Senior Educational Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Educational Product Designer

Company: Western Governors University

Location: Salt Lake City, UT, United States

Job Type: Full time

Category: Product Design / Educational Technology

Date Posted: 2026-07-30

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (3-5 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic design and development of innovative competency-based higher education programs, focusing on learner value and business sustainability.

• Drive user-centric design processes, leveraging design thinking and systems thinking to translate complex student and business needs into effective learning pathways.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including program development, academic affairs, and operations, to ensure seamless program integration and successful student outcomes.

• Champion best practices in educational product design, emphasizing social mobility, equity, and industry relevance to enhance the overall value proposition for learners.

• Act as a thought leader in emerging techniques for competency-based education, contributing to the continuous improvement and evolution of WGU's educational offerings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role of Senior Educational Product Designer at Western Governors University (WGU) is positioned within the intersection of Product Design, User Experience (UX), and Educational Technology. Given WGU's competency-based education (CBE) model, this role is heavily focused on operationalizing educational strategies into scalable, efficient, and effective learning products. The "Senior" title implies a leadership capacity, requiring not just design execution but also strategic thinking, facilitation of complex projects, and mentorship. The emphasis on "systems thinking" and "enterprise-wide impact" suggests a need for a candidate who can see the bigger picture and understand how program design decisions affect various operational facets of the university, from student enrollment and engagement to curriculum delivery and financial sustainability. This is not just about designing courses, but about designing the entire educational product ecosystem.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end design of competency-based education (CBE) programs, ensuring alignment with student needs, industry expectations, and WGU's mission.

• Facilitate design thinking workshops and product