Accreditation and Compliance Manager, Salt Lake City, UT

Western Governors University • Full-time • Hybrid in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States • $88,300 - $132,400 / year • 1h ago

Fast Facts

WGU is seeking an Accreditation and Compliance Manager to lead accreditation and compliance processes, ensuring adherence to institutional standards within a supportive and diverse environment.

Responsibilities: Manage multi-state compliance processes, oversee accreditation submissions, evaluate program proposals, coordinate site visit preparations, and audit related documentation to enhance operational efficiency.

Skills: Exceptional communication, organizational, and analytical skills; attention to detail; experience in higher education accreditation; and technological proficiency in MS Office Suite.

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in a writing-intensive or related field, with at least 5 years of relevant experience in higher education accreditation; preferred candidates may hold a Master’s degree and have additional experience in program reviews and regulatory submissions.

Location: Salt Lake City, UT, with occasional travel up to 20% for conferences and summits.

Compensation: $88300 - $132400 / Annually

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: Professional 310Pay Range: $88,300.00 - $132,400.00

Job Description

The Accreditation and Compliance Manager serves as the university’s operational lead for institutional and programmatic accreditation, state program approval/authorization submissions, and academic program review documentation. Reporting to the Associate Vice Provost of Accreditation, Compliance, and Policy (ACP), this role independently drives cross-functional planning, risk management, and delivery of high-stakes submissions and site visit readiness, advising academic leaders and stakeholders on compliance strategy, evidence standards, and timeline execution.

Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities

Leads and manages a complex multi-state compliance process for all programs across the university; establishes standardized workflows, templates, and readiness checkpoints.
Independently evaluates accreditation implications of program proposal, concept, and charter documents and determines whether notification to an accreditor or submission of a substantive change notification will be required; advises academic leadership on risk and recommended approaches.
In consultation with key stakeholders, establishes and manages integrated timelines for submission of accreditation materials, academic program reviews, and state program approvals; tracks dependencies, risks, and escalation items.
Coordinates expected outcomes and timelines of compliance teams, academic leaders, and program development teams for the launch of new and revised academic programs.
Partners with key stakeholders in the development and submission of institutional and programmatic accreditation reports and self-studies, substantive change applications, and state program approvals; ensures narrative-evidence alignment and documentation quality.
Manages the documentation for academic program reviews and the selection process and site visits of external reviewers of APRs.
Coordinates planning for accreditation site visits and state program approval visits, including tracking evidence and documentation.
Audits website, catalog, program guides, and student handbook for consistency; drives remediation plans and monitors completion.
Builds and maintains an evidence repository and version control approach; improves cycle-time and reduces rework through process enhancements.
Procures technical editing assistance for reports and self-studies, as needed.
Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

This 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.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
Strong organizational and planning skills with the demonstrated ability to manage and prioritize multiple competing projects, often with tight timelines.
Experience collaborating on cross-functional teams to produce a quality written outcome.
Meticulous attention to detail.
Professional demeanor and interpersonal relationship skills (social-emotional intelligence) of confidence, focus, ethics, and accountability.
Deep knowledge of institutional and specialized accreditation.
Technological competence with MS Office Suite and related tools.
Program/project management capability: integrated planning, risk/issue tracking, stakeholder communications.
Ability to influence without authority and advise senior stakeholders on complex compliance decisions.
Analytical skills: gap analysis, root-cause identification, recommendations and action planning.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a writing-intensive (e.g., communication, English, history) or related field

Experience

5 years of related experience in higher education accreditation, compliance, or academic quality assurance
Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional deliverables with firm deadlines (accreditation, academic program reviews, regulatory submissions, audits, etc.)

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree in higher ed administration, assessment, policy, or writing-intensive field
Experience with program review cycles, multi-jurisdiction authorization, and substantive change submissions

Experience in lieu of education

An equivalent combination of training, experience, credentials, or accomplishments demonstrating the ability to perform the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements.

This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements.

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Position & Application Details

Full-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 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 Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.