Program Manager, Collaborative Language Program

Universities of Wisconsin • Madison, WI

2d • $70,000 - $80,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Universities of Wisconsin Office of Online & Professional Learning Resources (OPLR) seeks a Program Manager to provide leadership and administrative coordination for the Collaborative Language Program, a world languages course-sharing collaboration between multiple UW universities. In addition to CLP coordination, this position may be assigned additional program management or other duties as assigned. This position plays a critical role in supporting program operations, facilitating cross-campus collaboration, maintaining core systems and communication structures, providing leadership in language pedagogy, and contributing to the strategic direction and program growth. The Program Manager serves as a central resource for faculty, advisors, staff, and students involved in the Collaborative Language Program, ensuring consistent practices, accurate information, and seamless experiences across institutions. The position has an anticipated start date of July 1, 2026.

This position description represents a general outline of job duties, expectations, responsibilities and qualifications. It is not intended to be comprehensive in nature. In addition, this position is likely to evolve over time and therefore the position description may not fully reflect the precise nature of the position at a future point in time.

Through a unique collaborative model, OPLR manages interdisciplinary programs in partnership with campuses throughout the 13 Universities of Wisconsin. The UW universities provide curriculum, faculty, and academic support services, while OPLR leads operational strategy, including program management, marketing, instructional design, media production, and student services. Our student population includes both traditional aged students and working adults seeking flexible, high-quality online academic offerings.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of three years of experience in higher education, adult learning or continuing education.
• Demonstrated experience in program or project management, preferably leading and contributing to multi-stakeholder projects involving internal teams and external partners.
• Exhibits strong organizational and administrative skills.
• Evidence of hands-on experience in data systems and process documentation.
• Demonstrated success building constructive, trust-centered relationships with partners and stakeholders with differing needs, perspectives and goals, fostering mutual understanding and effective working relationships.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to travel occasionally, mainly in Wisconsin.
• Ability to quickly develop working knowledge in new content areas, leveraging partnerships and subject matter experts to ensure program quality.
• Strong project management and administration skills and ability to lead complex initiatives from planning through execution.
• Success working collaboratively with academic and non-academic stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with a focus on clarity, transparency, and shared goals.
• Creative problem-solving abilities and comfort navigating change in dynamic environments.
• Understanding of higher education systems and the needs of adult learners.
• Interest in and commitment to innovation in online and lifelong learning.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in a world language, language pedagogy or a related field
• Experience supporting online, hybrid online, or traditional and adult learner programs
• Familiarity with UW universities and policies, and familiarity with general or specialized accreditation agencies
• Experience with student advising, instructional design collaboration, or inter-institutional collaborations and coordination
• Teaching experience as a language instructor
• Ability to provide, lead or facilitate teaching professional development in language instruction

Responsibilities

• Working in close collaboration with the CLP Steering Committee, the Program Manager contributes to the Universities of Wisconsin’s broader mission to expand access to high-quality world languages education.
• Provide comprehensive management and strategic oversight of a portfolio of world language courses collectively called the Collaborative Language Program.
• Develop and implement annual goals, growth strategies, and process improvements aligned with organizational, UW university and CLP priorities.
• Monitor program performance using key metrics; identify and implement pedagogical or technological enhancements to support impact, efficiency, and relevance.
• Identify opportunities for program and service improvements and contribute to the integration and onboarding of new UW partners.
• Provide strategic leadership in growing a multi-campus course-sharing platform, envisioning the model as a prototype for future course sharing across the UWs.
• Provide guidance and support for language pedagogy, including as needed one-on-one support to language faculty and design/implementation of shared courses
• Serve as the lead liaison among internal teams and campus faculty, campus administration, campus advisors, and OPLR to ensure accurate program delivery and adherence to quality standards.
• Maintain strong, transparent communication and facilitate meetings and collaborative decision-making with the Steering Committee in the coordination of course offerings and supports.
• Both lead and contribute to multi-stakeholder projects involving internal teams (marketing, recruitment, instructional design, student services) and campus faculty and administrators.
• Drive efficiency by establishing and managing systems to align program operations with campus processes for course offerings, admissions, and student support.
• Collaborate with peers across program areas to share best practices and implement initiatives that strengthen the overall portfolio.
• Manage program budgets and ensure that revenue targets are met, and expense limits are not exceeded.
• Foster a culture of trust, collaboration and mutual accountability within and across OPLR teams and UW partners.
• Develop, maintain and update a centralized administrative database for course offerings, course enrollments, instructors of record, and program metrics across participating institutions. These data collection and reporting functions will be coordinated with OPLR’s data team.
• Manage data integrity and reporting across UW partners; reconcile enrollment data each semester and coordinate student data transfers with UW campuses and OPLR.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for course scheduling, enrollment management, and registration timelines, accounting for campus-specific processes and policies.
• Assist in the development of multi-year course schedules; provide historical data and forecasts to support planning.
• Prepare reports and briefings for decision-makers regarding program performance, trends, and student outcomes.
• Evaluate and analyze course and language program assessment activities for course quality, desired goals and learning outcomes.

Benefits

• The Universities of Wisconsin employees receive an excellent benefits package.
• To learn more about the benefits package, review the Universities of Wisconsin Employee Benefits Quick Guide (FA/AS/LI) or Universities of Wisconsin Employee Benefits Quick Guide (US).
• Use the Health & Retirement Contributions Estimator to calculate the estimated value of your compensation and benefits.

What This Job Offers

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