of data in research and reporting.
• Establish and enforce data governance policies for workforce alignment and ROI analysis.
• Conduct competitor benchmarking to refine portfolio offerings and market positioning.
• Integrate equity-focused metrics to align research with institutional diversity and accessibility goals.
• Identify underserved populations and recommend strategies for inclusive pathways.
• Publish and share research findings to position WGU as a leader in workforce-aligned education.
• Represent WGU at conferences and industry forums to share insights and build partnerships.
• Lead professional development for the research team, ensuring expertise in emerging methodologies and workforce trends.
• Promote continuous improvement, innovation, and adaptability in research practices.
• Collaborate across departments to align research insights with student demand and program offerings.
• Use scenario modeling to assess long-term strategic decisions and market trends.
• 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

• Strong written, oral, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to convey data insights effectively to stakeholders.
• Ability to build consensus and motivate teams, including senior leaders.
• Proficient in quickly assessing analytical requests and identifying the most effective methods for data-driven solutions.
• Expertise in quantitative and qualitative research with an outcomes-based focus.
• Proven ability to achieve goals and persist through challenges.
• Skilled in fostering a continuous improvement mindset, driving self and team toward results.
• Clear and concise communicator with proficiency in Tableau, SharePoint, PowerPoint, and other visualization tools.
• Experienced in hiring, developing, and engaging top talent and people leaders.
• Quick learner with strong problem-solving skills and adaptability to new challenges.
• Experience working with higher education data and key performance indicators for program health and success.
• Proficient in SQL, Python, R, Scala, or other languages for data cleansing, transformation, and engineering.
• Strong foundation in descriptive, inferential, and predictive statistics.
• Knowledge of data automation processes to integrate diverse inputs and deliver actionable insights.
• Skilled in active listening, conflict resolution, and fostering respectful and inclusive communication.
• Experience in budget planning and financial management to meet fiscal objectives.

Education          

• Master’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Information Technology, Economics, Statistics, Applied Math, Business Administration, or a related field.  

Experience

• 7 Years in research and analytics
• 3 Years leading a team

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 Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.