Manager, Student Communities (Digital)

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:

Job Description

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Oversees the development and direction of new and existing digital student community programs; researches pathways, presents recommendations, and leads implementations through completion.
• Plans, organizes, monitors all phases of student projects and initiatives.
• Leads online student community teams to include hiring, training, developing, coaching, and managing performance.
• Identifies online student community trends and partners with leadership to develop and implement strategies to increase student engagement and increase student community participation.
• Develops and oversees online training programs that incorporate innovative student community methods and practices.
• Collaborates with teams and departments that touch the student lifecycle to ensure alignment of initiatives and activities.
• Provides regular updates on projects and programs to stakeholders and leadership.
• Develops and updates policy and processes for student community programs.
• Reviews data, reports, and metrics to ensure a high standard of student engagement within the provided community spaces.
• Monitors and moderates the conversations in online forums, monitors feedback and online reviews.
• Guides team in creating content that will engage and inform student community members; ensures team members respond to comments and student queries in a timely manner.
• Organizes and participates in student community events that boost brand awareness.
• Ensures digital platforms operate smoothly and works with technical teams to update and enhance functions.

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities:

• Demonstrated understanding of a competency-based education model
• Documented use of technology-based educational delivery systems
• Knowledge of social media platforms and analytics tools
• Technical knowledge and experience to integrate and manage digital platforms
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated innovative and effective leadership skills
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects
• Demonstrated success with launching community initiatives (e.g. building an online forum, launching an ambassador program, creating an event series, and writing an email newsletter)
• Demonstrated experience with social media management for brands
• Demonstrated experience making data driven decisions to improve quality of services provided
• Ability to effectively organize conflicting priorities and carry out multiple job responsibilities
• Demonstrated effective and innovative problem-solving skills
• Ability to influence change and motivate others
• Ability to interpret website traffic and online customer engagement metrics
• Knowledge of online marketing and marketing channels
• Ability to partner with technology teams to ensure students have seamless experiences across multiple platforms

Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, a related discipline, or equivalent work experience
• Five (5) years of experience as a Digital Community Manager with displayed community growth and user engagement, project management, using multiple social platforms, and exceptional presentation skills using various methods.
• Two (2) of the five years must include leading a team
• Availability for on-call hours

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Communications or a related discipline
• Project Management
• Experience working in online higher education
• Train the trainer/change management

Physical Requirements:

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

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