Program Manager, Persistence Operations

Job Profile:

Administrative Operations Specialist 3

Job Family:

Administrative Operations

Time Type:

Full time

Max Pay - Depends on experience:

$86,900.00 USD Annual

Apply before 11:59 PM Arizona time the day before the posted End Date.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree and five (5) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.

Job Profile Summary:
Supports and instructs those served by the department with complex queries, applies specialized knowledge of multiple standards, policies and procedures, and maintains accurate and detailed records.

Job Description:

Are you passionate about student success and persistence? Do you excel at systems thinking and translating data, research, and cross-functional insight into scalable solutions? Then apply today for this Program Manager, Persistence Operations opportunity!

ASU EdPlus is a dynamic unit of Arizona State University focused on the design and scalable delivery of digital teaching and learning models to increase student success and reduce barriers to achievement in higher education. We advance the economic, social, cultural, and overall health of the local, national, and international communities served by ASU.

Want to know more about working at EdPlus? Watch this short video!

We are seeking a Program Manager, Persistence Operations, to join our Operations team. Every day you will make a difference in the lives of others by leading the execution, integration, and continuous improvement of initiatives that drive early-term student success and persistence across ASU Online.

You will operationalize persistence as a coordinated, data-informed system focused on influencing student behaviors, reducing early attrition risk, and improving continuation, from pre-enrollment through the first term. You will operate through extensive collaboration across EdPlus teams and broader ASU partners, aligning efforts, identifying opportunities, and ensuring work is collectively driven toward measurable student success outcomes.

You will identify and drive interventions across the early student journey—including, but not limited to, onboarding experiences such as orientation and ASU 101—to improve measurable student outcomes. You will translate data, research, and cross-functional insight into scalable solutions that increase retention, reduce drop/withdrawal, and strengthen student momentum.

NOTE: This is an in-person, hybrid position. Must be able to reliably commute to Scottsdale AZ.

Essential Duties:

Drive persistence strategy and execution

• Define and operationalize key persistence priorities across the early student lifecycle.

• Identify and address primary drivers of early attrition (e.g., course intensity, lack of engagement, unclear expectations).

• Design and implement interventions that improve continuation and reduce drop/withdrawal rates.

• Align persistence efforts with institutional goals and priorities.

• Contribute to pilot programs and scaled initiatives focused on improving retention outcomes.

Own persistence data, insights, and performance tracking

• Defining and monitoring key persistence indicators:

• Orientation → course start conversion

  • Week 1 engagement

  • Early assignment submission

  • Drop/withdrawal patterns

• Partner with Action Lab and analytics teams to identify risk signals and predictive indicators.

• Regularly analyze and synthesize data across multiple initiatives impacting student success.

• Connect early-term behaviors to downstream outcomes (retention, progression, completion).

• Translate data into actionable recommendations and interventions.

• Share insights proactively with stakeholders to inform decision-making.

• Move beyond participation metrics to outcome-driven performance measurement.

Design and implement behavior-driven student success interventions

• Design experiences and touchpoints that drive critical student behaviors (e.g., early login, assignment submission, help-seeking).

• Apply behaviorally informed design (nudges, timing, sequencing) to influence student decision-making.

• Reduce friction and cognitive overload at key student decision points.

• Test and iterate on interventions using data and experimentation.

• Prioritize high-impact actions over content-heavy approaches.

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Identify and address systemic gaps impacting persistence

• Identify breakdowns across the student journey that contribute to attrition.

• Evaluate misalignment across academic, support, and onboarding experiences.

• Recommend structural, design, or process changes to improve student outcomes.

• Differentiate between quick wins and larger strategic opportunities.

• Elevate insights and recommendations to leadership with clear impact and tradeoffs.

Lead cross-functional alignment around persistence outcomes

• Partner with EdPlus teams (Enrollment, Student Success, Instructional Design, Marketing, Technology, Action Lab) and ASU stakeholders.

• Align multiple groups toward shared persistence and early-term success goals.

• Ensure clarity of roles, responsibilities, and ownership across initiatives.

• Drive coordination across teams to ensure initiatives move forward effectively.

• Facilitate conversations to address risks, dependencies, and competing priorities.

• Maintain visibility on progress and ensure work is advancing toward defined success measures.

• Support shared accountability for student outcomes without directly owning all implementation.

Integrate onboarding as a targeted persistence lever

• Position onboarding (e.g., orientation, ASU 101) as one component of a broader persistence strategy.

• Ensure onboarding experiences are designed to drive key early-term behaviors.

• Identify gaps, redundancies, or misalignment within onboarding experiences that impact persistence.

• Align onboarding touchpoints with critical early-term milestones.

• Ensure onboarding contributes to readiness, clarity, and early momentum.

Improve systems, workflows, and scalability of persistence efforts

• Streamline processes that support persistence initiatives.

• Reduce reliance on manual tracking and disconnected tools.

• Partner with technology and data teams to improve systems integration.

• Recommend scalable solutions that support long-term growth.

• Retire low-impact or duplicative processes.

Lead persistence-focused communication strategies

• Establish regular communication cadences across stakeholders to share updates, insights, and progress.

• Translate data and insights into clear, actionable updates for cross-functional teams and leadership.

• Develop targeted communications that drive critical student actions.

• Ensure messaging reduces confusion and supports decision-making at key moments.

• Align communications across teams to reinforce consistent expectations.

• Refine messaging continuously based on performance data and student feedback.

Assume or coordinate other duties or projects as assigned or directed.

NOTE: This is an in-person, hybrid position. You must be able to reliably commute to Scottsdale AZ.

Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a related field.

• Demonstrated strong ability to connect strategy to execution in complex, cross-functional environments.

• Experience with student success, persistence initiatives, or higher education operations.

• Demonstrated ability to interpret data and translate insights into actionable interventions.

• Evidence of systems thinking to identify root causes across interconnected experiences.

• Demonstrated strong operational ownership and ability to manage ambiguity.

• Experience influencing without direct authority across multiple stakeholders.

• Demonstrated strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Evidence of familiarity with digital learning environments (e.g., Canvas) and student systems.

NOTE: Please answer the following questions in your cover letter:

• Describe a time you used data to identify a problem in a student-facing (or customer-facing) experience and then led a cross-functional effort to address it. What was the outcome, and how did you measure success?

• This role requires influencing outcomes across multiple teams without owning all the work directly. Tell us about a time you drove alignment and accountability across stakeholders who had competing priorities. What was your approach, and what did you learn?

Salary & Benefits:

$67,000 - 86,900 per year; DOE

ASU offers a total compensation package that includes valuable employee benefits. See the ASU Benefits website to explore options.

• Healthcare

• Financial Security

• Retirement

• Family Resources

• Tuition Reduction (eligible ASU Employee, their dependents and spouse)

• Discounts

Working Environment

Your desk will be in the beautiful, cutting-edge, and collaborative workspace at SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center. The Center houses a diverse business community that links technology, research, education, and entrepreneurship to position ASU and Greater Phoenix as global leaders in the knowledge economy.

ASU EdPlus supports flexible work options, ranging from alternate to hybrid work schedules, subject to approvals per ASU policy. (This is an in-person, hybrid position.)

Applicant must be eligible to work in the United States. ASU EdPlus will not be a sponsor for this position.

Department Statement:

As a central enterprise unit for ASU, ASU EdPlus supports the university charter by focusing on the design and scalable delivery of digital teaching and learning models to increase student success and reduce barriers to achievement in higher education.

ASU EdPlus defines itself through a culture of curiosity, risk-taking, and refusing to accept the status quo. Our employees are valued, respected, and encouraged to be their unique selves. We know that our ability to deliver high-quality services and educational experiences is strengthened by our culture of innovation, driving outcomes through serving learners, achieving milestones, striving for excellence, solving problems, embracing urgency, and being bold.

ASU EdPlus

Driving Requirement:

Driving is not required for this position.

Location:

Off-Campus: Scottsdale

Funding:

No Federal Funding

Instructions to Apply:

Current employees, student workers seeking staff opportunities, and students applying for student worker positions must apply directly through the Workday Jobs Hub.

Please use the link below to log in using single sign-on.

https://www.myworkday.com/asu/d/inst/1$9925/9925$22819.htmld

To be considered, your application must include all of the following attachments:

• Cover letter

• Resume or CV

Multiple documents may be uploaded in the attachments section. Alternatively, applicants may combine all required materials into a single PDF for submission. Please ensure uploaded documents are clearly labeled and include your name.

Please ensure your resume includes all employment information in month and year format, for example 6/04 to 8/14, along with job title, job duties, and employer name for each position. Your resume should clearly demonstrate how your experience and background meet the minimum and desired qualifications for this position. Incomplete applications or missing required materials may not be considered.

Important: Do not withdraw your application to make edits. Once an application is withdrawn, it cannot be edited, reactivated, or replaced with a new submission. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact The Office of Human Resources Talent Acquisition before the posting close date.

Graduate Assistant, Intern and part-time positions are counted as half time for experience equivalency, meaning one year equals six months of experience.

Only electronic applications will be accepted for this position. By submitting an application, you confirm that the information provided is accurate and complete.

ASU Statement:

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 100,000 students in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation's fifth largest city. ASU champions inclusive excellence, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred nations across the globe.

ASU is a tobacco-free university. For details visit https://wellness.asu.edu/explore-wellness/body/alcohol-and-drugs/tobacco

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

Notice of Availability of the ASU Annual Security and Fire Safety Report:

In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf. You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.

Relocation Assistance - For information about schools, housing child resources, neighborhoods, hospitals, community events, and taxes, visit https://cfo.asu.edu/az-resources.

Employment Verification Statement:

ASU conducts pre-employment screening which may include verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications.

Background Check Statement:

ASU conducts pre-employment screening for all positions which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications. Employment is contingent upon successful passing of the background check.

Fingerprint Check Statement:

This position is considered safety/security sensitive and will include a fingerprint check. Employment is contingent upon successful passing of the fingerprint check.