Elmwood Institute harnesses the power of technology as a driving force for positive global transformation. Our programs cultivate forward-thinking professionals equipped to apply technical expertise and entrepreneurial mindsets to solve complex challenges, lead innovative ventures, and drive meaningful change in communities worldwide.

Our programs provide students with market-relevant skills that position graduates for success across diverse industries and entrepreneurial pathways. Delivered entirely online through intensive experiences  while maintaining the academic rigor and practical application essential for career readiness.

Through our accessible yet challenging curriculum, learners develop both the technical proficiency and creative problem-solving abilities needed to thrive as ethical innovators and leaders in today’s rapidly evolving global landscape.

The Director of Learner Experience & Success is the operational backbone of Elmwood Institute’s learner journey. You’ll own the end-to-end learner experience from enrollment through graduation, ensuring every operational touchpoint—payments, onboarding, support, engagement, and completion—runs seamlessly. This is a hands-on, cross-functional role for someone who thrives on data-driven decision-making, solving complex operational challenges, building systems that scale, and creating a culture of accountability and urgency. This role has a direct influence on the quality, scale, and outcomes that learners achieve.

What You’ll Do

Oversee the Full Learner Lifecycle

• Leverage data to design, implement, and continuously improve operational processes for the complete learner journey—from application and enrollment through graduation– to ensure the institute achieves its mission to learners  
• Serve as the single point of accountability for learner experience operations, identifying and resolving friction points before they become problems
• Partner with Finance to ensure smooth payment processing, billing clarity, and resolution of financial holds or issues
• Lead learner onboarding operations, ensuring every cohort launches successfully with clear expectations and strong support systems

Drive Cross-Functional Excellence

• Coordinate across all functional  groups (learning, finance, HR, technology) to deliver integrated experiences
• Serve as Frontier’s primary operational liaison with Frontier’s strategic partners, managing dependencies on shared LMS, CRM and SIS systems and partnering closely with partner engineering team to ensure student-facing and faculty-facing systems meet our needs
• Navigate a matrixed environment where critical infrastructure is owned by a partner organization—building strong relationships, communicating requirements clearly, and escalating issues effectively
• Translate student experience needs into clear technical requirements and partner with engineering to implement solutions or workarounds when system limitations arise

Build Systems & Culture

• Create project plans, dashboards, and operational cadences that keep complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives on track
• Anticipate operational stumbling blocks and proactively design solutions—you’re always three steps ahead
• Establish metrics, dashboards, and accountability mechanisms that make performance visible and drive continuous improvement
• Foster a culture of urgency, ownership, and learner-centricity across all teams you work with

Problem-Solve in Real Time

• Serve as the escalation point for operational challenges affecting students, diagnosing root causes and implementing fixes
• Make sound decisions quickly when issues arise, balancing student needs with institutional sustainability
• Document and systematize solutions to prevent recurring problems

What You Bring

Required

• 8-10+ years of experience in data architecture, operations, program management, or student services in higher education or EdTech
• Bachelor’s Degree
• Proven track record of managing complex, technical, cross-functional operations with multiple stakeholders
• Exceptional project management skills—you can build detailed plans, anticipate dependencies, and drive execution
• Natural problem-solver who spots issues before they escalate and designs elegant solutions
• Strong bias for action and ability to work with urgency without sacrificing quality
• Experience building accountability systems, data streams and culture in fast-paced environments
• Excellent communication skills—you can influence without authority and build trust across teams

Preferred

• Experience with online/distance learning operations
• Background working in startup or high-growth environments where you’ve built systems from scratch
• Experience with student information systems, LMS platforms, and operational technology

Who Thrives in This Role

You’re someone who:

• Gets energized by operational complexity and finds joy in making things run smoothly
• Takes ownership of problems even when they’re outside your direct control
• Can toggle between strategic thinking and hands-on execution without missing a beat
• Builds trust quickly and can rally teams around shared goals
• Operates with urgency but doesn’t create chaos—you’re calm under pressure
• Genuinely cares about student success and sees operations as the foundation for it
• Who can work across time zones. We are a global company and you will have colleagues and stakeholders across the world.  Flexibility is key!

Target annual compensation for this role is $125-150k USD for candidates in the US.  Global candidates are encouraged to apply, and compensation will be location-based and aligned to local market benchmark.

Elmwood Institute is an independent, DEAC-accredited university making accessible, rigorous education possible globally. This is a mission-driven organization in a pivotal growth phase—your operational excellence will directly enable students to transform their lives through education.