Job Posting
This position works remotely, requiring a telecommuting agreement and adherence to the UCSC Telecommuting/Remote Work Guidelines. The employee shall be available in a full-time capacity during assigned telecommuting work hours (specific hours to be discussed with supervisor). While telecommuting/remote working, the employee is responsible for ensuring a worksite environment suitable for accomplishing their regular job duties during scheduled hours of work and, if applicable, arranging for dependent care just as they would if they were working at the regular UCSC worksite.
No Visa Sponsorship Is Available For This Position.
How To Apply
For full consideration, applicants should attach their resume and cover letter when applying for a job opening. For guidance related to the application process or if you are experiencing difficulties when applying, please review the Applicant Resources on our website.
Initial Review Date (IRD)
UC Santa Cruz jobs are posted until filled. All application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring team for consideration. NOTE: Applicants who miss the IRD are still encouraged to apply; their materials will still be forwarded for consideration if requested by the hiring team. Application materials cannot be accepted outside of the jobs portal. Applications cannot be edited on an applicant’s behalf. For more information about the IRD and the applicant review process, view this link.
The IRD for this job is: 10-02-2025
About UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It’s known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus’s DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.
Department Overview
The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) is a public agency supported by 12 (states and territories). Through the work of thousands of educators, Smarter Balanced created an online assessment system aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), as well as tools for educators to improve teaching and learning. Smarter Balanced is housed at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) Silicon Valley Extension.
Our work is guided by the belief that a high-quality assessment system can provide information and tools for teachers and schools to improve instruction and help students succeed, regardless of disability, language, or subgroup. We involve experienced educators, researchers, state and local policymakers, and community groups working together in a transparent and consensus-driven process.
UCSC Extension provides professional training that reflects the academic rigor of the University of California and the hands-on, roll-up-your-shirtsleeves practicality of Silicon Valley culture. Developed with guidance from key industry leaders and academic experts, our certificate programs match the economic demand of your industry, from engineering to business, education to bioscience. The University of California reviews and approves UCSC Extension courses and programs for academic content, merit, and instructor qualifications. Many of our courses may be applied toward degree programs or may be eligible for professional certificates and licenses.
More information can be found at https://smarterbalanced.org
Job Summary
This is a new position reporting to the Senior Director of Product Management, specifically created to identify, evaluate, and develop new K-12 educational assessment products and services, as well as enhancement opportunities for current product offerings. Responsibilities include researching, creating, and developing product discovery plans and proposals, managing the assessment design, receiving feedback from internal and external stakeholders, testing, and product documentation.
The work requires close collaboration with executive management and interfacing with content, accessibility, and psychometrics teams to execute design and support launch. The incumbent is expected to promote awareness of these products or services through participation and development of member outreach activities and informational campaigns.
Appointment Information
Budgeted Salary: $99,040 – $106,400/year. Salary commensurate with skills, qualifications and experience.
Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount.
Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits
Schedule Information:
- Full-time, Fixed
- Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week
- Days of the Week: Mon-Fri
- Shift Includes: Day
Employee Classification: Career appointment
Job End Date: None
Work Location: Remote
Union Representation: Non-Represented
Job Code Classification: 004116 (PRODUCT DEV PROFL 3) – Grade 23
Travel: Up to 25% of the time
Job Duties
60% – Assessment Design and Analysis
- Documents the customer user experience of our assessment products and collects customer input as well as non-customer input to improve the competitiveness and innovation aspects of our summative and interim assessments.
- Evaluates new K-12 educational assessment industry trends, including pertinent new technologies consistent with the organization’s long-range, strategic plans. Analyzes market trends, assessment design literature, and stakeholder feedback, and presents design solutions to department leaders and executives.
- Analyzes prior discovery materials and identifies key issues to address; works with content and psychometrics to identify creative assessment enhancements, including computer adaptive testing.
- Creates protocols for focus groups and interviews; identifies, organizes, and participates in design discussions with assessment experts, educators, and the state education agency staff, and internal content and psychometrics teams.
- Uses deep knowledge of district, school, and classroom workflows to create multiple design iterations of solutions that ensure ease of use, high quality, and support the collection of actionable data. Documents and presents responsive iterations of potential solutions to various internal and external stakeholders who have a range of knowledge regarding educational assessments.
- Liaise with members, executives, cross-functional leaders, and technology service providers to vet and refine requirements for products and product enhancements. Works with service providers to map and improve the customer journey.
- Recommends new technologies and assessment trends applicable to current assessment products or services and consistent with the organization’s long-range, strategic plans.
20% – Product Development Support
- Leads cross-functional teams, as central liaison, to translate assessment designs into actionable plans for use by teams, including project management, content, accessibility, and psychometrics; adjusts designs in response to SME input.
- Works across the organization, with a diverse range of parties to ensure effective production, delivery, and operation of new or enhanced products and services based on budget and staffing plans.
- Interfaces with test delivery providers to gather requirements for assessment enhancements, ensuring partner feasibility and improving the Smarter Balanced member/customer journey.
- Gathers budget information, goals, and deliverables for cross-functional teams to support the analysis of the product or enhancement cost for decision-making purposes.
- Demonstrates sound judgment in selecting solutions to design, user, financial or marketing problems.
- Develops and reports on metrics / key performance indicators and provides corresponding analysis.
20% – Interest Holder Engagement
- Develops and participates in marketing and professional outreach activities to raise awareness of a product or service.
- Presents on assessment product and product enhancement progress to members at large-group meetings.
- May conduct product/service training and consultation to mitigate problems and receive suggestions.
- Provides periodic content progress reports outlining key activities and progress toward achieving overall goals.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Education, Business, or Related Field.
- Experience conducting discovery, summarizing findings, and proposing assessment design solutions that meet the organization’s needs and customers’ pain points.
- Experience ensuring that organizational practices, services, and behaviors support and promote collaboration among staff.
- Broad knowledge of K-12 educational assessment design concepts, practices, standards, and processes, including computer adaptive assessments.
- Strong organization and project management skills, including budgeting and staffing plans.
- Ability to apply concepts from assessment product management or program knowledge to resolve assessment design problems.
Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced Degree in Education or Related Field.
Special Conditions Of Employment
- Selected candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment criminal history background check.
- Selected candidate must pass the employment misconduct disclosure process.
- Ability to work long periods of time at a computer with or without accommodation.
- This is a fully remote position, and the selected candidate must be able to work successfully from a home/remote office and be able to fulfill the requirements of the UCSC telecommuting agreement.
- Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as directed.
- Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training.
- Ability to travel nationally.
- Ability to maintain appearance and conduct suitable for working in a professional setting.
- The University of California has implemented a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy covering all employees. To be compliant with the policy, covered employees must submit proof of vaccination or have an approved exception or deferral, eight (8) weeks from date of hire.
- Exercise the utmost discretion in managing sensitive information learned in the course of performing their duties. Sensitive information includes but is not limited to employee and student records, health and patient records, financial data, strategic plans, proprietary information, and any other sensitive or non-public information learned during the course and scope of employment. Understands that sensitive information should be shared on a limited basis and actively takes steps to limit access to sensitive information to individuals who have legitimate business need to know. Ensure that sensitive information is properly safeguarded. Follow all organizational policies and laws on data protection and privacy. This includes secure handling of physical and digital records and proper usage of IT systems to prevent data leaks. The unauthorized or improper disclosure of confidential work-related information obtained from any source on any work-related matter is a violation of these expectations.
Misconduct Disclosure Requirement
As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.
- “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC’s policies addressing some forms of misconduct:
Safety Statement
All UCSC employees must understand and follow job safety procedures, attend required health and safety training, proactively promote safety at work, and promptly report actual and potential accidents and injuries.
Notice Of Availability
In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (the Clery Act), the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (ASFSR) is available at: https://compliance.ucsc.edu/campus-safety-compliance/annual-reports/.
This report is published by October 1st of each year and includes current institutional policies and procedures concerning campus safety and security; fire safety and evacuation policies; sexual misconduct and relationship violence reporting and response protocols; and crime and fire statistics for the three previous calendar years. A paper copy of the ASFSR is available upon request by contacting the UCSC Police Department at 114 Carriage House Rd., Santa Cruz, CA 95064, or by calling 831-459-2231 Ext. 1.
EEO/AA
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.
It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.
