Program Director, Advanced Manufacturing Technology

DeVry University strives to close our society’s opportunity gap and address emerging talent needs by preparing learners to thrive in careers shaped by continuous technological change. Through innovative programs, relevant partnerships, and exceptional care, we empower students to meaningfully improve their lives, communities, and workplaces.

Our colleague experience is an area of obsessive focus. At DeVry University, we care about you. Because, only through you can we deliver our unique Care Formula to our learners and partners.

Opportunity

DeVry University strives to close our society’s opportunity gap by preparing learners to thrive in careers shaped by continuous technological change. Through innovative programs, relevant partnerships, and exceptional care, we empower students to meaningfully improve their lives, communities, and workplaces.

The Program Director, Advanced Manufacturing Technology, will lead the development and launch of employer-informed technical education programs in advanced manufacturing. Working across Product and Academics, this role translates industry requirements into differentiated academic programs, identifies delivery and investment needs, and coordinates academic and product readiness for launch.

The position provides discipline-level leadership and accountability for the Advanced Manufacturing Technology program from initial development through sustainable academic operations. During program build and launch, the role will operate within Product in close partnership with Academics. Once the program is established, the position may transition to Academics and assume ongoing leadership of a faculty team, instructional quality, academic operations, and program performance, consistent with institutional academic governance and approval requirements.

Responsibilities
Employer engagement and program strategy

• Establish and maintain a structured process for engaging employers and industry stakeholders to identify required competencies, knowledge, skills, abilities, and employment outcomes.
• Develop relationships with employers and industry partners that could support program co-design, applied learning opportunities, industry-recognized credentials, or pathways to employment.
• Use employer feedback, labor-market demand, competitive intelligence, and recognized industry competency frameworks to inform program direction and differentiation.
• Collaborate with Product, Academics, and other stakeholders to develop and maintain a discipline-specific program roadmap and recommendations.

Program and curriculum development

• Partner with academic and curriculum teams to translate employer requirements into program outcomes, curriculum architecture, course sequencing, and applied learning experiences.
• Identify opportunities to differentiate DeVry's programs through emerging technologies, simulation, industry partnerships, innovative hands-on learning models, integration of digital technologies, and more.
• Ensure proposed programs reflect relevant industry standards, appropriate academic requirements, and measurable student learning and employment outcomes.
• Coordinate input from faculty, academic leaders, and industry partners to maintain program relevance and quality.
  
  
  

Investment and delivery planning

• Develop recommendations and funding requirements for labs, equipment, tools, technology, facilities, instructional resources, and external delivery partnerships.
• Evaluate delivery options that expand learner access, support hands-on skill development, improve the student experience, and create efficient, scalable operations.
• Partner with Finance and operational teams to evaluate program costs, investments, and implementation requirements.

Program operations, resource stewardship, and performance

· Provide accountable discipline-level leadership for operational readiness and sustained delivery, including instructional scheduling coordination, lab and equipment utilization, safety-related instructional requirements, and issue resolution with relevant operational partners.

· Develop and monitor program-level operating plans, resource needs, and budget recommendations; partner with Finance and academic leadership to manage approved resources, evaluate cost-to-deliver, and identify opportunities for quality, access, and operational efficiency.

· Demonstrated ability to lead faculty or technical instructional teams, manage academic delivery, and drive measurable program quality and student outcomes.

· Experience with program-level resource planning, budget stewardship, operational improvement, and coordination of facilities or lab-based instruction.

· Own discipline-specific performance improvement recommendations and execution within delegated authority, escalating material investment, regulatory, or strategic decisions to appropriate institutional leaders.

· Lead the transition from product launch to academic operations, including documented handoffs, faculty management readiness, operating procedures, performance measures, and continuity of employer relationships.

Launch and cross-functional execution

• Lead the discipline-specific academic and product workstreams of the go-to-market project, coordinating with Academics, Product, Regulatory Affairs, Marketing, Enrollment, Finance, and other teams.
• Monitor program design, approval, readiness, and launch milestones; identify dependencies, risks, and decisions requiring leadership attention.
• Support launch readiness and early program review, using employer and learner feedback to recommend improvements to quality, relevance, and outcomes.

Discipline-specific responsibilities

• Apply knowledge of advanced manufacturing technologies, industrial operations, automation, and related technician competencies to program design and employer engagement.
• Evaluate relevant manufacturing competency frameworks, applied laboratory requirements, and industry-recognized credentials when developing program recommendations.

Academic leadership and faculty management

• Following program establishment and transition to Academics, lead and manage assigned advanced manufacturing faculty, including hiring input, onboarding, performance evaluation, coaching, development, workload planning, and accountability for instructional effectiveness in partnership with academic leadership.
• Provide discipline-level academic direction for course delivery, faculty readiness, instructional consistency, assessment practices, and continuous curriculum improvement, operating within established faculty governance and academic policies.
• Partner with academic leaders to establish faculty qualifications, instructional staffing plans, lab supervision requirements, and professional development priorities aligned with evolving manufacturing technologies and industry standards.
• Oversee ongoing program reviews and improvement plans using student learning, retention, completion, employer feedback, and graduate outcome measures, in coordination with institutional data owners and academic leadership.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in advanced manufacturing, industrial technology, automation, or a closely related technical field.
• Experience developing, launching, or substantially improving technical, career and technical education, or workforce-aligned academic programs.
• Ability to translate employer competency requirements into curriculum and practical learning experiences.
• Working knowledge of program approval processes, academic collaboration, and the operational requirements of hands-on technical education.

• Demonstrated ability to lead faculty or technical instructional teams, manage academic delivery, and drive measurable program quality and student outcomes.
• Experience with program-level resource planning, budget stewardship, operational improvement, and coordination of facilities or lab-based instruction.

• Experience collaborating with employers and cross-functional stakeholders on complex program initiatives.
• Strong project leadership, analytical, communication, and relationship-building skills; ability to advance multiple initiatives across academic and business functions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with manufacturing employers, industry associations, and recognized technical competency frameworks.
• Experience planning labs, equipment, faculty or instructor needs, and hybrid or technology-enabled technical instruction.
• Prior program director, academic leadership, or comparable technical workforce program leadership experience.

This position is eligible for an annual incentive bonus.

*This job will be posted for 30 days from the posting date.

DeVry University offers benefit options for full-time colleagues, including:

• 401k with up to 6% company match
• Tuition assistance and career development opportunities
• Remote & hybrid opportunities
• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision, and mental health)
• FSA/HSA options, disability & life insurance

Benefits vary based on employment status.

We believe that a vibrant and collaborative workplace is essential to our educational mission and the success of our community. We are committed to a workplace environment where all colleagues feel valued, respected, and supported.