Program Director - College of Creative Arts and Media, Online Programs

The College of Creative Arts and Media at West Virginia University is seeking an experienced and innovative Program Director for Online Programs to lead the development, marketing, and management of its growing portfolio of online graduate programs, including master's degrees in Data Marketing Communications, Digital Marketing Communications, Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC), Game Design, and Music Business and Industry.

About the Opportunity

The role includes oversight of courses in the undergraduate bachelor's degree in IMC, as well as undergraduate minors in Advertising, Entertainment Media, Event Planning, Health Promotion, Journalism, Public Relations, Sport Communication, and Strategic Social Media. This role will require a unique blend of curriculum expertise and marketing acumen to ensure that our practitioner-focused programs remain aligned with industry trends while meeting the needs of prospective students. The Program Director will be responsible for both maintaining high-quality educational standards and driving recruitment and enrollment through strategic marketing efforts. This role is ideal for a professional who excels in both curriculum design and marketing strategy, with a passion for driving program growth by ensuring academic excellence and aligning course offerings with the needs of today's students and industry professionals. This position reports to the Assistant Dean of Online Programs.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

Curriculum Management & Course Development

• Align Curriculum with Industry Standards: Ensure that all program curricula are consistently updated to reflect current industry practices, trends, and emerging technologies. Maintain strong connections with industry professionals and advisory boards to keep course content relevant and valuable to students pursuing real-world career opportunities.
• Implement standardized processes for curriculum review and development, ensuring the continuous improvement of all online programs.
• Curriculum Mapping and Strategic Planning: Develop and maintain detailed curriculum maps to visualize and guide the educational pathways of each online program, helping prospective students understand how the skills they acquire will meet industry demands.
• Prioritize the continuous improvement of course materials by incorporating the latest industry tools, methodologies, and technologies into the curriculum.
• Lead the instructor course review process, gathering and analyzing feedback from both instructors and students. Implement necessary updates each term and communicate these changes to close the feedback loop.
• Lead the course development process for all online programs, ensuring alignment with sound instructional design principles and Quality Matters (QM) standards.
• Manage the course development lifecycle, from contracting with developers and setting expectations to reviewing final materials and processing compensation.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts, instructional designers, and multimedia specialists to create engaging, intuitive course materials that meet industry demands and enhance the student learning experience.
• Oversee textbook and resource selection, ensuring materials are current and aligned with both academic and industry standards. Manage textbook schedules, updates, and related communications.
• Other duties as assigned by the Assistant Dean of Online Programs.

Marketing, Recruitment & Enrollment Leadership

• Develop Marketing Strategies: Oversee marketing staff in the creation and execution of comprehensive marketing and communications strategies for online programs, with a particular focus on aligning program benefits with student needs and industry demands. This includes identifying unique selling points of each program and effectively communicating how students will gain practical, in-demand skills.
• Drive Recruitment: Oversee recruitment staff to achieve established enrollment goals. Design and implement student recruitment initiatives across multiple channels, including digital advertising (search engine marketing, email campaigns, and social media), industry conferences, student career fairs, and partnerships with relevant organizations. Target these initiatives to showcase the real-world applicability and career advancement potential of the programs.
• Student-Centric Messaging: Support message development that highlights how the practitioner-focused curriculum prepares students for immediate success in their chosen fields, making it easier to attract and engage prospective students who are looking for career-ready programs.
• Measure and Optimize Marketing Efforts: Regularly assess the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and recruitment activities by tracking key performance metrics (e.g., enrollment numbers, lead generation, application rates). Continuously refine strategies to improve outreach and enrollment results.

Online Instructor Support

• Serve as in-course point of contact for all online instructor course management activities, ensuring faculty are supported in delivering high-quality, engaging instruction.
• Collaborate with instructors to ensure that course content aligns with the latest industry practices, helping students develop competitive, market-relevant skills.

• Master's degree in Marketing, Communications, or a related field.
  
• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in the following:
  
  
  
  • Managing online course curriculum.
  • IMC, PR, advertising or related strategic communications experience.
  
  
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Superior Communication Skills: Exceptional speaking, writing, and editing skills, including proficiency in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and journalistic style.
• Marketing Expertise: Demonstrated experience in developing and executing strategic marketing plans for student recruitment, with a focus on aligning program benefits with student and industry needs.
• Project and Personnel Management: Proven ability to manage complex projects, meet overlapping deadlines, and lead cross-functional teams.
• Strong personnel management skills, particularly in faculty and instructor support.
• Pedagogy Expertise: Well-versed in educational pedagogy and instructional design, with the ability to oversee the development of curriculum aligned with industry trends and student needs.
• Curriculum Development and Online Teaching: Demonstrated experience in developing and managing online curricula, with a focus on maintaining academic standards and incorporating emerging industry practices. Experience in online teaching is required.
• Independent Judgment and Initiative: Ability to exercise a high degree of independent judgment and personal initiative to identify problems, manage complex programs, and execute projects with competing deadlines.
• Adaptability to Institutional Policies: Strong ability to learn and adhere to institution, college, and program-specific policies and procedures, ensuring compliance while working autonomously.
• Organizational and Time Management Skills: Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to juggle multiple projects, manage requests, meet deadlines, and ensure smooth operations across all program areas.
• Interpersonal and Relationship Management: Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including faculty, staff, administrators, vendors, and the general public, handling situations diplomatically and professionally.
• Attention to Detail: Strong attention to detail in all aspects of program management, curriculum oversight, and marketing communications.
• Stress Management: Ability to function professionally under deadlines and during high-pressure or confrontational situations, ensuring a calm and solution-oriented approach.
• Team Leadership and Motivation: Demonstrated ability to motivate teams and instructors to set goals, achieve results, and meet project deadlines.
• Travel and Availability: Willingness and ability to travel to campus and off-campus (including occasional out-of-state) locations as necessary. Ability to work evenings and weekends as required.
• Technological Proficiency: Strong computer skills, including advanced knowledge of Blackboard-based course delivery platforms and other learning management systems (LMS). Familiarity with new instructional technologies and digital tools used in online learning environments.
• Entrepreneurial Teamwork: Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of an entrepreneurial, fast-paced, and collaborative team focused on driving program growth and student success.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Online course development/online teaching experience
• Demonstrated success managing others remotely
• Online course instruction/teaching experience is a plus.

West Virginia University is a place of purpose and community. We take pride in our profound impact on the state of West Virginia and are committed to the personal and professional growth of our employees.

From the groundbreaking R1 research at our flagship campus in Morgantown to the career-oriented programs at WVU Potomac State in Keyser, and the technology-intensive programs at WVU Tech in Beckley, the contributions of WVU employees resonate across the state, touching lives and shaping futures.

At WVU, you will discover a supportive community that champions work-life balance and fosters a collaborative atmosphere. Our core values - service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation - unite us as Mountaineers.

We are dedicated to creating an inclusive and engaging working environment and actively seek candidates who bring diverse ideas, approaches and experiences.

Join us at West Virginia University, where your work will make a lasting impact. To learn more about WVU, visit wvu.edu.

West Virginia University is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and received an NSF ADVANCE award for gender equity. We value diversity among our faculty, staff and students and invite applications from all qualified applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, nationality, genetics, disability, or Veteran status.