Manager, Project and Change Management

Western Governors University • Salt Lake City, UT

7d

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 609 Pay Range: $113,200.00 - $203,800.00 Job Description Job Profile Summary The Manager of Project Management leads a team of project managers while also actively practicing project and change management. This role is intentionally designed as a lead‑while‑doing position: the manager models excellent project management, change leadership, and stakeholder engagement while developing a high‑trust, high‑accountability team culture. This leader reports to the Senior Vice President in the School of Business and partners closely with senior leadership, academic stakeholders, and cross‑functional teams to ensure that initiatives are clear, ready, well‑communicated, and aligned before change enters or exits the school. This role balances people leadership, hands-on project and change execution, and strategic influence in a highly matrixed environment.

Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to lead people with empathy, clarity, and accountability while remaining actively engaged in project work
• Strong project and change management expertise, including risk management and organizational readiness
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly, concisely, and appropriately for diverse audiences
• Deep experience with stakeholder engagement, communications, and relationship‑building
• Ability to act as a thoughtful gatekeeper for change, balancing speed with readiness and clarity
• Proven ability to coach, mentor, and motivate teams through complexity and change
• Excellent judgment, decision‑making, and problem‑solving skills
• Ability to work effectively and influence outcomes in a highly matrixed environment
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Strong judgment and decision-making skills, including the ability to navigate complex constraints and build alignment on workable tradeoffs.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Smartsheet, with the ability to use these tools to manage, analyze, and communicate project information effectively
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field
• Demonstrated experience leading people and teams while actively managing projects and change
• Broad management knowledge with advanced practical expertise in project and change management

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in a related field.
• A PMP or similar certification is welcome but not required. Greater value is placed on demonstrated practice in leading people with care, managing change effectively, and delivering complex work successfully.
• Extensive hands‑on experience with stakeholder engagement and communications
• Experience in higher education or similarly complex, regulated environments.

Responsibilities

• Leads, coaches, and develops a team of project managers while also directly managing complex, high‑impact projects and change initiatives.
• Models strong project management practices by actively participating in project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, risk management, and closure.
• Establishes a culture of trust, motivation, accountability, and care where team members feel supported, challenged, and empowered to grow.
• Provides regular, actionable feedback and mentorship focused on both performance outcomes and professional development.
• Serves as a change and project leader and change and project manager, ensuring organizational readiness, clarity of scope, and alignment before initiatives move forward.
• Acts as a gatekeeper for senior leadership and academic partners by ensuring change does not move in or out of the school unless it is clearly defined, well‑planned, and appropriately communicated.
• Identifies, assesses, and actively manages risks, dependencies, and constraints across projects and initiatives.
• Uses quantitative and qualitative data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities, translating insights into practical recommendations and actions.
• Proactively resolves issues and removes obstacles at any phase of the project life cycle.
• Builds and sustains strong, trust‑based relationships with stakeholders at all levels, including senior leaders, academic partners, and cross‑functional teams.
• Leads thoughtful stakeholder engagement strategies that prioritize transparency, clarity, and collaboration.
• Ensures consistent, timely, and meaningful communication regarding project status, risks, decisions, and change impacts.
• Translates complex initiatives into clear narratives that help stakeholders understand the “why,” “what,” and “how” of change.
• Partners with School and University leadership to support decision‑making, prioritization, and execution of strategic initiatives.
• Collaborates across departments to align projects with institutional goals, operational plans, and student experience outcomes.
• Champions continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to strengthen processes, tools, and ways of working.
• Influences without authority in a matrixed organization, balancing competing priorities while maintaining momentum and alignment.
• Ensures quality, consistency, and effectiveness of project management and change practices across the team.
• Establishes and upholds clear performance expectations, metrics, and accountability structures.
• Provides regular reporting and updates on project health, change readiness, risks, and delivery targets.

Benefits

• 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
• 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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager