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). 

What You’ll Do

The Center for Academic Innovation (CAI) at the University of Michigan is seeking a qualified Design Manager to manage the end-to-end design process of the development of online courses and a wide range of academic innovation projects. As a skilled project manager, this role utilizes relationship management skills, creative problem solving, and risk management techniques to create consensus and communicate clear decisions among stakeholders, including CAI colleagues and U-M faculty members, while managing efficient project timelines. The Design Manager will report to the Design Manager Senior.

Mission Statement

We believe all individuals deserve to be treated with respect and dignity and have the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes mutual respect and a safe space for collaboration. Any concerns shared with Individuals with Reporting Obligations in the Center for Academic Innovation will be reported to the Equity, Civil Rights, & Title IX Office to be reviewed and addressed, and the Center for Academic Innovation encourages reporting of any forms of harassment including sexual and gender-based harassment.

Who We Are

About the Center for Academic Innovation 

Through curricular innovation, tools for student success and equity, and educational research and analytics, the University of Michigan Center for Academic Innovation is building the future of education. Our vision is a future in which education connects and empowers learners everywhere to reach their full potential throughout their lives. To realize our vision, we make it our mission to collaborate across campus and around the world to create equitable, lifelong educational opportunities for learners everywhere.

About the Online Learning Team at CAI 

The Online Learning teams within CAI include five teams that collaborate with others across the Center and University to design and develop online learning experiences that support the future of education for a global community. We work with faculty and academic unit leaders to envision how they can expand reach and impact, advance innovative teaching, and support greater access and lifelong learning through the design and development of integrated online learning experiences. Our teams focus on the following areas:

• Strategic sourcing of new opportunities for online learning;
• Developing internal and external partnerships that promote engagement with learning experiences;
• Providing program management services throughout degree program development and operations;
• Supporting end-to-end design and development of learning experiences, including design management, learning experience design, and iteration of learning experiences after they have launched;
• Supporting learners? success and engagement in live courses and programs. 

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

Responsibilities

• Apply project management skills such as stakeholder communication, relationship management, process management, design, quality assurance, and consultative skills in collaboration with faculty, course teams, administrators, vendors, and other stakeholders.
• Manage complex course design and Center-wide initiative project tasks including project scheduling, communication plans, budget management, and resource allocation to ensure timely execution and consistency of deliverables across CAI?s online learning portfolio. 
• Align diverse perspectives and relationships, including those of faculty partners, external partners and collaborators, CAI colleagues, and other U-M and external stakeholders at a project level.
• Ensure projects are in alignment with relevant compliance standards (such as accessibility and copyright standards). 
• Coordinate policy documentation for CAI initiatives in collaboration with the Design Management Lead, including executing Memorandums of Understanding amendments and release and/or waiver forms.
• Coordinate and manage financial project components, including expense reimbursements and budget management for the online learning portfolio. 
• Organize and build project elements into various platforms and learning management systems. 
• Contribute to on-campus and external conversations about CAI?s work and provide consultative support to potential partners on new ideas and proposals. 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and two or more years of project management experience.
• Familiarity with project management tools such as Asana or other similar tools. 
• Proficiency in Google Workspace, specifically Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. 
• Familiarity with online learning courses and programs, open educational resources, and learning management systems such as Coursera and Canvas. 
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills demonstrated in interactions with senior level professionals. 
• Ability to manage workload under constraining timelines with competing priorities. 
• Excellent critical thinking and adaptability skills within a consultative environment. 
• Proven ability to manage relationships with multiple stakeholders with a collaborative and customer focused mindset.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

Salary Information 

The general salary range for this position is $60,000 – $70,000. Candidates can expect to be paid a competitive and equitable salary. Factors used to determine salary include education level, experience, knowledge and skills for the position and internal equity within the unit. All candidates are encouraged to discuss salary questions to honor alignment and transparency throughout the recruiting process.

Please Note:  This is a 5 year term limited position with the possibility of renewal depending on funding. 

Candidates must have legal authorization to work in the United States. 

The mode of work for this position is Hybrid. The work requirements for this position allow both onsite and offsite work and you will have an expected regular and recurring onsite presence. On occasion, you may be required and must be available to work onsite more frequently if necessitated by our center’s policy and domain leadership or by your job requirements. 

The salary for this position will be based upon the selected candidate’s education and experience. Must have legal authorization to work in the United States. Excellent benefits are available, for details, see http://benefits.umich.edu/ 

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 are 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 Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.