Manager, Software Engineer Student LifeCycle Services

Western Governors University

Salt Lake City, UT, United StatesFull-timePosted Nov 2, 2026

About the role

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 714

Job Description

Job Profile Summary:

The Software Engineering Manager will provide technical leadership, vision, direction, and mentoring for the software engineering team. This individual will manage a team of personnel who design, develop, and support applications to meet business requirements. The Software Engineering Manager will deliver product and feature roadmaps and provide overall leadership and day to day management for a team of software development professionals. Additionally, they will provide resource planning and project scheduling using Agile/Scrum software development methodologies.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities: Meets business needs by managing the activities of developers consistently delivering quality solutions on-time, within budget, and scope. Work with internal customers to gather business processes and project requirements. Actively drives the development life cycle from requirements analysis, feasibility estimates, design, code, documentation, testing, implementation, and support. Developing project plans, resource planning, scheduling, and managing development timelines. Building and managing multi-disciplined software teams and overseeing the development processes using industry best practices. Responsible for design reviews, code reviews, and mentoring the software development team. Support a change management process to manage software releases, application patching and changes to production configurations. Manage multiple tasks and responsibilities in high-pressure environments; excelling at pinpointing and resolving problems in early project stages to avoid cost/time expenses. Oversight and management of department expenses and budget planning. Performs other related duties as assigned. Knowledge, Skill and Abilities: Strong people and management skills to interact with staff, colleagues, cross-functional teams and third parties. They must have a commitment to quality through the ability to translate complex technical requirements into functional software using best practices. Expert in Agile methods including SCRUM and TDD. Experience in application architecture and making rational build / buy / interface decisions. Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work equally well in self-managed and team-based Agile/Scrum projects. Deep technical knowledge of Java based web applications using web services (REST/SOAP/SOA/XML/HTML). Competencies: Organizational Impact: Manages a team that focuses on executing the operational plans for the job area with measurable contribution to the achievement of results of the department, function, or office. Assigns and distributes work. Compiles data to prepare budgets. Problem Solving and Decision Making: Responsible for making moderate improvements of processes or systems to enhance performance of the job area. Assignments received and problems faced are broad and undefined, and occasionally require use of analytical concepts, investigation, and knowledge from prior experience. Communication and Influence: Communicates within job area and occasionally with external groups. External facing professionals (i.e. Admissions) communicate more regularly with external groups on routine matters. Ensures compliance with university policies and procedures within job area and may influence others outside of job area to justify and gain cooperation for policies, practices, and procedures. Leadership and Talent Management: Manages/Supervises a team of professionals. Manages the work of assigned employees and/or supervisors who generally exercise some latitude and independence in their assignments. Ensures proper training of team members, and participates in hiring, firing, and promotion decisions. Conducts performance reviews and may recommend salary reviews. May complete assignments that are technical in manner in addition to supervising others. Job Qualifications: Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field or equivalent. 5+ years of Enterprise level Java Application development with experience both as a hands-on programmer and software development manager. Requires broad management knowledge to lead the department. Generally, has advanced level knowledge and skills within a specific technical or professional discipline with understanding of the impact of work on other areas of the University. Preferred Qualifications: Master of Science Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or related field. Other Technical Experience That Would be a Plus Oracle or other database interface experience NetBeans Subversion Jira. IDM / OSSO Student Information Systems. CRM systems Manager Software Engineering Document Management systems Application Integration with legacy systems 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

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.

Responsibilities

  • Lead, mentor, and manage a team of software development professionals.
  • Guide application development from requirements and design through testing, implementation, and support.
  • Plan product roadmaps, project schedules, team resources, and development budgets.
  • Oversee code and design reviews, software releases, and production changes.
  • Collaborate with internal customers and cross-functional teams to deliver quality solutions on time and within scope.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
  • At least 5 years of enterprise Java application development experience, including hands-on programming and software development management.
  • Broad management knowledge and advanced expertise in a technical or professional discipline.
  • Strong knowledge of Java web applications, web services, and Agile/Scrum and TDD practices.
  • Experience with application architecture and build, buy, and integration decisions.
  • Strong leadership, communication, planning, and problem-solving skills.
  • Willingness to travel occasionally, up to 20%.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, vision, telehealth, and mental healthcare coverage
  • Health savings and flexible spending accounts
  • Life, disability, accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity coverage
  • Retirement savings plan
  • Flexible paid time off and paid sick time
  • 11 paid holidays and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave
  • Wellbeing program and discounted WGU tuition
  • Bonus eligibility

Skills mentioned

JavaBackend DevelopmentREST APIsAPI IntegrationSystem DesignSQLOracle DatabaseHTMLSoftware TestingTest-Driven Development

About Western Governors University

Western Governors University (WGU) is a pioneering online university committed to providing accessible, affordable, and career-focused education for students worldwide. Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors, WGU is designed to meet the needs of modern learners, offering competency-based programs that empower students to advance their careers at their own pace. With over 300,000 graduates, WGU is recognized as a leader in online education, offering accredited bachelor's and master's degree programs in business, IT, teaching, and healthcare. Our innovative learning model focuses on real-world skills, personalized mentorship, and flexibility, making higher education achievable for working professionals and those balancing education with other life commitments. At WGU, we are transforming lives through education, bridging the skills gap, and creating pathways to opportunity in high-demand industries. Join a university where success is measured by your potential—not just your grades. 📚 Learn more about us: www.wgu.college 🌟 Ready to shape your future? Explore our programs today!

Higher Education51-200 employeesMaryland, Funkstown

H-1B sponsorship history

Historical employer filing data was found for Western Governors University. The employer record includes 91 historical certified applications. This is employer-level history, not a guarantee that this role currently offers sponsorship.