Research Manager, Prospective Students

Company: Western Governors University
Location: Salt Lake City
Posted on: May 3, 2025

Job Description:

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 608Pay Range: $97,300.00 - $175,200.00Job DescriptionAbout the Role:The Prospective Student Research Manager manages WGU's prospective student-related research and develops and manages a team of data scientists and research scientists. The goal is to produce actionable research that allows WGU to better individualize the prospective student experience. The manager will lead research projects on a range of topics, such as consumer behavior, environmental and competitive dynamics, and user experience.Successful candidates will have experience managing research teams and conducting complex quantitative and qualitative studies, with expertise in data science, learning science, behavioral science, or educational psychology. They will desire to collaborate with internal stakeholders and represent the voice of the prospective students in the admissions processes of WGU. The research team works on critical WGU research and analytics projects used by marketing, enrollment, and brand development teams to create strategies that properly connect and engage prospective student populations. Understanding the impacts of research across diverse audiences and geographies is essential.Main Responsibilities Include:

• Oversee all research initiatives regarding prospective students and ensure alignment with university goals
• Hire, train, and develop a team of data scientists and research scientists
• Work closely with marketing, enrollment, and brand strategy teams to ensure research directly informs decision-making and audience engagement strategies.
• Provide technical guidance on methodologies, analytical approaches, and research tools
• Establish transparent processes for managing research projects and codify and communicate results and insights to internal stakeholders
• Collaborate with all appropriate internal and external stakeholders
• Communicate findings to stakeholders and ensure the proper understanding of findings
• Advocates for the perspective and experience of the prospective students
• Collaborate with other research teams within the university on multi-audience projectsThis job description includes a general representation of job requirements rather than a comprehensive inventory of all required responsibilities or work activities. The contents of this document or related job requirements may change at any time with or without notice.Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities You'll Need to Be Successful:
  • Deep knowledge of data science, learning science, behavioral science, behavioral economics, education psychology, or related fields.
  • Experience with independently defining and conducting direct research, including competitive analysis, UX research, naming tests, pricing tests, perception tests, surveys, and social media analysis.
  • Proven ability to lead research projects, including scope, budget, resources, schedule management, compliance, and reporting
  • Ability to manage a team of qualitative and quantitative research scientists and data scientists
  • Ability to help shape stakeholders' real-world questions into research questions with appropriate methodologies; then translate the results into actionable insights for stakeholders
  • Deep experience with qualitative and quantitative primary research methods.
  • Exceptional written, oral, and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly communicate complex research findings to diverse audiences
  • Ability to be a subject matter expert on relaying research that the team has conducted
  • Thrives by working collaboratively and creatively in a fast-paced environment.
  • Strong attention to detail; exemplifies pride and ownership over the quality of the WGU learning experience.
  • Ability to foster strong relationships within the team and external stakeholders.Minimum Requirements:Education:
    • Master's degree or higher in a related field or equivalentExperience:
      • A minimum of 7 years of specific experience, generally including a minimum of 3 years leading a research team.
      • Management knowledge to lead the department
      • Advanced-level knowledge and skills within a specific technical or professional discipline with an understanding of the impact of work on other areas of the University.Preferred Qualifications:
        • PhD in a related research field (e.g., Sociology, Psychology) or analytics discipline (e.g., Data Science, Economics, etc.)
        • 7 years' experience in related applied research field in the field of education or other human system using data science, experimental and quasi-experimental designs, and qualitative researchExperience in lieu of educationEquivalent 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.#LI-BS1#LI-OnsitePosition & Application DetailsFull-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is 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; and 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.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 InformationDisclaimer: 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 Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.

Keywords: Western Governors University, Orem , Research Manager, Prospective Students, Executive , Salt Lake City, Utah