Job description
As the Assistant Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Compliance, and Policy, you serve as a key member of the college’s leadership team, providing strategic direction and leadership to ensure institutional compliance with all federal, state, and other regulatory requirements, as well as accreditation standards. You lead institution-wide efforts to align college policies and procedures with evolving regulatory expectations and industry best practices, fostering a culture of integrity, accountability, and continuous improvement. You work closely with leaders in Academic Affairs, Marketing, Finance, IT, and Human Resources to develop and sustain frameworks that promote transparency and compliance. You support the lifecycle of academic, operational, and regulatory policies, manage compliance-sensitive processes such as marketing reviews and contract workflows, and supervise the Regulatory & Compliance Specialists. In collaboration with the Chief Academic Officer and Provost, you ensures new and existing policies meet internal standards and remain compliant with external regulations and accreditor requirements. Additionally you provide legal and regulatory support by liaising with legal counsel on matters related to institutional compliance, policy interpretation, risk management, and contract review.
Who is American College of Education
Founded in 2005, American College of Education continues to be a leader in professional development through our online programs. The mission of ACE is to deliver high-quality, affordable and accessible online programs grounded in evidence-based content and relevant application. Our graduates are prepared to serve, lead and achieve personal and professional goals in diverse, evolving communities. As a socially conscious institution, we’re dedicated to making a positive impact and inspiring our students to do the same.
ACE is a premier organization that is continually recognized for its commitment to social responsibility. In 2016, ACE became a Certified B Corporation. As a socially conscious institution, we believe we have a responsibility to our students, alumni, employees, local communities, and society. We strive to make an impact in the world that goes well beyond our bottom line.
Who You Are
You are passionate about helping students achieve their educational goals. You thrive in a competitive and collaborative team environment. You are comfortable working remotely and have experience collaborating with others in a virtual environment. You possess a strong attention to detail.
As the Assistant Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, Compliance, and Policy, you serve as a key member of the college’s leadership team, providing strategic direction and leadership to ensure institutional compliance with all federal, state, and other regulatory requirements, as well as accreditation standards. You lead institution-wide efforts to align college policies and procedures with evolving regulatory expectations and industry best practices, fostering a culture of integrity, accountability, and continuous improvement. You work closely with leaders in Academic Affairs, Marketing, Finance, IT, and Human Resources to develop and sustain frameworks that promote transparency and compliance. You support the lifecycle of academic, operational, and regulatory policies, manage compliance-sensitive processes such as marketing reviews and contract workflows, and supervise the Regulatory & Compliance Specialists. In collaboration with the Chief Academic Officer and Provost, you ensures new and existing policies meet internal standards and remain compliant with external regulations and accreditor requirements. Additionally you provide legal and regulatory support by liaising with legal counsel on matters related to institutional compliance, policy interpretation, risk management, and contract review.
Compensation
ACE is committed to paying a competitive wage while staying true to our mission of maintaining high quality, affordable programs for our students. The starting salary range for this position is $115,000 plus all full-time employees are eligible for an annual bonus. Offers vary depending on education, prior experience, and expertise being applied to the role.
What We Look for in the Ideal Candidate
Demonstrates self-reliance by meeting/exceeding workflow needs.
Demonstrates positive attitude and motivation, concern for students, teamwork, and excellent time management skills.
Follows established processes as outlined by organization and leadership.
Completes assigned duties based on daily business needs and individual skill set.
Consistently produces a high volume of quality work.
Capable, and adapts as needed, to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
Proven ability to work independently with limited supervision and with other department personnel.
Must support and embrace the College’s B Corp mission to improve the people and communities we serve through our civic engagement initiatives.
Must have exceptional communication, organization, and time management skills.
Must be “self-motivated” as well as creative and efficient in proposing solutions to complex, time-critical problems.
Must be collaborative in driving decisions and a team-player.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a high attention to detail.
Builds and maintains student satisfaction.
Recognizes and anticipates student needs.
Day to Day Responsibilities
In this role you will wear different hats, but your skills will be especially essential in the following areas:
Regulatory Oversight & Policy Alignment
Maintains expert-level knowledge of federal, state, and local education laws, including NC-SARA, BPE, HLC, and state licensure requirements.
Monitors institutional adherence to all applicable regulatory, accreditation, and policy standards.
Oversees the development, review, and dissemination of all student-impacting institutional policies.
Leads the centralization and lifecycle management of institutional policies using systems such as SharePoint and Wrike.
Develops and maintains standardized templates for policies and contracts with clear ownership, review schedules, and update protocols.
Coordinates input from subject matter experts (SMEs) on evolving policy areas such as information literacy, disability services, and transfer credit.
State Authorization & External Relations
Builds and maintains collaborative relationships with state regulatory officials in all states where the college operates or intends to operate.
Secures and maintains operating and degree-granting authority across states and jurisdictions, as necessary and appropriate.
Manages institutional interactions with state boards of higher education, including the submission of applications, renewals, and change requests.
Maintains a thorough understanding of teacher and principal licensure requirements across applicable states and develops proactive strategies to align academic offerings with those requirements.
Academic & Institutional Collaboration
Serves on key committees, advising on regulatory and compliance matters throughout planning and implementation processes.
Collaborates with the Chief Academic Officer and Provost on program development and expansion to ensure compliance with internal and external standards.
Provides guidance in the development of academic catalogs, enrollment documents, and marketing materials to ensure accuracy and compliance across all states.
Marketing, Admissions, and Enrollment Compliance
Oversees regulatory and legal review processes for all marketing and advertising content in collaboration with Marketing, Enrollment, and Regulatory Affairs teams.
Offers clear compliance guidance to Enrollment Services on how academic programs can be described and promoted based on state-specific regulations.
Advises Admissions and Registration personnel on policy application for unique student situations.
Compliance Training & Support
Coordinates with the internal training team to develop and deliver staff training related to marketing compliance, contract routing, and regulatory decision-making.
Provides legal and regulatory guidance by liaising with legal counsel on matters such as risk management, contract review, and regulatory interpretation.
Contract Management & Risk Mitigation
Establishes and enforces contract routing protocols involving legal, IT, academic, HR, and financial stakeholders.
Implements a documented framework for version control, renewal tracking, and expiration monitoring for contracts and institutional policies.
Audit & Reporting
Conducts regular audits of student, faculty, and institutional files to ensure documentation compliance with federal, state, and accreditation standards.
Ensures all regulatory reports are prepared accurately and submitted on time to appropriate state and accrediting agencies.
Leadership & Supervision
Serves as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on compliance, risk management, and policy strategy.
Supervises Regulatory & Compliance Specialist(s) and provides clear direction, mentoring, and performance management.
Manages multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while maintaining a strong customer service orientation and professional demeanor.
Qualifications and Education Requirements
Master’s degree required; J.D. preferred.
Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in private higher education compliance, regulatory affairs, legal affairs, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience with regional accreditation and government regulatory processes.
Experience with various state licenses, such as secretary of state, taxation, labor, lender, and debt collection preferred.
In-depth understanding of higher education regulatory frameworks, accreditation, and federal/state compliance mandates.
Strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills.
Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
Skilled in strategic planning, risk analysis, and institutional policy development.
Our Commitment to Employees
Just as we strive to empower our students for success, we also aim to enrich the lives of our employees. For 6 consecutive years, ACE was recognized as one of Indiana’s Best Places to Work, winning the #1 spot for medium-sized companies in 2020. In addition, ACE has earned national recognition, being named a USA Top Workplace in 2022, 2023 and 2024. As a virtual first organization, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a family-like inclusive work environment. For our full-time employees, we offer the following benefits:
Medical, dental, & vision Insurance
HSA and FSA options
Paid parental leave
Paid volunteer time
Tuition reimbursement & reduction programs
Generous PTO
401k and employer match
Full-service wellness and EAP program
Employee recognition and awards programs
Employer paid life & AD&D insurance
Short-term disability
Employer paid long-term disability
And more…
Physical Demands
The physical demand described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate with and receive communications from students and ACE employees in real time using online and other electronic media.
Commitment to Culture
At American College of Education, we’re all about building a one-of-a-kind, supportive community where everyone—students, faculty, and staff—can thrive. Guided by our mission and values, we focus on everything from innovative curriculum design to personalized instruction and student support to intentional planning, inclusive initiatives, and strategic resource allocation. We’re dedicated to creating an environment that celebrates freedom of expression, diversity of thought, open dialogue, and mutual respect. We believe in fostering a sense of belonging and wellness so that every member of our ACE family feels empowered, valued, and ready to reach their full potential. Together, we’re creating a vibrant, resilient, and connected learning community where everyone matters.
Additional Notes
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Employees are increasingly integrating AI into their roles, demonstrating its potential to boost efficiency, accuracy, and productivity. By utilizing AI technologies, we can streamline processes, gain valuable insights from data, and automate routine tasks, which allows employees to concentrate on more strategic and creative aspects of their work. While AI is a beneficial tool in the workplace, if its use—such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, Copy.ai, etc.—accounts for more than 50% of any work assignments or job responsibilities, it will need to be reported to a direct leader.
Internet bandwidth speeds from an employee’s remote work location must be a minimum of 50Mbps download speeds and 5Mbps upload speeds. Please note if the bandwidth is shared across multiple devices (tablets, computer, streaming, phone, etc.) you will need higher overall speeds. You can test the speed of your connection by visiting speedtest.net Purchase, setup, installation, support, and ongoing maintenance of reliable internet service is the responsibility of the individual.
American College of Education seeks to attract and retain a diverse staff consistent with its diverse student body and surrounding communities. At this time we cannot consider candidates residing in Alaska, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, South Dakota, or Alabama.
ACE is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
