Manager, Academic Policy & Knowledge Publication

Western Governors University•Salt Lake City, UT

About The Position

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: Management_Executive 605 Pay Range: $75,900.00 - $125,300.00 Job Description Responsible for leading the development, review, and governance of academic policies and the student handbook across the institution. This role provides strategic and operational leadership in maintaining the integrity, compliance, and institutional alignment of WGU’s academic policy framework. Owns the end-to-end policy lifecycle from drafting and stakeholder coordination through approval and publication and ensures that all policy content reflects current regulatory requirements, accreditation standards, and institutional priorities. Working closely with the Director of Academic Standards and Policies, this position supports the execution of the team's strategic initiatives and operating plan objectives. Collaborates across schools and functional partners to align policy with institutional goals, drives continuous improvement of governance processes, and oversees the publication and maintenance of academic knowledge resources, ensuring that academic policy content is accurately reflected, consistently communicated, and accessible to students, faculty, and staff across institutional channels.

Requirements

Deep understanding of academic policy governance, policy lifecycle management, and compliance requirements in higher education or similarly regulated industries.
Demonstrated ability to draft and revise policy language, translating regulatory and accreditation requirements into clear institutional policy.
Experience designing or managing policy review and approval workflows, including cross-functional coordination and governance documentation.
Strong strategic thinking skills, with the ability to support leadership in planning, initiative execution, and operating plan management.
Knowledge of knowledge/content management principles, content lifecycle processes, and quality assurance frameworks.
Strong leadership and people management skills, including team development, performance coaching, and change management.
Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to interpret complex policies and translate them into clear, accessible content.
Proven ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships across departments and with diverse stakeholders.
Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with attention to detail and clarity.
Ability to assess and improve processes continuously, using data, metrics, and stakeholder feedback to drive enhancements.
Commitment to principles of accessibility, equity, and inclusion in content and policy implementation.
Adaptability and problem-solving skills to navigate evolving institutional needs and regulatory environments.
Bachelor’s degree in education, Public Policy, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field required.
5 years of progressively responsible experience in knowledge/content management, academic policy administration, compliance, or related fields within higher education or a similarly regulated industry.
2 years of experience in a leadership or people management role, including team development and performance oversight.
Experience in lieu of education 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

Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration, Public Policy, Business Administration, Library and Information Science, Knowledge Management, or a closely related field.
Experience with accreditation processes and regulatory compliance in higher education.
Experience developing and implementing policy and knowledge/content governance frameworks.
Familiarity with digital knowledge management platforms and content lifecycle tools.
Experience supporting strategic planning, OKR frameworks, or operating plan execution in a higher education or policy-driven environment.

Responsibilities

Provides leadership, coaching, and development for team members to ensure high performance, engagement, and growth.
Leads end-to-end academic policy review and approval processes, including drafting, stakeholder coordination, version control, and governance documentation.
Owns the student handbook as a living governance document, ensuring ongoing alignment with current academic policy, accreditation standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.
Supports the drafting, revising, and refinement of academic policy language, translating complex regulatory and institutional requirements into clear, actionable policy.
Coordinates policy impact assessments across schools and functional partners prior to approval, ensuring downstream implications are identified and addressed.
Supports the team in advancing its strategic initiatives and annual operating plan and objectives, including tracking progress and providing supporting documentation.
Ensures content clarity, consistency, and accessibility across all academic policy and knowledge materials, supporting compliance and a positive user experience.
Oversees processes that maintain the integrity of knowledge resources, including regular reviews, updates, and quality assurance.
Collaborates with cross-functional partners to align academic policies and procedures with published content and ensure institutional compliance.
Monitors and assesses the effectiveness of policy governance and knowledge resource processes, using data and feedback to drive continuous improvement.
Maintains thorough documentation to support institutional accountability, accreditation requirements, and internal or external reviews.
Promotes content and policy governance best practices and foster a culture of continuous improvement to meet evolving institutional and regulatory needs.
Performs other related duties as assigned.