Academic Program Manager

About the Organization

We are a dedicated education organization focused on delivering exceptional academic programs through effective curriculum development, academic oversight, student success facilitation, faculty partnerships, innovation, and ongoing enhancement.

Our collaborative, distributed teams coordinate across various domains including Academic Affairs, Faculty, Student Services, Admissions, Quality Assurance, Accreditation, Learning & Development, Technology, Finance, Marketing, Industry Partners, Regulators, and Executive Leadership to ensure academic initiatives meet institutional goals along with evolving academic and market demands.

Job Overview

The Academic Program Manager will oversee the full spectrum of academic program activities including planning, creation, execution, evaluation, and continuous advancement. This role demands a blend of academic expertise and operational insight to govern program management, ensure curriculum quality, engage stakeholders, optimize student experiences, and make data-informed decisions.

Key Duties

• Design and execute academic program strategies that align with institutional priorities, maintain academic standards, address student requirements, and meet industry benchmarks.
• Oversee the lifecycle of academic programs from conception and curriculum planning through delivery, assessment, regular review, and renewal phases.
• Ensure curricular development maintains rigorous academic quality, relevance, structured design, and clearly defined learning outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with academic leaders, faculty, subject experts, instructional designers, and external partners to refine and expand curricula.
• Maintain compliance with educational regulations, accreditation criteria, qualification frameworks, and institutional policies.
• Coordinate approvals, academic evaluations, accreditation procedures, and regulatory filings as necessary.
• Create and update program documentation including specifications, course structures, learning outcomes, assessments, academic calendars, and other relevant materials.
• Supervise academic delivery to guarantee consistency with approved curricula and academic quality standards.
• Manage faculty allocation encompassing planning, course assignments, scheduling, resource provision, and fulfillment of delivery requirements.
• Partner with Human Resources to identify staffing needs, support recruitment, onboarding, professional development, and performance oversight of faculty.
• Track student metrics such as enrollment, progression, retention, graduation rates, academic results, and overall outcomes.
• Analyze performance data to identify and address academic or operational challenges affecting student engagement or success.
• Work with Student Services and academic teams to enhance student support systems and achieve higher retention and success rates.
• Develop and implement improvement initiatives utilizing feedback from students and faculty, assessment results, market intelligence, and performance analysis.
• Define and track academic program Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) including enrollment, retention, progression, completion, student satisfaction, quality, and graduate success.
• Perform systematic program reviews and benchmarking against peer institutions and leading educational programs.
• Research and adopt emerging academic disciplines, teaching techniques, technological tools, industry and workforce trends.
• Identify new academic program opportunities including specializations, certifications, executive education, online and blended options.
• Conduct market and competitor analyses to gauge demand for current and proposed academic offerings.
• Collaborate in preparing business cases for new academic programs with Finance, Strategy, Marketing, and Executive leaders.
• Support budgetary planning, resource forecasting, financial management, and cost controls for academic programs.
• Partner with Marketing and Admissions to position programs effectively and meet recruitment goals.
• Ensure accuracy and transparency of program information provided to prospective students.
• Manage academic partnerships with universities, professional bodies, industry, research institutions, and other external educational providers.
• Oversee relationships with external partners including consultants, accreditation agencies, experts, and service vendors.
• Support international collaboration initiatives such as articulation agreements, exchange programs, joint degrees, and cooperative academic ventures.
• Implement quality assurance measures covering curriculum, instruction, assessment, student feedback, integrity, and program effectiveness.
• Monitor assessment quality, moderation, grading consistency, and address academic integrity issues such as plagiarism or misconduct.
• Organize academic governance through committees, program boards, review sessions, and consultations amongst stakeholders.
• Prepare comprehensive reports, analyses, agendas, and recommendations to support academic program governance and decision-making.
• Maintain extensive program records spanning approvals, accreditation, curricula, faculty data, student results, reviews, and improvement plans.
• Confirm that academic systems including learning management, student information, and digital tools adequately support program delivery.
• Evaluate and adopt innovative educational technologies, AI applications, simulation tools, and digital learning approaches.
• Promote inclusive, accessible, student-focused, and technology-enhanced learning experiences.
• Drive continuous quality improvement initiatives aiming to enhance student outcomes, academic excellence, operational effectiveness, and program competitiveness.

Performance Metrics

• Student enrollment and growth trends
• Retention and progression rates
• Graduation and completion percentages
• Student satisfaction and academic achievements
• Graduate outcomes and placement successes
• Faculty performance and course feedback
• Timeliness and completeness of curriculum reviews
• Accreditation and regulatory compliance
• Program financial performance including profitability and cost efficiencies
• Initiation and success of new programs
• Student engagement levels and academic integrity adherence
• Implementation of quality improvement measures and industry collaborations

Candidate Profile and Qualifications

• Extensive experience in managing academic programs, curriculum design, academic administration, or higher education management.
• Working knowledge of academic governance systems and principles relevant to program management.
• Demonstrated expertise in curriculum development, evaluation, and enhancement.
• Familiarity with academic quality assurance, accreditation standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience collaborating with faculty, leadership, students, and external stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of student lifecycle management and analysis of academic performance.
• Proficiency in generating academic reports, program reviews, business cases, and performance metrics dashboards.
• Data-driven decision-making with strong analytical and organizational capabilities.
• Experience with educational technology platforms like learning management systems and student information systems.
• Knowledge of online, blended, and technology-supported learning environments is desirable.
• Excellent project and stakeholder management skills alongside strong communication and facilitation abilities.
• Capacity to manage multiple programs and priorities effectively, especially within a fully remote work context.
• Insight into education sector trends and workforce demands.
• Highly organized, collaborative, student-centered, with a results-driven approach.
• Academic credentials: Relevant degree in Education, Academic Administration, Business, Management, or similar field; Master's degree or higher preferred.
• Experience with accreditation, quality assurance, or regulatory processes favorable.
• Working experience within the UAE or wider GCC education sector is a significant advantage.