Overview

Western Governors University (WGU) is seeking a Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships to accelerate its mission by cultivating and managing high-impact partnerships that expand reach, enhance innovation, and generate new pathways for learners and employers. This leader will bridge academic, corporate, and non-profit ecosystems to identify opportunities for collaboration, co-development, and strategic investment aligned with organizational priorities.

This is a full-time position based at WGU's corporate office in Salt Lake City, Utah. Relocation assistance is available for candidates outside a 50-mile radius. The role requires occasional travel of up to 20%.

Pay Range: $130,600 - $235,100

Primary Responsibilities

Partnership Development

• •Build proactive plans for co-development, joint initiatives, and first-of-its-kind collaborations for products, technologies, or market-shaping programs that advance enterprise priorities and deliver measurable impact.
• •Coordinate across internal stakeholders including academic and business unit leaders, WGU Labs, Enterprise Tech, Marketing, Legal, and Operations to ensure alignment, risk management, and delivery readiness.
• •Negotiate effective partnership structures that maintain WGU's mission integrity, financial stewardship, and brand strength.

Partner Success and Portfolio Management

• •Oversee progress and performance across all partnership initiatives from concept to launch to operational scale.
• •Ensure both partners and WGU meet milestones and achieve intended outcomes, measuring jointly defined success metrics.
• •Identify opportunities to deepen relationships or, where impact and alignment diminish, responsibly sunset partnerships.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• •Serve as the primary bridge between internal teams and partner organizations, translating vision into execution.
• •Lead cross-functional workstreams such as tech validations, research collaborations, go-to-market pilots, and joint marketing activities that deliver measurable value.
• •Promote knowledge sharing and playbooks for partnership management across SVG and the broader WGU system.

Measurement and Reporting

• •Establish partnership success metrics and dashboards to assess reach, impact, and return on investment.
• •Leverage insights to refine partnership strategy, report outcomes to senior leadership and the Board, and contribute to the annual enterprise strategy review.

External Engagement and Representation

• •Represent WGU at major industry events, conferences, and consortia related to education, workforce, and technology innovation.
• •Position WGU as a trusted collaborator and thought leader in the talent economy ecosystem.

Leadership and Team Development

• •Lead and mentor a small, high-performing team fostering collaboration, curiosity, and excellence.
• •Model cross-functional leadership, influence without authority, and build capacity for partnership management across the SVG function.
• •Coach and empower team members to take ownership of partnership initiatives, manage complex workstreams, and deliver measurable results.

Qualifications

• •Solid understanding of workforce trends and the interplay between education, technology, and labor markets.
• •Familiarity and experience working with solution providers in the talent economy including education and learning, workforce management, and GenAI.
• •Strategic thinker with the ability to see connections across entities and initiatives and translate them into actionable partnerships.
• •Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills, capable of engaging diverse audiences from executives to external stakeholders.
• •Strong negotiation, contract structuring, and project management skills.
• •Highly data-driven, organized, and comfortable working in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
• •Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation.

Education

• •Bachelor's degree required; equivalent relevant experience may substitute.

Experience

• •7+ years of professional experience in strategic partnerships, corporate development, product management, or innovation strategy.
• •3+ years leading a team in a direct management role or complex cross-functional project lead role.
• •Proven experience managing complex cross-sector relationships and delivering measurable results through multi-stakeholder collaboration.
• •Demonstrated success building and managing partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, venture-backed startups, or innovation labs.
• •Experience negotiating and executing multi-party agreements such as MOUs, joint initiatives, or sponsored research partnerships.
• •Proven ability to translate organizational goals into partnership strategies that deliver measurable outcomes including funding, pilots, and co-development projects.
• •Familiarity with innovative philanthropic funds including corporate venture capital, startup accelerators, and research commercialization.
• •Experience working in or alongside academic institutions or mission-driven organizations.

Preferred Qualifications

• •Strategic partnership experience in higher education, edtech, workforce development, corporate learning, or mission-driven sectors.