Senior Manager – Program Experience Research

Senior Manager – Program Experience Research

Requirements

• Advanced knowledge of qualitative research methodologies and their application in higher education.
• Proven ability to lead complex research projects that drive institutional strategy and program-level decisions.
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills, with a demonstrated ability to build a collaborative, research-oriented team culture.
• Proficiency in research project management, including planning, execution, and evaluation.
• Experience managing day-to-day research operations and developing processes for quality assurance and impact measurement.
• Ability to synthesize findings and clearly communicate them to both technical and non-technical audiences, including senior leadership.
• Strategic thinking with a track record of designing research to address institutional priorities and improve student outcomes.
• Skilled in stakeholder engagement, consensus building, and influencing cross-functional decision-making.
• Comfortable bridging analytical language from IAR with the operational needs of academic and program teams.
• Knowledge of higher education compliance, accreditation, and regulatory standards.
• Familiarity with adult learning theory, instructional design principles, and competency-based education models.
• Experience working with LMS platforms, educational technologies, and learning assessment tools.
• Ability to promote innovation, maintain high ethical standards, and create structures that support research rigor and institutional impact.
• Ph.D. in Education, Research Methods, or a related field.
• 7 years in educational research, program evaluation, or institutional research.
• 3 years leading and managing research teams.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder research initiatives.
• Proven success translating research into operational or strategic recommendations.
• Strong record of publishing research findings and presenting to varied audiences.
• Experience administering research programs and overseeing research compliance.

Responsibilities

• Develops and implements strategic plans for qualitative program experience research initiatives, ensuring alignment with institutional goals.
• Manages research team operations, including staffing, budgeting, timelines, and tool administration.
• Leads the design and execution of complex qualitative research studies to evaluate student learning, assessment quality, and curriculum effectiveness.
• Oversees a diverse portfolio of research projects with a focus on quality, timeliness, and strategic impact.
• Identifies opportunities to apply research insights to program and assessment design, operational improvements, and institutional decision-making.
• Guides the team to analyze educational challenges and develop evidence-based, data-informed solutions.
• Partners closely with Institutional Analytics & Research (IAR) to define Program Development’s quantitative data needs and ensure collaborative support.
• Translates IAR’s quantitative findings into operational recommendations and integrates those with qualitative insights to provide holistic guidance.
• Leads the communication and socialization of research findings across Program Development and other institutional partners.
• Builds and maintains effective communication channels with stakeholders to create strong institutional awareness of ongoing research efforts.
• Ensures qualitative methodologies are applied effectively to determine the quality of educational content and assessments and surface areas for improvement.
• Monitors trends in adult learning, assessment, and online education to drive innovation and continuous improvement in research approaches.
• Develops and enforces research policies that support compliance with regulatory standards and institutional expectations.
• Represents Program Development’s research function in external forums and contributes thought leadership to the field.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Preferred Qualifications

• Post-doctoral research experience in Education, Research Methods, or a related field.
• Experience leading research in online or hybrid education environments.
• Successful track record managing research grants or externally funded projects.
• Experience conducting large-scale educational program evaluations.
• Recognized thought leadership or influence in the educational research community.
• Experience presenting at national conferences or publishing in peer-reviewed journals.