Senior Regional Manager - Midwest Region

About the role

The Senior Regional Manager is a critical role focused on enhancing visibility, enrollment, and reputation for WGU as a leader in accessible and workforce-aligned higher education. This role involves relationship management, internal operations improvement, and driving regional growth initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Track, record, and maintain accurate regional data to inform decision-making.
• Liaise with schools and regional supporting teams to ensure regional impact alignment.
• Develop initiatives to improve efficiencies and levels of service within the operational area function.
• Be responsible and accountable for the totality of assigned projects.
• Leverage senior level knowledge of the region and partnership strategies in developing a hyper-local, regional strategy aligned with the schools' goals, Academy, and Craft Education.
• Work with the Regional VP and other leaders to support the development of a strong team culture.
• Develop, support, and lead cross-functional project teams to foster alumni engagement and community impact.
• May work directly with internal and external leaders and departments to resolve regional issues.

Brand Growth & Awareness

• Increase the university’s visibility in the region through community engagement and networking efforts.
• Contribute to initiatives to strengthen brand reputation and awareness.
• Explore new partnerships to increase WGU’s reach and educational impact.
• Deliver sales presentations to potential partner organizations with the WGU “flywheel” approach.
• Contribute to advocacy efforts in collaboration with the Director of Government Relations.
• Represent the university at conferences, panels, and speaking engagements as assigned.

Relationship Building

• Develop and maintain partnerships with local organizations, community-based organizations, chambers, and associations.
• Support state-based grant opportunities and workforce partnerships in collaboration with leadership.
• Influence the achievement of the university’s key results by developing relationships that drive value for employers, students, and alumni.
• Engage in community initiatives, support partnerships, and represent the university in local and regional events.
• Collaborate with colleagues and external stakeholders to advance workforce and educational objectives.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Initiative - Self-directed with a strong bias for action and results; displays a keen interest in students and organization.
• Reliability - Accountable to self and others; does what it takes to get the job done; actions are consistent with words; follows through on commitments; exhibits exceptional integrity.
• Problem Solving - Can develop new ideas that will enhance partnership results, is future-oriented and assesses what will help/hinder achieving goals; focuses on what is important.
• Earns trust - Is exceptional and persuasive using communication skills, oral and written, and delivers on commitments.
• Attitude - Displays commitment to the organization and to personal growth; self-motivated and able to motivate and inspire others; asserts self appropriately to champion ideas; tells the truth in a direct and constructive manner.
• Adaptability - Manages behaviors and communication style to meet the needs of a wide range of situations; tackles obstacles appropriately; is comfortable with ambiguity.
• Experience operating in a disaggregated marketing model; able to make decisions and drive business forward in a highly complex, multi-faceted organization.
• Organizational skills; ability to organize information and effectively present issues, recommendations, and conclusions.
• Innovative and inclined to explore new approaches via constant learning and optimization.
• Strong critical thinker capable of making smart judgments under pressure.
• Ability to manage time and resources for multiple projects at one time.
• Communication skills, oral and written, in addressing internal and external audiences; delivers on commitment.
• Authentically reflect and portray the mission of WGU.

Minimum Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in business development.
• Bachelor's degree.
• Proven track record of operational success in a business or education entity and increased year over year growth.
• Strong enterprise, community, and government networks and partnerships are required.