Senior Manager, SWE Student Life Cycle Products

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: Management Technical 715

Pay Range: $170,400.00 - $281,200.00

Job Description

The Senior Manager, Software Engineer role leads engineers on product development and integration teams. They will provide vision, training, technical standards, and direction to engineers who are required to know multiple languages for front-end, back-end, qa and cloud engineering responsibilities. They will work closely with leadership to strengthen a culture of collaboration and innovation within highly effective teams. They will contribute to cross-functional teams as a lead engineer mentoring or pairing with team members in technical and development tasks.

 

Software Engineering Manager

Western Governors University

Transform Education Through Technology

Western Governors University is revolutionizing higher education by making quality degrees accessible to working adults nationwide. As a Software Engineering Manager, you'll lead the teams building the platforms that empower over 150,000 students to change their lives through education.

The Opportunity

You'll lead a high-performing engineering team that directly impacts how students learn, how faculty teach, and how WGU scales its mission. This isn't about maintaining legacy systems—it's about architecting the future of competency-based education technology.

What You'll Do:

Lead with Purpose

• Put students first in every decision—deliver projects on time and on budget while maintaining operational excellence (low incident rates, fast recovery times)
• Build and inspire a team of 6-12 talented engineers, providing training, technical standards, and meaningful career guidance through 1:1s and performance management
• Own the full people lifecycle—hiring decisions, performance reviews, salary recommendations, corrective and reinforcing feedback, and when necessary, difficult personnel decisions
• Develop your people—grow engineers from mid-level to senior, understand development paths, and accurately convey both accomplishments and areas for growth

Drive Technical Excellence

• Establish technical vision by collaborating with leadership, designers, and subject matter experts to analyze trade-offs between usability and performance
• Ensure 24x7 operational stability—defect-free releases, accessibility (ADA compliance), scalability, and secure handling of student data in compliance with applicable laws
• Improve processes at the team level—challenge the status quo, identify beneficial innovations, and share learnings across the organization
• Navigate complexity—from implementation plans to risk mitigation, technical debt to quality drivers

Deliver Results

• Plan and execute with precision—track progress at the task/team level, maintain project plans within team capabilities, and escalate with data when needed
• Manage resources strategically—ensure the right skill sets are on your team and coordinate releases across multiple areas
• Identify and mitigate risks early—escalate to the right people at the right time with clear communication and reasonable mitigation strategies
• Balance competing priorities with the right sense of urgency, always keeping student impact in mind

Collaborate and Communicate

• Build trust through concise, accurate communication across multiple mediums—email, presentations, status updates, escalations
• Work cross-functionally with product, design, academic teams, and other engineering groups to deliver student-first solutions
• Drive effective decision-making in collaborations—share knowledge, reconcile conflicting goals, and find win-win solutions
• Demonstrate emotional intelligence—active listening, empathy, and the ability to respond (not react) in challenging situations

Manage Finances Responsibly

• Plan budgets for travel, training, employee recognition, and headcount needs during annual planning cycles
• Execute within budget—track contractor hours, create SOWs and purchase orders, analyze invoices, and report weekly work allocations

What Makes You a Great Fit

You're a technical leader who's been in the trenches. You've built software at a senior level or beyond—you understand what great engineering looks like because you've done it yourself. You can review architecture, debug production issues, and jump into technical discussions with credibility.

You understand your leadership style and apply it effectively. You know how to give feedback that lands, maintain high team engagement, and adapt your approach to different situations and individuals.

You balance pragmatism with vision. You know when to refactor and when to ship, when to adopt new tech and when to leverage what works. You're a self-starter with a bias for action, but you never compromise on security or stability.

You have the courage to do what's right. You don't hide bad news—you escalate issues with excellent judgment, involving the right people with the right communication at the right time.

You've been there before:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent relevant work experience)
• 10+ years of software engineering experience, including senior-level technical work
• 2+ years leading engineering teams (5+ years preferred)
• Experience building web-based applications, integrating systems, and working with databases
• Knowledge of software development processes, SDLC practices, and higher education technology
• Track record of delivering complex projects in deadline-driven environments
• Demonstrated ability to understand business needs and execute on strategy
• Master's degree is a plus

Why WGU?

Mission-driven work - Every line of code helps someone earn a degree who might not otherwise have the opportunity. Everything we do starts with our students.

Real autonomy - We trust our teams to make decisions and own their domains. We operate at all levels and never say "that's not my job."

Work-life balance - Remote-first culture with flexible schedules and generous PTO

Growth mindset - Professional development budget, conference attendance, and internal mobility. We value continuous learning and innovation.

Competitive compensation - Market-rate salary, comprehensive benefits, 401k match, and tuition coverage for you and your family

The Details

Travel: Occasional travel up to 20%, including 1-2 company summits per year, plus conferences and business meetings as needed.

Tech philosophy: We work across the spectrum and value engineers who can learn and adapt over those who know every framework. If you've been a strong senior engineer, you can ramp up on our stack.

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you're excited about leading teams that build technology serving a higher purpose, let's talk.

Western Governors University is an equal opportunity employer committed to building diverse teams. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

 

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.