Western Governors University
Dean - School of Education
🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT
🕑 Full-Time
💰 TBD
💻 Project Management
🗓️ November 28th, 2025
Edtech.com's Summary
Western Governors University is hiring a Dean - School of Education who will act as an academic and operational leader to improve educational outcomes and student success within a competency-based portfolio. The role involves managing the creation, expansion, and ownership of market-relevant programs, building industry partnerships, and implementing strategies that enhance student progress, retention, completion, and career outcomes.
Highlights
- Lead intentional development of educator and administrator preparation programs by building trust and community among stakeholders.
- Analyze and report large quantities of student and organizational data to drive improvements.
- Manage budget and financial performance to ensure program growth and efficiency.
- Drive student success and retention through data-driven quality improvements and engagement strategies.
- Develop competency-based programs aligned with industry demands to maximize student career outcomes.
- Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with employers and industry leaders for enhanced program visibility and career opportunities.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with WGU's teams to support program goals and leverage expertise.
- Lead innovation in alternative credentials, workforce models, apprenticeships, and license routes while maintaining program quality.
- Educational requirements include a Doctorate or a Master’s with 10 years relevant experience in educator preparation program administration.
- At least 5 years senior leadership experience in program design, team management, and educational initiative scaling is needed.
- Preferred experience involves K12 teaching/administration, higher education pre-service teacher qualifications, online program delivery, and managing complex, dynamic programs.
- Position offers full-time employment with benefits such as bonuses, medical and dental insurance, retirement plan, flexible paid time off, and up to 12 weeks parental leave.
- Role requires up to 25% travel and ability to occasionally lift up to 15 pounds.
Dean - School of Education 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.
Job Description
Functions as an academic and operational leader dedicated to enhancing educational outcomes and student success across a diverse, competency-based portfolio. In collaboration with WGU's cross-functional teams, this role holds end-to-end responsibility for the creation, expansion, and ownership of market-relevant programs, cultivating industry partnerships, innovating and implementing strategies that drive student progress, retention, completion, and career success. Success in this role will be defined by the ability to design, build, and scale programs that align with student and industry needs, driving both educational and employment outcomes.
Responsibilities
Primary Responsibilities
- Lead Intentionally: Build coalitions of trust, engender community, and communicate transparently so as to promote a healthy, progressive school of stakeholders who are collaborating to build the most efficacious educator and administrator preparation programs in the world.
- Data Fluency: Comfort with measurement, research, root cause analysis, and reporting of large quantities of student and/or organizational data on a regular basis.
- P&L Ownership: Manage budget and financial performance, ensuring program growth and efficiency.
- Student Success & Retention: Maintain a strong outcomes orientation, using data-driven insights to improve program quality and enhance student engagement.
- Program Development & Market Relevance: Lead the creation of competency-based programs that respond to industry demands and maximize student career outcomes.
- Strategic Partnerships: Develop and sustain partnerships with employers and industry leaders to enhance program visibility and connect students with career opportunities.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Drive collaboration with WGU's shared service teams to support program goals and leverage diverse expertise.
- Adaptability & Problem-Solving: Thrive in dynamic, matrixed environments, using strategic thinking to address challenges and optimize program impact.
- Organizational Learning: Foster a culture of continuous improvement, using data and experimentation to refine program delivery and outcomes.
- Alternative Credentials Leadership: Work with various stakeholders on workforce, apprenticeship, "alternate route to licensure", and other emerging models while still promoting high-quality programs at WGU.
- Academic Innovation: Create opportunistic, entrepreneurial approaches to educator preparation that can lead to new enrollments, better persistence / graduation rates, or enhance organizational culture.
- Performs other 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
- Student-Centered Approach: Deep understanding of student learning needs, with a focus on designing supportive, market-aligned educational experiences.
- People Leadership: Experienced people leader driving community and relationality in a fast paced, high solution context.
- Educator Prep Efficacy: Recognized expertise in the entirety of the educator preparation experience (P-12) including curriculum, instruction, placement, and any/all interdependencies with district, state, or school stakeholders.
- Industry Leadership: Recognized expertise in relevant industry trends and educational advancements, positioning you as a credible voice in external partnerships.
- Strategic Influence & Collaboration: Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, influence decisions, and build strong internal and external relationships.
- Change Leadership: Embraces innovation and drives transformation to keep pace with industry and educational advancements.
- Data-Driven Decision-Making: Skilled in reading, analyzing, and using data to guide program efficacy while ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
- Executive Communication: Communicates effectively across all levels, using clear and impactful storytelling to engage stakeholders and present ideas persuasively.
Education
- Doctorate in a relevant field from an accredited institution, or Master's in a relevant field from an accredited institution with 10 years of relevant experience, likely in EPP administration.
Experience
- 5 years in senior leadership roles involving program design, team management, and scaling educational initiatives.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in K12 teaching or administration, higher education pre-service teacher qualification, online program delivery, and rapidly evolving organizational contexts.
- Proven success in leading changes and structuring complex, dynamic programs
Physical Requirements
- Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Ability to lift up to 15 pounds occasionally.
- Up to 25% travel.
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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