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:
Pay Range: $97,100.00 – $145,600.00
Job Description
About the Role:
The Senior Assessment Strategist plays a pivotal role in establishing strategy for WGU Academy’s competency-based assessment technologies and practice across all colleges and programs. This individual will be a recognized leader among stakeholders across the University to ensure that all pre-degree assessments meet the goals of the corresponding program, partner, and/or stakeholders, and that assessment best practices are followed. The Senior Assessment Strategist is a cross-departmental spokesperson for the WGU Academy Product Design and Development department’s assessment practices and a key systems designer of WGU’s technology and business practices for competency-based, skills-infused, high integrity assessment of student competence. This individual will maintain relationships with designers, evaluators, course advisors, data analysts, and research scientists to maximize the value of assessment reports and dashboards to inform product design strategies and may recommend changes to process and policy. This individual will work with student experience colleagues to continuously improve the student assessment experience while ensuring that the WGU assessment program is respected internally and externally for its quality and integrity. This Strategist stays current with nationally recognized competency-based, skills-focused, AI-driven assessment technology, practices, and research. This individual is a primary liaison and advocate for the user experience to WGU Academy’s technology teams for establishing standards and requirements for assessment technology needs and platforms.
Location: This position requires you to work in office 4 days a week at the WGU headquarters: 4001 South 700 East Salt Lake City, UT 84107.
What You’ll Do:
- Promote a consistent strategy for assessment development across all pre-degree products
- Determine strategic initiatives that support projected growth and direct the implementation of new products, technologies, and systems that support effective and innovative practices
- Provide thought leadership, vision, and advocacy for assessment strategy, for continuous improvement of student outcomes and for the overall health and quality of assessments across WGU Academy
- Collaborate with the technology and design and development teams to translate assessment needs into technology requirements and defined specifications to ensure the creation and adoption of flexible, valid, reliable, data-driven assessment tools
- Create detailed design documentation of assessments and related development systems
- Create and provide regular training, consultation, and guidance to team members and partners on assessment models, assessment policy and strategy, technology and tools, and data-driven, evidence-based practices in assessment
- Collaborate with WGU Program Development and psychometrics team, and various WGU Academy stakeholders on user experience testing, validity studies, scoring methods, rubric development, and other assessment tools, models, and issues
- Collaborate with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to decide on innovations and improvements to both the student assessment experience and the employee assessment creation experience, based on data, key performance indicators, current practice, and emerging trends
- Proactively establish and maintain collaborative relationships with leaders across Academy to promote the improvement and advancement of a pre-degree assessment strategy
- Monitor assessment development program health across the assessment lifecycle
- Communicate solutions to stakeholders in a manner that simplifies complexity and generates excitement
- Produce timely, consistent, and accurate reports for stakeholders and executives
- Trains and mentors others
- Leads special projects as assigned
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities You’ll Need to be Successful:
- Advanced technical knowledge of high-stakes assessment strategy and management practices
- Advanced ability to proactively and creatively solve problems related to assessment strategy and technology
- Advanced understanding of teaching and learning, educational trends and research
- Advanced skill in providing technical training in person, remotely, and asynchronously as well as persuasively explaining complex assessment policy and best practices to a lay audience
- Ability to lead through influence in a highly matrixed organization
- Ability to build relationships and influence at all levels and across all functions
- Advanced ability to be an agent of change in a rapidly changing environment
- Proven ability to analyze data to identify trends and drive innovative process improvement
- Excellent organizational and project management skills, including the ability to effectively handle multiple tasks and pay attention to detail
- Sound judgement and decision-making skills
- Proven leadership skills
- Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, collaborative communication style, mission-orientation
Minimum Requirements:
- Master’s degree in related field
- Demonstrated experience with process development and implementation
- At least three years of experience developing educational or related assessments
- A self-starter who can jump in quickly without a lot of direction, and learn by asking the right questions
- Excellent organizational and communication skills
- Experience with three or more of the following: adaptive assessment, direct assessment, competency-based assessment, AI-driven assessment, skills-focused assessment,
- Experience designing, selecting, and implementing assessment technology solutions and systems at scale
- Relentless attention to quality and evangelistic passion about new, high-impact, engaging, and valid assessment tools and techniques
Preferred Requirements:
- Earned doctorate in related field
- Demonstrated understanding of the higher education environment
- Demonstrated success with change management, particularly stabilizing and structuring diffuse and ambiguous situations
- Experience with program and assessment design and ability to explain how design thinking can apply to assessment practice
- Experience in higher education or educational publishing
Working Conditions
- Travel up to 15-20% for university business
#LI-AE1
#LI-Onsite
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.
