Job Description

How to Apply

A cover letter and resume are important submissions for the hiring team to get a sense of your experience. In the cover letter, in two pages or less, please let us know how this role aligns with your career aspirations and skill set. Submit both a cover letter and resume as one file (because of system limitations

Summary

The Center for Academic Innovation at the University of Michigan is seeking a qualified XR Program Lead to manage a diverse team of Designers, Artists and Developers that deliver XR enabled projects across the Center for Academic Innovation’s online learning portfolio, including but not limited to: MOOCs, online and hybrid programs, Michigan Online Global Classroom, Short-Form Content and Teach-Outs. The XR Program Lead will work closely with designers, developers, faculty and with other teams across the center to operationalize key strategies of including XR content in the online learning domain and manage all XR projects and student fellowship programs. The XR Program Lead will report to the Director of the XR Initiative

Who We Are

About the Center for Academic Innovation

The Center for Academic Innovation is where creativity, excellence, and the University of Michigan’s aspirations for societal impact combine to reimagine the future of higher education. Through curricular innovation, educational data and research, and educational technology, we position U-M as a global leader in academic innovation to create and inspire change in higher education and to reinforce an engaged and informed society.

About the XR Team

The XR team works directly with faculty innovators to conceive and build extended reality experiences that transform and enhance education while also focusing on how this groundbreaking technology can be utilized by all learners and available at scale. A core part of our mission is to make XR technology more accessible on campus and encourage its use in higher education. Our team builds virtual worlds using state of the art game engines and 3D modeling to create augmented, virtual and mixed reality experiences that can be utilized in courses. We fund extended reality learning projects that immerse students as creators and learners with these advanced technologies.

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

Responsibilities*

• Manage the day to day XR Initiative administrative functions such as meetings with faculty members and designing and brainstorming solutions related to XR enabled online learning
• Manage, organize and coordinate logistics and planning for the annual XR Summit and XR Speaker Series held every Fall and Winter semester
• Cultivate and maintain an inclusive team culture that drives innovation and collaboration, while also supporting XR student fellows and individual team members to deliver effective learning experiences
• Provide project management functions for the XR enabled MOOCs such as managing project assignments, monitoring bandwidth of projects, allocating resources, leading team meetings, and addressing project and personnel related challenges within or outside of the XR team. Other project management responsibilities include:
•  Assisting in the definition of project scope and objectives, involving all relevant stakeholders and ensuring technical feasibility
• Developing a detailed project plan to monitor and track progress
•  Measuring project performance using appropriate tools and techniques
•  Creating and maintaining comprehensive project documentation
• Providing timely and concise communication with project stakeholders
• Lead the XR student fellowship program which includes managing goals, expectations, project tasks and professional development opportunities for the student fellows.
• Work with a range of CAI teams to develop cohesive cross-team workflows to support XR enabled MOOCs
• Position the XR Initiative team as leaders in innovative project management techniques across higher education and online learning, and broaden leadership opportunities for the team to connect with external stakeholders to scale our work
• Manage and align many diverse perspectives, including those of faculty partners, external partners and collaborators, CAI colleagues, and other U-M and external stakeholders and drive consensus to move programs and projects forward
• Provide stakeholder management by working collaboratively with copyright personnel, accessibility experts, design teams, faculty, and third party vendors to ensure that the digital content of Academic Innovation initiatives complies with our policies and practices, especially in regards to design thinking, copyright, accessibility, privacy, and data access policy

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor’s degree and 3 or more years of related experience (educational technology, instructional design, educational project management, management of technology, information science, business administration, digital marketing or consulting)
• Experience leading diverse teams and excellent organizational, interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills demonstrated in communication with senior level professionals.
• Ability to analyze and align technology solutions with instructional needs, current educational and technological trends, and campuswide goals/priorities and infrastructure
• Knowledge of the principles, practices, techniques, technology and standards of digital media production for global audiences
• Significant demonstrated fluency with work productivity and project management principles, such as Trello or Smartsheet, among others
• Experience planning and delivering large technology-focused projects involving diverse sets of stakeholders

Additional Information

• Please Note: This is a 2 year term limited position with the possibility of renewal depending on funding.
• Must have legal authorization to work in the United States.
• This is not a remote position and any adjustments to a standard in-person schedule will be discussed during the hiring process.
• The salary for this position will be based upon the selected candidate’s education and experience.
• Excellent benefits are available, for details, see http://benefits.umich.edu/

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Learning and working in environments designed for equity and inclusivity are necessary for the U-M community to make progress on solving the problems that matter most to society. In addition to collaborating with faculty and staff on projects that explicitly focus on DEI, the Center for Academic Innovation uses inclusive design processes in all of our work. All interested applicants, including those from groups historically underrepresented in higher education, are encouraged to apply.

Background Screening

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 will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

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.

Decision Making Process

Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and continue until the position is filled.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

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

U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters when eligible, are required for all University of Michigan students, faculty and staff across all campuses, including Michigan Medicine. This includes those working remotely. More information on this new policy is available on the Campus Blueprint website or the UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint websites.