Manager, Software Engineer Student LifeCycle Services

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:

Job Description

Why WGU?

At Western Governors University, our mission is simple: change lives through education. Every day, millions of learners seek opportunities to improve their careers, support their families, and achieve goals they once thought were out of reach. Technology is at the center of making that possible.

We're looking for engineering leaders who want their work to have meaningful impact at scale. If you're excited about building high-performing teams, solving challenging technical problems, and creating products that improve educational access and outcomes, WGU offers an opportunity to combine technical excellence with a purpose-driven mission.

As a Software Engineering Manager, you'll help shape the systems, teams, and engineering culture that power one of the most innovative universities in the country.

What You'll Do

As a Software Engineering Manager, you'll lead one or more engineering teams, typically spanning 5-15 software engineers. You'll partner closely with Product, Program Management, Architecture, and other technology leaders to deliver impactful solutions while building a strong engineering organization.

Lead and Grow Exceptional Teams

You will create an environment where engineers can do the best work of their careers.

• Hire, develop, coach, and retain high-performing engineers.
• Provide meaningful feedback through regular coaching, performance conversations, and career development planning.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative culture that encourages innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Identify and develop future technical and people leaders.
• Partner in talent planning, succession discussions, and organizational growth initiatives.

Deliver Valuable Outcomes

You will be responsible for helping your teams turn strategy into results.

• Partner with Product and Program Management to define priorities, roadmaps, and execution plans.
• Drive predictable, high-quality delivery while balancing speed, quality, and technical sustainability.
• Remove obstacles, manage risks, and help teams navigate ambiguity.
• Use data and engineering metrics to guide decisions and improve team effectiveness.
• Communicate progress, dependencies, and challenges clearly to stakeholders at all levels.

Drive Technical Excellence

You will provide technical leadership without needing to be the primary individual contributor.

• Guide architectural discussions and help teams make sound technical decisions.
• Champion modern engineering practices, operational excellence, security, accessibility, and system reliability.
• Support scalable, maintainable solutions that can meet the evolving needs of students and university operations.
• Help teams balance innovation, technical debt, and long-term platform health.
• Participate in technical reviews and contribute your expertise when needed.

Own Operational and Financial Success

You will help ensure the long-term health of both your systems and your organization.

• Drive service reliability and continuous improvement across engineering operations.
• Lead incident response efforts and support blameless root-cause analysis.
• Manage staffing, vendor relationships, contractor engagements, and budget-related activities.
• Balance business value and fiscal responsibility, always keeping student outcomes at the center of decisions.

What We're Looking For

Proven People Leadership

You have experience leading engineers, building strong teams, and helping individuals grow in their careers. You understand how to motivate diverse personalities, manage performance effectively, and create an environment where people thrive.

Technical Depth and Credibility

You have a strong software engineering background and can engage confidently in architecture, design, and technical strategy discussions. You know what high-quality engineering looks like because you've built and delivered software yourself.

Strong Execution Skills

You can translate broad objectives into clear plans and measurable outcomes. You excel at balancing competing priorities, managing risk, and delivering value through empowered teams.

Ownership and Accountability

You proactively identify opportunities for improvement and take action. You communicate openly, address challenges directly, and create accountability within your teams.

Sound Judgment

You make thoughtful decisions in complex, ambiguous situations. You know when to dive deep, when to delegate, and when to escalate.

Collaboration and Influence

You build strong partnerships across Engineering, Product, Program Management, and business stakeholders. You lead through influence, trust, and credibility rather than relying solely on authority.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering
• Strong software engineering foundation with significant hands-on development experience.
• Experience leading software engineers through project delivery and career development.
• Demonstrated ability to drive execution across complex initiatives.
• Experience working in agile software development environments.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience leading engineering teams in enterprise-scale environments.
• Knowledge of modern application architecture, distributed systems, and cloud-based technologies
• Experience driving operational excellence, reliability, accessibility, and security initiatives.

• Preferred
• Familiarity with higher education, EdTech, or mission-driven organizations.
• Salesforce Experience

What Will Make You Stand Out

We're excited to hear stories of impact, including:

• Building and retaining high-performing engineering teams.
• Coaching engineers into senior or leadership positions.
• Turning around struggling projects or teams.
• Delivering measurable improvements in reliability, scalability, or customer experience.
• Reducing costs while improving product quality and performance.
• Influencing outcomes across organizations without direct authority.
• Solving complex technical and organizational challenges in ambiguous environments.

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.

Position & Application Details

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.