Assistant Vice Provost, Distance Learning

Job Summary:

The Assistant Vice Provost for Distance Learning leads recruitment and partnerships for RPIs distance-learning and professional education operation and along with and in support of leadership sets and helps set the strategy for growing its enrollment revenue and market position of the unit. The position carries executive responsibility for the institutions partnership with its Online Program Enablement (OPE) supplier(s) holding the supplier(s) accountable to contracted enrollment objectives service levels and key performance indicators across the graduate degree graduate certificate undergraduate bachelors completion and continuing education portfolios among others. The Assistant Vice Provost supports leadership in managing the portfolios operating budget and the net revenue contribution of the portfolio oversees the business-to-business (B2B) employer partnership operation that anchors current enrollment and directs the build-out of a structured continuing education business across multiple audience tracks. The position supports curricular initiatives for distance learning by the academic deans as well as work as a colleague to marketing financial aid information technology and career and professional development offices and represents and other RPI distance learning facets to corporate partners county and government partners and institutional leadership.

Founded in 1824 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is the first technological research university in the United States. We bring creativity science and technology together to address societys greatest cultivate exceptional problem-solvers by immersing them in a culture of rigorous inquiry disciplined practice and hands-on application. Our strategic plan RPI Forward charts a pioneering course for the next era of RPI. Explore the RPI Forward plan.

Nestled on a beautiful 275-acre campus in upstate NY RPI is home tofive schools 32 research centers three makerspaces an observatory one of the worlds fastest supercomputers and the IBM Quantum System One - the first university-based quantum computer in the world.

With top notch employee health and retirement benefits RPI offers its full-time employees a generous paid time off program tuition remission and opportunities for career growth.

• Masters degree in online or professional education enrollment management or a related higher education or education services field.
• Eight or more years of related experience.
• Minimum of five (5) years of supervisory experience leading professional staff and managing strategic initiatives.
• Demonstrated success managing a major vendor OPM/OPE or outsourced-services relationship against contracted performance targets or equivalent experience inside an online program management organization.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing enrollment or revenue growth strategies that achieve stated goals.

Relevant combinations of education training and experience may be considered.

• Knowledge of online and professional education markets including OPM/OPE service models fee-for-service and revenue-share economics and the regulatory environment for online program partnerships.
• Knowledge of enrollment management principles across marketing recruitment admission retention and student success for adult and post-traditional learners.
• Strong contract management and vendor governance skills including KPI design service-level enforcement and performance remediation.
• Strong budget development fiscal management and financial modeling skills including cohort-based enrollment projection and net revenue analysis.
• Demonstrated business development and negotiation skills with corporate government and institutional partners.
• Demonstrated expertise in data analytics and reporting to support executive decision-making and proficiency with CRM platforms student information systems and business intelligence tools.
• Strong leadership and personnel management skills with the ability to recruit develop mentor and evaluate staff.
• Ability to lead organizational change and manage competing priorities in a new and rapidly evolving business unit.
• Excellent strategic planning project management and organizational skills.
• Exceptional written verbal and presentation communication skills with the ability to influence negotiate and build consensus across diverse constituencies.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment in handling sensitive student partner and institutional information.
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive learner-centered environment and promoting continuous improvement through innovation and data-informed practices.

• Experience at an R1 science and technology institution or with STEM-focused professional education portfolios.
• Direct experience negotiating or administering an OPM/OPE contract on the institutional side including a supplier transition or launch.
• Experience building or scaling a continuing education executive education or corporate training business.
• Experience with employer tuition-benefit programs and B2B enrollment channels.
• Experience with Slate CRM and Banner student information systems.

1. OPE Partnership Management and Enrollment Performance

• Serve as the institutional owner of the OPE supplier relationship directing implementation of the OPE contract from transition and onboarding through steady-state operation.
• Hold the OPE supplier accountable to contracted enrollment objectives lead-generation and conversion targets service-level agreements and key performance indicators for each program line; chair the joint governance and performance-review cadence.
• Oversee the Year 1 supplier diagnostic and the translation of indicative enrollment and revenue ranges into committed contractual targets for degrees certificates the bachelors completion program and continuing education.
• Direct the marketing recruitment and enrollment funnel operated with the supplier ensuring Slate remains the system of record and that funnel instrumentation attribution and reporting meet institutional data governance standards.
• Manage contract compliance including the fee-for-service pricing structure data protection and breach notification provisions and coordination requirements with the Division of the Chief Information Officer.
• Prepare and present supplier performance reports and corrective-action recommendations to the Vice Provost and institutional leadership.

2. Budget and Financial Oversight

• Develop manage and be accountable for the distance learning portfolios including operating budget including supplier fees instructional costs marketing spend and staffing.
• Steward the net revenue contribution of the distance learning portfolio monitoring net revenue per enrolled student by program line and recommending pricing discount and investment decisions.
• Build multi-year financial models and enrollment projections that separate new from continuing enrollment track cohorts individually and distinguish expected cases from stretch cases; ensure enrollment models are validated before net tuition revenue is committed in institutional plans.
• Oversee financial reporting for external partnership funds including county and employer payments and ensure delivery obligations are matched to funded capacity.

3. B2B and Employer Partnership Operations

• Provide executive oversight of the employer-sponsored enrollment operation including relationships with anchor aerospace defense and industrial employers and their tuition benefit programs.
• Lead a deliberate diversification strategy that reduces concentration risk in a small number of sponsoring employers while protecting and growing those anchor relationships.
• Direct business development for custom corporate training and cohort-based programs extending existing B2B partnerships into structured continuing education engagements.
• Oversee government county and community college partnerships that feed the portfolio including transfer pathway agreements supporting the bachelors completion program and serve as the accountable distance learning executive for partner-facing commitments and reporting.
• Negotiate implement and monitor memoranda of understanding articulation agreements and corporate education agreements in coordination with procurement and general counsel.

4. Program Portfolio and Continuing Education Growth

• Manage the distance learning program portfolio across graduate degrees graduate certificates the undergraduate bachelors completion program and continuing education recommending program launches rationalization and pricing reviews on defined triggers.
• Direct the build-out of the continuing education business across its defined program types (non-credit microcredentials credit-bearing individual courses open-enrollment executive education and custom corporate training) and audience tracks with distinct go-to-market plans per track.
• Oversee the free short-course gateway layer as a top-of-funnel acquisition tactic ensuring it is instrumented in the CRM and measured for conversion into paid offerings.
• Partner with academic deans and faculty on program development instructional capacity and quality standards for online delivery.
• Coordinate with alumni relations to activate the alumni base as a continuing education audience and referral channel.

5. Data Systems and Compliance

• Ensure the integrity of enrollment data across the CRM and student information system and direct the analytics dashboards and KPI reporting used to manage supplier performance and portfolio health.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulations governing distance education including state authorization and reciprocity requirements. This position carries no Designated School Official (DSO) or Title IV administration responsibilities.
• Maintain institutional data governance standards in all supplier operations including breach notification and data handling provisions of the OPE contract.

6. Leadership and Institutional Collaboration

• Build supervise and develop the distance learning staff including partnership directors and program and operations personnel.
• Establish clear operating models with campus partners (enrollment management career and professional development information technology institutional advancement financial aid and the academic schools) so that delivery responsibilities are defined funded and staffed before commitments are made.
• Along with the Dean overseeing distance learning represent RPIs distance learning portfolio to institutional leadership external partners and professional associations and contribute to institutional strategy for distance and professional education.

7. Other Duties

• Perform other duties as assigned in support of departmental and institutional objectives.

Business Hours with weekends or evenings occasionally required

Occasional overnight travel may be required(10% or less)

Driving a personal vehicle for non-passenger use

Expected hiring range: $170000 - $210000

Pay transparency disclosure: The selected candidates salary will be determined based on factors that include the available budget internal equity and the final candidates qualifications experience education and other job-related credentials. This hiring range is provided as RPIs good faith estimate of the expected hiring range at the time of posting.

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Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

RPIs Total Compensation Program is designed to provide stable pay growth a comprehensive and affordable benefits package and a comprehensive and affordable retiree medical and prescription plan. Our goal is to provide you and your family with a comprehensive health and welfare program as an umbrella of financial security and protection during your employment. For more information please visit Benefits Human Resources ().

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is committed to the cultivation of a community that is welcoming inclusive and above all values learning. We welcome candidates who bring a variety of perspectives to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institutes work and campus communities. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sex sexual orientation or gender identity national origin disability status protected veteran status or other characteristic protected by law.

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Required Experience:

Junior IC