Program Manager, Persistence Operations

Program Manager, Persistence Operations

Are you passionate about student success and persistence? Do you excel at systems thinking and translating data, research, and cross-functional insight into scalable solutions? Then apply today for this Program Manager, Persistence Operations opportunity!

ASU EdPlus is a dynamic unit of Arizona State University focused on the design and scalable delivery of digital teaching and learning models to increase student success and reduce barriers to achievement in higher education. We advance the economic, social, cultural, and overall health of the local, national, and international communities served by ASU.

We are seeking a Program Manager, Persistence Operations, to join our Operations team. Every day you will make a difference in the lives of others by leading the execution, integration, and continuous improvement of initiatives that drive early-term student success and persistence across ASU Online.

You will operationalize persistence as a coordinated, data-informed system focused on influencing student behaviors, reducing early attrition risk, and improving continuation, from pre-enrollment through the first term. You will operate through extensive collaboration across EdPlus teams and broader ASU partners, aligning efforts, identifying opportunities, and ensuring work is collectively driven toward measurable student success outcomes.

You will identify and drive interventions across the early student journey—including, but not limited to, onboarding experiences such as orientation and ASU 101—to improve measurable student outcomes. You will translate data, research, and cross-functional insight into scalable solutions that increase retention, reduce drop/withdrawal, and strengthen student momentum.

NOTE: This is an in-person, hybrid position. Must be able to reliably commute to Scottsdale AZ.

Essential Duties

• Drive persistence strategy and execution
• Define and operationalize key persistence priorities across the early student lifecycle.
• Identify and address primary drivers of early attrition (e.g., course intensity, lack of engagement, unclear expectations).
• Design and implement interventions that improve continuation and reduce drop/withdrawal rates.
• Align persistence efforts with institutional goals and priorities.
• Contribute to pilot programs and scaled initiatives focused on improving retention outcomes.

• Own persistence data, insights, and performance tracking
• Defining and monitoring key persistence indicators:
• Orientation → course start conversion
• Week 1 engagement
• Early assignment submission
• Drop/withdrawal patterns
• Partner with Action Lab and analytics teams to identify risk signals and predictive indicators.
• Regularly analyze and synthesize data across multiple initiatives impacting student success.
• Connect early-term behaviors to downstream outcomes (retention, progression, completion).
• Translate data into actionable recommendations and interventions.
• Share insights proactively with stakeholders to inform decision-making.
• Move beyond participation metrics to outcome-driven performance measurement.

• Design and implement behavior-driven student success interventions
• Design experiences and touchpoints that drive critical student behaviors (e.g., early login, assignment submission, help-seeking).
• Apply behaviorally informed design (nudges, timing, sequencing) to influence student decision-making.
• Reduce friction and cognitive overload at key student decision points.
• Test and iterate on interventions using data and experimentation.
• Prioritize high-impact actions over content-heavy approaches.

• Identify and address systemic gaps impacting persistence
• Identify breakdowns across the student journey that contribute to attrition.
• Evaluate misalignment across academic, support, and onboarding experiences.
• Recommend structural, design, or process changes to improve student outcomes.
• Differentiate between quick wins and larger strategic opportunities.
• Elevate insights and recommendations to leadership with clear impact and tradeoffs.

• Lead cross-functional alignment around persistence outcomes
• Partner with EdPlus teams (Enrollment, Student Success, Instructional Design, Marketing, Technology, Action Lab) and ASU stakeholders.
• Align multiple groups toward shared persistence and early-term success goals.
• Ensure clarity of roles, responsibilities, and ownership across initiatives.
• Drive coordination across teams to ensure initiatives move forward effectively.
• Facilitate conversations to address risks, dependencies, and competing priorities.
• Maintain visibility on progress and ensure work is advancing toward defined success measures.
• Support shared accountability for student outcomes without directly owning all implementation.

• Integrate onboarding as a targeted persistence lever
• Position onboarding (e.g., orientation, ASU 101) as one component of a broader persistence strategy.
• Ensure onboarding experiences are designed to drive key early-term behaviors.
• Identify gaps, redundancies, or misalignment within onboarding experiences that impact persistence.
• Align onboarding touchpoints with critical early-term milestones.
• Ensure onboarding contributes to readiness, clarity, and early momentum.

• Improve systems, workflows, and scalability of persistence efforts
• Streamline processes that support persistence initiatives.
• Reduce reliance on manual tracking and disconnected tools.
• Partner with technology and data teams to improve systems integration.
• Recommend scalable solutions that support long-term growth.
• Retire low-impact or duplicative processes.

• Lead persistence-focused communication strategies
• Establish regular communication cadences across stakeholders to share updates, insights, and progress.
• Translate data and insights into clear, actionable updates for cross-functional teams and leadership.
• Develop targeted communications that drive critical student actions.
• Ensure messaging reduces confusion and supports decision-making at key moments.
• Align communications across teams to reinforce consistent expectations.
• Refine messaging continuously based on performance data and student feedback.

Assume or coordinate other duties or projects as assigned or directed.

NOTE: This is an in-person, hybrid position. You must be able to reliably commute to Scottsdale AZ.

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a related field.
• Demonstrated strong ability to connect strategy to execution in complex, cross-functional environments.
• Experience with student success, persistence initiatives, or higher education operations.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret data and translate insights into actionable interventions.
• Evidence of systems thinking to identify root causes across interconnected experiences.
• Demonstrated strong operational ownership and ability to manage ambiguity.
• Experience influencing without direct authority across multiple stakeholders.
• Demonstrated strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Evidence of familiarity with digital learning environments (e.g., Canvas) and student systems.

NOTE: Please answer the following questions in your cover letter:

• Describe a time you used data to identify a problem in a student-facing (or customer-facing) experience and then led a cross-functional effort to address it. What was the outcome, and how did you measure success?
• This role requires influencing outcomes across multiple teams without owning all the work directly. Tell us about a time you drove alignment and accountability across stakeholders who had competing priorities. What was your approach, and what did you learn?

Salary & Benefits

$67,000 – 86,900 per year; DOE

ASU offers a total compensation package that includes valuable employee benefits. See the ASU Benefits website to explore options.

• Healthcare
• Financial Security
• Retirement
• Family Resources
• Tuition Reduction (eligible ASU Employee, their dependents and spouse)
• Discounts

Working Environment

Your desk will be in the beautiful, cutting-edge, and collaborative workspace at SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center. The Center houses a diverse business community that links technology,