Director of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning bei Webster University

The Director for Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning is responsible for the strategic planning, development, implementation/execution, and evaluation of Webster University’s continuing education and lifelong learning programs, ensuring they align with the university’s mission and meet the educational needs of diverse learners.  This role will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to enhance program offerings, drive enrollment, and maintain high-quality standards.  Additionally, this role will focus on expanding corporate training and cohorts, developing high-demand workforce programs, fostering strong partnerships with local industries and community organizations.  The Director will possess a strong understanding of workforce trends, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the community and employers.  The Director reports to the Sr. Vice President for Strategic Enrollment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities*

Supervision/Operational Oversight/Compliance – 15%

• Responsible for leading, supervising and mentoring full-time and part-time staff including all hiring, performance evaluations, disciplinary actions, professional development, and training.
• Direct the daily operations of Continuing Education & Lifelong Learning, including registration, student services, and administrative support.
• Provide oversight and direction to adjunct faculty to develop and teach continuing education and lifelong programs.
• Administers functional contract proposals and committees; manages the select and deployment of contracts. Negotiate contracts and memoranda of agreements (MOAs) with internal and external clients and service providers.
• Ensure all programs and operations meet institutional, state, and regulatory standards.
• Develop and implement timely and purposeful monitoring programs to include both quantitative and qualitative measures (benchmarks, volumes, summaries, outcomes, satisfaction levels, etc.) to measure instructor qualifications, training design and delivery, adequacy of facilities and tools and transfer of skills to the workplace.

Strategic Leadership/Relationship Management – 25%

• Provides visionary leadership to Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning, aligning programs with the university’s strategic goals and the evolving needs of adult learnings, professionals, corporations, and students.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with academic departments, community leaders, and industry partners to identify needs and expand program relevance.
• Engages with internal and external stakeholders to identify emerging trends and opportunities for new program development.
• Cultivates relationships with the St. Louis region’s business community, governmental agencies, NGOs, professional associations, advisory committees, and nonprofits to promote and build demand for Webster’s continuing education and lifelong learning programs. This will expand to the other U.S. locations, including but not limited to Webster’s metro locations (San Antonio, TX).  Additionally, this will expand to Webster’s International campuses.
• Represents Continuing Education and LifeLong Learning at university events, conferences, and in professional organizations to enhance the visibility and reputation of Webster University’s continuing education programs.
• Oversees the collection, compilation, and analysis of data and the preparation of a variety of complex reports, statements, and communications.
• Develop, oversee, and grow partnerships with community-based organizations.

Program and Curriculum Development – 30%

• In collaboration with colleges and schools, oversees the design, development, and implementation of continuing education and lifelong learning programs, including certificates, micro-credentials, and non-credit courses.
• Provides oversight for corporate engagement to develop workforce ready programming including non-credit and credit-bearing credentials. This will involve collaborating with colleges/schools and academic affairs to ensure academic integrity.
• Ensures that programs are market-driven, innovative, and responsive to the needs of the community and demands of the market.
• Coordinate with Webster University’s Online Learning Center and the Faculty Development Center to ensure courses and programs can be delivered in the most efficient, high values manner

Budget and Fiscal Management – 15%

• Administer departmental budgets, manage revenue and expenses, and ensure the financial viability of programs.
• Identifies and pursues grants and other funding opportunities to support the expansion and sustainability of continuing education and workforce development initiatives.
• Ensure the sustainability of continuing education and lifelong learning courses/programs through revenue generation (e.g., course registration, partnerships, subscription services, licensing agreements, etc.) and external sponsorship.

Marketing and Outreach – 15%

• Collaborates with marketing teams to develop and execute strategies to promote continuing education programs, increase enrollment, and expand the reach of the university’s offerings.
• Oversees learner engagement, recruitment, intake, orientation, and enrollment. Collects and analyzes a variety of information relating to continued enrollment in continuing education programs.
• Conduct regular market research and needs assessments to identify courses/programs that meet the continuing education and lifelong learning needs of target audiences.

Secondary Duties and Responsibilities*

• Participate in community events that may include but are not limited to fairs, tradeshows, career expos, or special seasonal events as a representative of the university.
• Participate in university committees as needed.

*Any one position may not include all the duties listed, nor do the examples necessarily include all of the duties performed.

Days M-F 8:30a-4:30p with occasional evening and weekend coverage.  This position is approved for on-site flexible work arrangement as offered in Webster University’s Flexible and/or Remote Work Arrangements policy.