Associate Dean & Director, Computer Science Programs

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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:

Job Description

As the Associate Dean and Program Director for Computer Science programs in WGU's School of Technology (WST), you will play a pivotal role in shaping student success and outcomes in this critical field. Leveraging your subject matter expertise and academic leadership, you will drive transformative education experiences that empower students to achieve their goals. Collaborating closely with School and University leadership, as well as other departments and WGU organizations, you will hold end-to-end responsibility for: (a) expanding and improving program offerings by developing innovative, competency-based curricula that align with market demands, (b) establishing and executing strategic industry partnerships and go-to-market strategies to attract students and connect them with employers, and (c) ensuring exceptional student outcomes by coordinating and aligning efforts across supporting service organizations to serve students effectively and maximize their success. Your impact will be measured by your ability to plan, build, deliver, and scale programs that address the needs of an underserved student population while maintaining high retention rates and delivering strong ROI for your students. Achieving this requires a steadfast commitment to fostering equitable opportunities and advancing educational excellence. In this role, you will report directly to the Vice President and Dean of the Department, with a shared mission to transform lives by creating pathways to opportunity.

• P&L Leadership: manage a $25M+ budget, maintaining affordable tuition while maximizing students' return on investment
• Program management and program marketing experience in launching new and revised programs into the education market and operating programs using data and insights; data-driven portfolio management experience
• Drive a culture of continuous experimentation, measurement, and learning from data to rapidly improve the quality and delivery to students
• Strong people leader to directly or indirectly lead a diverse team including program managers, instructional faculty, and student coaches/mentors
• Influences Others and Communicates Effectively: Communicates to improve and promote teamwork, decision making, and problem solving. Listens and responds effectively to the reactions and positions of others and encourages the expression of diverse ideas and opinions. Adjusts message and style to fit the audience. Provides timely and helpful feedback. Communicates appropriately to win support with all audiences.
• Collaborates: Works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives. Represents own interests while being fair to others and their areas. Partners with others to get work done. Credits others for their contributions and accomplishments. Gains buy-in, trust and support of others.
• Manages Ambiguity: Deals comfortably with the uncertainty of change. Effectively handles risk. Can decide to act without the total picture. Is calm and productive, even when things are up in the air. Deals constructively with problems that do not have clear solutions or outcomes.
• Drives for Results: Has a strong outcomes-based orientation. Persists in accomplishing objectives despite obstacles and setbacks. Has a track record of successfully achieving goals. Pushes self and helps others achieve results. Has a continuous improvement mindset.
• Builds Effective Teams: Forms teams with appropriate and diverse mixes of styles, perspectives, and experience. Establishes common objectives and a shared mindset. Creates a feeling of belonging and strong team morale. Shares wins and rewards team efforts. Fosters open dialogue and collaboration among the team. Creates a team that works well cross-functionally.
• Organizational Learning: Learns quickly when facing new situations. Experiments to find new solutions. Takes on challenges of unfamiliar tasks. Extracts lessons-learned from failures and mistakes. Expands knowledge base through ongoing curiosity.
• Ensure Accreditation Compliance: maintain ABET accreditation (currently held by the BS Computer Science program) and other appropriate accreditations, ensuring programs meet high standards of academic and professional excellence
• Build and Leverage an Advisory Council: establish and maintain an industry advisory board to align programs with workforce needs, gather expert insights, and create opportunities for students
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities:

• Deep understanding of how students learn and combining innovative curriculum and student support strategies to drive student success and employability
• Customer and student obsession with a focus on driving successful outcomes for them
• Industry or academic leader in the discipline
• Understanding of the industry trends, job opportunities, and educational market trends in the discipline
• Credible voice of the department in external partnerships and presentation opportunities
• Strong people leader to directly or indirectly lead a diverse team of INSERT + people including academic program leaders, instructional faculty, and student coaches/mentors
• Execution focus with the ability to dive-deep and live in the details with a fast-paced weekly execution cadence
• Ability to organize and coordinate activities and results across cross-functional teams
• Ability to coach and develop direct reports
• Ability to collaborate with and manage teams, including those in a remote environment, while demonstrating excellence, integrity, and respect
• Ability to work effectively in a highly matrixed organization
• Ability to build relationships and influence at all levels, both internally and externally
• Ability to be an agent of change in a rapidly changing environment
• Proven ability to analyze data to identify trends and drive innovation
• Sound judgement and decision-making skills
• Strong oral and written communication skills

Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Doctorate degree in Computer Science related discipline from an accredited institution
• Seven (7) years relevant professional experience (with 5 years in senior leadership experience with hands-on experience in hiring, managing, and scaling)
  In lieu of a Doctorate, a Master's in Computer Science or a related discipline, combined with 10+ years of relevant professional experience, may be considered if the candidate demonstrates the required skills and knowledge.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in higher education, particularly in computer science, software engineering or related areas
• Proven ability to develop and scale online education or training programs in rapidly changing environments
• Demonstrated experience in curriculum development
• Prior hands-on programming experience with a strong foundation in industry-relevant tools and languages
• Proven success in leading and managing change, including fostering innovation and aligning teams with strategic goals
• Familiarity with accrediting bodies such as ABET and experience ensuring academic programs meet accreditation standards and maintain compliance

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

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Position & Application Details

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. #DEI