Western Governors University

Staff Software Product Manager - Communications Engineering

Western Governors University$161K — $249K *
Telecommunications & Hardware
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience
  • 8 years as a Software Product Manager or Product Owner in technical settings
  • 3 years experience in communications engineering or omnichannel platforms
  • Strong background in building omnichannel solutions across various channels
  • Proven expertise in conversational AI, particularly with chatbots and AI-driven messaging
  • Deep understanding of software architecture and cloud systems
  • Ability to define and adjust success metrics based on data insights

Responsibilities

  • Define and drive the product vision and roadmap for omnichannel communication
  • Collaborate with engineering and business stakeholders for platform design
  • Lead strategy for conversational AI capabilities and chatbot experiences
  • Build business cases and measure impact of product initiatives
  • Balance competing priorities and align customer and business objectives
  • Influence and lead cross-functional teams without authority
  • Mentor product managers and enhance product practices across the organization

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Telehealth and mental healthcare options
  • Health savings and flexible spending accounts
  • Life insurance and disability coverage
  • Retirement savings plan
  • Discounted tuition for WGU courses
  • Flexible paid time off with no accrual needed
  • Paid sick time without accrual
  • 11 paid holidays and additional paid leave options including parental leave
Full Job Description
Job Description

Join WGU at a transformational moment as we build a new communications engineering capability that will redefine how students engage with the university. In this high-impact role, you will lead product strategy for communication orchestration across multiple channels, bringing clarity, governance, and innovation to a fragmented ecosystem. You will operate at the intersection of product, architecture, and engineering to shape scalable, user-centered solutions that directly improve the student experience.

This is a greenfield opportunity with enterprise-wide visibility. You will partner across teams to unify communication platforms, reduce noise, and introduce thoughtful, data-driven engagement powered by modern architecture and conversational AI.

What You'll Do
  • Define and drive the product vision and roadmap for communication orchestration across channels including SMS, email, push notifications, portal experiences, and voice
  • Partner with engineering, architecture, and business stakeholders to design scalable, secure, and reliable communication platforms
  • Lead the strategy and evolution of conversational AI capabilities, including chatbot experiences and AI-driven engagement solutions
  • Build business cases, define success metrics, and measure the impact of product initiatives to continuously improve outcomes
  • Balance competing priorities and make high-stakes trade-offs to align customer needs with business objectives
  • Serve as a cross-functional leader who influences without authority and aligns stakeholders across complex systems and dependencies
  • Mentor other product managers and contribute to strengthening product practices across the organization
What You'll Bring
  • Bachelor's degree
  • 8 years of experience as a Software Product Manager or Product Owner in highly technical environments
  • Minimum 3 years of experience in communications engineering and/or omnichannel communication platforms
  • Strong experience building or managing omnichannel communication solutions across channels such as SMS, email, push, or voice
  • Demonstrated experience with conversational AI, including building or owning chatbot or AI-driven messaging products
  • Deep understanding of software architecture principles including service-oriented architecture and cloud-based systems
  • Proven ability to define success metrics, execute against them, and adjust based on data-driven insights
Bonus Points
  • Experience working in SaaS companies that build communication platforms for enterprise customers such as Braze, Airship, Salesforce, or Oracle
  • Familiarity with customer identity, consent management, and multi-system data orchestration
  • Experience with platforms like NICE Systems or similar conversational AI leaders


Experience in Lieu of Education

Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for degree requirements. Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as one year of experience for one year of education and is at the discretion of the hiring manager.

At WGU, our mission drives everything we do, including how we hire. Our interview experience is designed to give qualified candidates the opportunity to show their best work through meaningful conversations and collaboration.

We thoughtfully review every application and invite forward the candidates whose experience and potential best align with the role and our mission.
  • Introductory call
  • Hiring manager interview
  • Technical interview
  • Panel interview


This is a full-time, in-office position requiring five days per week in our Salt Lake City, UT office, designed to foster the collaboration and connection that fuel our best work.

While we welcome applicants from all backgrounds, WGU is not able to provide visa sponsorship for this role.

#LI-ONESS

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.

About Western Governors University

Western Governors University (WGU) is a private, nonprofit online university based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The university was founded by 19 U.S. governors in 1997 with a mission to expand access to higher education. WGU offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, and healthcare. The university is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and has been recognized by the White House as an example of excellence in education innovation. WGU has a competency-based learning model, which allows students to progress through their coursework at their own pace based on their mastery of the material.
Learn more about Western Governors University
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5,000 employees
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