Design Manager

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should include salary requirements, address your specific interest in the position, and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Note:  This is a five-year, term limited position with the possibility of renewal.

The University of Michigan (U-M) is seeking a qualified Design Manager to join a creative, talented and entrepreneurial team within the Center for Academic Innovation (AI) that is shaping the digital learning landscape at U-­M and beyond. The Design Manager (DM) position reports to the Design Management Lead, and collaborates with faculty and content experts, learners, administrators, vendors, and other stakeholders. A DM manages the scoping, design, and development of online courses and other learning initiatives at AI to deliver high-­quality learning experiences. This position is an exciting role that works to support and launch new digital learning initiatives through collaboration with the world ­class faculty of the University of Michigan.

You

You enjoy the prospect of working with a very diverse set of thinkers who come from U-M’s nineteen schools & colleges and you have a great interest in being exposed to subject matter close to and far away from your comfort zone. You actively embrace challenges, thrive on solving tough problems, demonstrate passion about digital and blended education and how it impacts the future of higher education and enjoy working within a dynamic, fast ­paced team environment. You relish working with multiple complex projects at the same time, balancing priorities and goals accordingly and you find it rewarding to translate complex processes and ideas for diverse audiences throughout the lifespan of various projects.

Us

The Center for Academic Innovation is a strategic priority for the University of Michigan. Through curricular innovation, leadership in learning analytics and personalization at scale, AI aims to shape the future of learning and redefine public residential education at a 21st century research university by unlocking new opportunities for the U-M community and learners around the world.

Our preferred future includes:

• An open model for pre-college learning and preparation that broadens access and enhances participation
• A personalized, rigorous, and inclusive model for residential learning grounded in learning analytics and experimentation
• A flexible and networked model for global and lifelong learning that embraces the evolution of a more permeable university
• A participatory and inclusive model for public engagement that accelerates bilateral knowledge construction and sharing

As we reimagine the global public research university and create a culture of innovation in learning, we value:

• boldness and humility
• creativity and process
• risk taking and tradition
• personalization and scale
• openness

For more information, please visit our website: Academic Innovation.

• Apply project management, communication, design, quality assurance, and consultative skills to collaborate with faculty, course teams, and media designers.
• Work with AI colleagues and partners to design and develop critical documentation and project elements, including but not limited to: design plans, strategies, and goals, personas, timelines, faculty resources, online learning materials, and marketing language.
• Manage and align many diverse perspectives, including those of faculty partners, external partners and collaborators, AI colleagues, and other U-M and external stakeholders.
• Oversee the timely execution and consistency of project deliverables.
• Ensure thoughtful and consistent alignment of projects with current practices in design thinking, copyright, accessibility, and data access policy.
• Facilitate project handoff and knowledge transfer across the AI portfolio.
• Lead and organize meetings, workshops, events, and brainstorms.
• Coordinate with external contractors, vendors, temporary personnel, etc., to administer support services for online education.
• Contribute to on-campus and external conversations about digital learning, design, and research; provide consultative support to potential partners on new ideas and proposals; and connect innovators with available AI and other university resources to tackle unsolved problems.
• Raise awareness about the work of AI and academic innovation in higher education more broadly, and network with peer institutions to advance common causes.

• Bachelor’s degree and 3 or more years of related experience (educational technology, instructional design, educational project management, information science, or consulting)
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills demonstrated in a leadership context
• Familiarity with: Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs), online degrees and hybrid programs, Open Educational Resources (OER), Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Coursera, Canvas, edX and other educational platforms
• Ability to manage workload under time constraints and conflicting demands
• Ability to work well in a multicultural and collaborative environment
• High emotional intelligence for complex relationship management
• Strong commitment to problem solving, teamwork, and the ability to act independently
• Ability to analyze and align technology solutions with instructional needs, current educational and technological trends, and campus­wide goals/priorities and infrastructure
• Understanding of copyright regulations in a higher education setting
• Understanding of accessibility regulations and related tools and techniques e.g. video captioning, descriptive audio, screen readers
• Enthusiasm for technology-enhanced learning in the context of a public residential research university
• Significant fluency with work productivity and organization principles and tools

• Master’s degree and 3 or more years of related experience (educational technology, instructional design, educational project management, information science, or consulting) or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Experience in a research-focused university setting
• Knowledge of the principles, practices, techniques, technology and standards of digital media production
• Pedagogical knowledge of online and hybrid teaching, including instructional design theory and blended delivery
• Demonstrated experience with work productivity and project management principles

Excellent benefits are available, for details, see http://benefits.umich.edu/

NOTE: This is a five-year, term-limited position.

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.