Western Governors University
Accreditation and Compliance Manager, Salt Lake City, UT
🇺🇸
Salt Lake City, UT
🕑
Full-Time
💰
$88K - $132K
💻
Compliance
🗓️
February 27th, 2026
Edtech.com's Summary
Western Governors University is hiring an Accreditation and Compliance Manager. This role leads the university's institutional and programmatic accreditation processes, oversees state program approval submissions, and manages academic program review documentation by driving cross-functional planning, risk management, and ensuring readiness for high-stakes submissions and site visits while advising academic leaders on compliance strategies and timeline execution.
Highlights
- Lead and manage multi-state compliance processes for all university programs, establishing standardized workflows and readiness checkpoints.
- Evaluate accreditation implications of program proposals and advise academic leadership on risks and necessary notifications or submissions.
- Establish and manage integrated timelines for accreditation materials, program reviews, and state approvals, while tracking risks and dependencies.
- Coordinate outcomes and timelines across compliance, academic leaders, and program development teams for new and revised academic programs.
- Partner on development and submission of accreditation reports, self-studies, substantive change applications, and state approvals ensuring quality and evidence alignment.
- Manage academic program review documentation and coordinate external reviewers' selection and site visits.
- Plan accreditation and state program approval site visits, including evidence and documentation tracking.
- Audit university websites, catalogs, program guides, and student handbooks for consistency and manage remediation plans.
- Build and maintain an evidence repository with version control to improve submission cycle times and reduce rework.
- Utilize MS Office Suite, demonstrate strong communication, planning, project management, and analytical skills; bachelor’s degree in a writing-intensive or related field required, with 5 years related experience in higher education accreditation or compliance.
- Salary range from $88,300 to $132,400; position includes full benefits and up to 20% occasional travel.
Accreditation and Compliance Manager, Salt Lake City, UT Full Description
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 310Pay Range: $88,300.00 - $132,400.00
Job DescriptionThe Accreditation and Compliance Manager serves as the university's operational lead for institutional and programmatic accreditation, state program
approval/authorization submissions, and academic program review documentation. Reporting to the Associate Vice Provost of Accreditation, Compliance, and Policy (ACP), this role independently drives cross-functional planning, risk management, and delivery of high-stakes submissions and site visit readiness, advising academic leaders and stakeholders on compliance strategy, evidence standards, and timeline execution.
Responsibilities
Primary Responsibilities
- Leads and manages a complex multi-state compliance process for all programs across the university; establishes standardized workflows, templates, and readiness checkpoints.
- Independently evaluates accreditation implications of program proposal, concept, and charter documents and determines whether notification to an accreditor or submission of a substantive change notification will be required; advises academic leadership on risk and recommended approaches.
- In consultation with key stakeholders, establishes and manages integrated timelines for submission of accreditation materials, academic program reviews, and state program approvals; tracks dependencies, risks, and escalation items.
- Coordinates expected outcomes and timelines of compliance teams, academic leaders, and program development teams for the launch of new and revised academic programs.
- Partners with key stakeholders in the development and submission of institutional and programmatic accreditation reports and self-studies, substantive change applications, and state program approvals; ensures narrative-evidence alignment and documentation quality.
- Manages the documentation for academic program reviews and the selection process and site visits of external reviewers of APRs.
- Coordinates planning for accreditation site visits and state program approval visits, including tracking evidence and documentation.
- Audits website, catalog, program guides, and student handbook for consistency; drives remediation plans and monitors completion.
- Builds and maintains an evidence repository and version control approach; improves cycle-time and reduces rework through process enhancements.
- Procures technical editing assistance for reports and self-studies, as needed.
- 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
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organizational and planning skills with the demonstrated ability to manage and prioritize multiple competing projects, often with tight timelines.
- Experience collaborating on cross-functional teams to produce a quality written outcome.
- Meticulous attention to detail.
- Professional demeanor and interpersonal relationship skills (social-emotional intelligence) of confidence, focus, ethics, and accountability.
- Deep knowledge of institutional and specialized accreditation.
- Technological competence with MS Office Suite and related tools.
- Program/project management capability: integrated planning, risk/issue tracking, stakeholder communications.
- Ability to influence without authority and advise senior stakeholders on complex compliance decisions.
- Analytical skills: gap analysis, root-cause identification, recommendations and action planning.
Education
- Bachelor's degree in a writing-intensive (e.g., communication, English, history) or related field
Experience
- 5 years of related experience in higher education accreditation, compliance, or academic quality assurance
- Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional deliverables with firm deadlines (accreditation, academic program reviews, regulatory submissions, audits, etc.)
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in higher ed administration, assessment, policy, or writing-intensive field
- Experience with program review cycles, multi-jurisdiction authorization, and substantive change submissions
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.
Similar Jobs
Associate Director of Compliance
Hofstra University
🇺🇸 Hempstead, NY
Research Compliance Analyst
University of North Texas
🇺🇸 Remote - US
Compliance Specialist
Montana State University
🇺🇸 Bozeman, MT
Clinical Research Compliance Specialist
University of Florida
🇺🇸 Gainesville, FL
Academic Compliance Specialist
Virginia Tech
🇺🇸 Blacksburg, VA
