Associate Dean- Leavitt School of Health

Western Governors University•Salt Lake City, UT

5d•Remote

About The Position

The Associate Dean is a senior academic and business leader responsible for the strategic direction, performance, and growth of a portfolio of academic programs. This role owns program-level outcomes across the full value chain, including student performance, academic quality, portfolio growth, workforce alignment, and financial performance. This role serves as the primary decision-makers for undergraduate and graduate programs and are directly accountable for program tuition revenue. This role integrates academic authority with business leadership. Sets strategic direction and drive execution across cross-functional teams to ensure programs are academically rigorous, market-aligned, financially sustainable, and positioned for long-term growth. Represents WGU externally with industry partners, associations, states, accreditors, and media.

Requirements

Master’s Degree in Nursing
Experience in higher education
Experience working with programmatic accreditation and licensing boards.
5 years of relevant experience
Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements. Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as 1 year of experience for 1 year of education and is the discretion of the hiring manager.

Nice To Haves

Doctoral degree
Experience in developing online education programs and/or developing and scaling rapidly changing organizations/programs
Experience in developing curriculum and/or high-stakes assessments
Demonstrated success in change-management, and bringing order and structure to complex situations

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary owner of 2–6 academic programs across undergraduate and graduate levels.
Establish long-term strategic direction for program growth, specialization expansion, and portfolio positioning.
Make final decisions on program-level strategy, investments, and execution priorities.
Ensure alignment between academic rigor, market demand, and financial sustainability.
Own program-level tuition revenue.
Establish enrollment, growth, and contribution targets aligned with university objectives.
Oversee budget performance and contribution margins.
Balance academic integrity with sustainable financial outcomes.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives informed by performance data.
Own student performance outcomes including retention, progression, completion, and workforce ROI.
Ensure academic and operational strategies are aligned to improve measurable student success.
Provide academic leadership across assigned programs.
Ensure curriculum integrity, workforce alignment, and accreditation compliance.
Guide new program development, revisions, and specialization expansion.
Maintain high standards of instructional quality and academic credibility.
Drive coordinated execution across the full program value chain, including academic leadership, program management, marketing, enrollment, student success, and operations.
Leads a small group of indirect contributors to deliver high-quality student experiences and program performance.
Represent WGU externally to industry, professional associations, states, accreditors, and media.
Cultivate employer and industry partnerships to enhance program relevance and credibility.
Serve as a visible thought leader within the discipline.
Navigate complexity and ambiguity while maintaining strategic clarity.
Contribute to college and university-level planning and decision-making.
Perform other duties as assigned.