The Opportunity

Purdue University Global is entering an exciting new phase in delivering student success, workforce alignment, and innovation at scale online. To meet this moment, Purdue Global seeks a visionary, collaborative, and execution-oriented leader to serve as its next Chief Academic Officer and Senior Vice President (CAO).

Reporting directly to the CEO and serving as second-in-command in a collaborative leadership team, this role offers a rare combination of enterprise-wide influence and operational leadership. The CAO will lead the academic enterprise of a large, complex online university serving tens of thousands of working adult learners across the country and around the world.

This is a role for a leader energized by building and evolving systems that deliver outcomes, not just access, at scale. The next CAO will help define what high-quality, workforce-aligned, technology-enabled education looks like for the modern adult learner.

At its core, this opportunity sits at the intersection of:

• Scale and personalization – delivering individualized student success in a high-volume environment

• Innovation and rigor – advancing AI-enabled learning while maintaining academic quality and accreditation standards

• Strategy and execution – translating vision into measurable outcomes across a complex organization

For the right leader, this is a chance to shape not only an institution, but the future of online higher education.

Position Summary

The Chief Academic Officer serves as the senior academic leader of Purdue University Global and a key member of the executive leadership team.

In close partnership with the CEO, the CAO will:

• Provide strategic leadership across all academic programs and operations

• Oversee Deans, academic leadership, and student success units

• Drive innovation in curriculum and delivery models, including AI-enabled learning

• Ensure academic quality, accreditation, and regulatory compliance

This role operates at the intersection of academic strategy, student success, and institutional transformation—helping define the future of online higher education.

First-Year Priorities

• Translate institutional strategy into a clear academic roadmap with defined milestones

• Strengthen student success outcomes through data-driven interventions

• Evaluate and evolve the academic portfolio to ensure workforce alignment

• Advance AI-integrated and technology-enabled learning models

• Strengthen alignment across academics, enrollment, and student support functions

• Enhance faculty recruitment, development, and performance frameworks

• Enhance coordination and collaboration with Purdue University and other institutions and partners

Key Responsibilities

Executive Leadership & Strategy

• Serve as a strategic partner to the CEO

• Translate institutional vision into academic strategy and execution

• Foster collaboration across academics, enrollment, and operations

• Academic Operations & Curriculum

• Provide executive oversight of all academic schools and Deans

• Lead development of workforce-aligned, future-focused programs

• Integrate emerging technologies and AI into curriculum and delivery

Student Success

• Drive improvements in retention, persistence, and graduation rates

• Ensure alignment between academic programs and student support services

Faculty Leadership

• Oversee recruitment, development, and performance of faculty

• Evolve faculty models to support a distributed, technology-enabled environment

• Academic Quality & Compliance

• Ensure academic rigor, integrity, and accreditation compliance

• Maintain strong relationships with accrediting bodies and regulators

Who This Role Will Appeal To

This role will resonate most with leaders who:

• Have experience scaling academic or learning models in complex organizations

• Bring deep understanding of adult learners and workforce-aligned education

• Are energized by building future-oriented systems that deliver measurable outcomes at scale

• Thrive in environments that require both strategic thinking and disciplined execution

• Are comfortable navigating complexity, ambiguity, and rapid change

Candidate Profile

Experience and Qualifications

• Terminal degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., or equivalent)

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in higher education

• Senior-level experience (Dean, Vice President, or equivalent)

• Demonstrated expertise in online education and adult learner populations

• Proven success improving student outcomes and launching academic programs

• Experience managing complex academic organizations and budgets

Core Competencies

• Strategic leadership and execution

• Innovation and future orientation

• Collaborative influence across complex stakeholder groups

• Operational and financial acumen

• Student-centered mindset

• Change leadership

Metrics of Success

• Improvements in retention, persistence, and graduation rates

• Growth in enrollment within high-demand, workforce-aligned programs

• Speed and effectiveness of program development and updates

• Faculty engagement, performance, and retention

• Operational alignment across academic and student support functions

• Successful integration of AI and technology into curriculum

Compensation and Benefits

• Base Salary: ~$270,000 – $300,000 (commensurate with experience)

• Performance-based incentives

• Comprehensive executive benefits package

• Retirement contributions

• Remote work flexibility

Procedure for Candidacy

Applications should include:

• A detailed curriculum vitae

• A letter of interest outlining leadership experience and vision in the context of this opportunity

For best consideration, candidates are encouraged to submit materials by May 4, 2026, though the search will remain open until the position is filled.

EOE

A background check will be required for this position.

 
Purdue University Global is an EO/EA University