Achievement Wallet Strategy & Ecosystem Principal

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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:

Job Description

Western Governors University (WGU) is seeking a strategic and mission-driven leader to serve as the Achievement Wallet Strategy & Ecosystem Principal. This role leads the university-wide strategy, external partnerships, funding, and national positioning for WGU's Achievement Wallet, a learner-owned, AI-powered record of verified skills, credentials, and experiences.

The Achievement Wallet Strategy & Ecosystem Principal Achievement is central to WGU's work-based learning and skills-first education model. It supports the integration of education and employment into a unified student profile that enables students to apply verified learning in real-world contexts. As WGU expands flexible pathways, modular credentials, and workforce-aligned learning, the Wallet serves as the backbone of skills visibility and career relevance.

The Achievement Wallet Strategy & Ecosystem Principal is responsible for the Wallet's strategic direction, cross-functional alignment, and national ecosystem influence. This role partners closely with teams across student experience, academic programs, product development, and workforce partnerships to ensure the Wallet supports core institutional priorities. They define strategic guardrails and leads coordination at the institutional and national ecosystem levels.

Institutional Strategy and Execution

• Leads the multi-year roadmap for the Achievement Wallet, aligned with the organization's mission and student outcomes such as access, progress, credential attainment, and workforce relevance.
• Defines strategic priorities, adoption goals, and success metrics that guide Wallet alignment with institutional strategy.
• Partners with product and student experience leaders to ensure coordinated execution and reporting.
• Provides briefings and strategic updates to executive leadership on progress, risks, and external opportunities.

Student Value and Career Integration

• Sets the strategic vision for how the Wallet enables credit mobility, job relevance, and personalized credential pathways.
• Guides the development of AI-powered capabilities that connect verified skills to in-demand careers.
• Tracks and reports Wallet on adoption, engagement, and student impact at the institutional level in collaboration with operational teams.

Cross-Functional Integration

• Serves as the strategic point of alignment across academic leadership, data teams, workforce partnerships, and product strategy.
• Aligns Wallet capabilities with flexible pathways, including onramps, modular credentials, and stackable learning.
• Supports integration of work-based learning and verified workplace skills into the student profile.
• Defines governance and strategic alignment frameworks in partnership with implementation teams.

Ecosystem Growth and National Leadership

• Leads partnerships with employers, workforce systems, talent platforms, and peer institutions to expand the recognition and use of Wallet-verified credentials.
• Delivers external integrations and collaborations that extend the reach, portability, and interoperability of the organization's credentials.
• Represents the organization in national coalitions and standards-setting bodies advancing Learning and Employment Records (LERs), digital credential frameworks, and skills-based hiring practices.
• Positions the organization as a thought leader in learner-owned digital records and skills-first education through publications, convenings, and public forums.
• Pursues partnerships that directly increase student opportunity, including employer discovery, verified skills recognition, and transfer articulation.

Funding, Policy, and Innovation Leadership

• Leads the funding strategy across philanthropic, public, and private sources, to support Wallet development, research, and scale.
• Secures multi-year grants or strategic partnerships to support the next phase of Wallet adoption and ecosystem expansion.
• Manages active grant initiatives and ensure alignment with institutional priorities and funder requirements.
• Influences policy and ecosystem frameworks that position the organization as a national leader in student-owned, workforce-aligned credentialing.
• Performs other related duties as assigned

This job description includes a general representation of job requirements rather than a comprehensive inventory of all required responsibilities or work activities. The contents of this document or related job requirements may change at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Expertise in digital credentialing, skills-based hiring, LERs, and AI applications in education or career navigation.
• Proven ability to secure and manage grants, partnerships, and large-scale collaborations.
• Strong cross-functional leadership, systems thinking, and communication skills.

• 10 years of experience in higher education innovation, workforce strategy, digital credentials, or ecosystem leadership.
• Demonstrated success leading national or enterprise initiatives with measurable outcomes.
• Experience working in matrixed environments with clear ownership boundaries and shared accountability.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Position & Application Details

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.