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 you will align your career aspirations and skills with the role. 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 Online Learning Content Strategist Senior to play a key role in expanding the University’s online learning portfolio through creative collaboration and strategic relationship management. In this role, you will work closely with faculty, academic units, and CAI teams to proactively identify, shape, and launch new online learning opportunities, including non-credit, for-credit, and degree program offerings.

You will lead brainstorming and discovery sessions to help academic partners move from early ideas to actionable projects, while collaborating with internal teams such as Program Operations, Platform Strategy, and Marketing. You will also leverage data and research insights to inform decision-making and recommend portfolio growth opportunities.

In collaboration with CAI team members, you will support the sourcing, development, and continuous improvement of online offerings. By building and maintaining strong working relationships, you will help drive the innovation of new content and extend the reach and impact of Michigan’s online offerings.

The Online Learning Content Strategist Senior reports to the Director of Content and Product Strategy.

Who We Are

About the Center for Academic Innovation

Through curricular innovation, tools for student success, 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 Online Learning at CAI

The Online Learning domain within CAI consists of multiple teams that collaborate with others across the Center and University to 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 their reach and effectiveness, grow teaching, and support greater access and lifelong learning through the design of integrated online learning experiences. Our teams focus on the following areas:

• Strategic sourcing of new opportunities for online learning;
• Supporting growth of the Michigan Online ecosystem;
• Providing program management services throughout degree program development and operations;
• Supporting end-to-end development of online 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: Center for Academic Innovation.

Responsibilities

Content Sourcing & Opportunity Development

• Lead and Facilitate Creative Ideation: Organize and lead collaborative brainstorming and discovery sessions with faculty, academic units, and CAI colleagues to identify, shape, and scope high-impact online learning opportunities.
• Portfolio Expansion and Sourcing: Proactively seek out, assess, and prioritize partnership and content opportunities, including non-credit, for-credit, and degree program formats, to help academic units grow and strengthen their Michigan Online portfolio.
• Content Evaluation and Iteration: Work with internal partners and other teams in CAI to evaluate existing content, identifying opportunities for adaptation, updating, or expanded use in new contexts or audiences.

Product Relationship Management

• Enhance Faculty Partner Experience: In collaboration with other CAI teams, build and manage productive relationships with academic units and faculty, serving as a content strategy touchpoint for them from initial idea sourcing through project design, launch, and ongoing iteration.
• Strategic Communication and Reporting: Synthesize and communicate concepts, proposals, project progress, and performance data (including regular updates on portfolio offerings, enrollments, revenue, reach, and new growth opportunities) to faculty, unit leadership, and internal stakeholders through presentations, reports, and written communications.
• Feedback and Continuous Improvement: Gather and incorporate feedback from faculty and academic stakeholders to support ongoing improvements in product quality and alignment with institutional and academic unit goals.
• Leverage Marketing and Product Research Insights: Analyze and interpret marketing data and product research findings, capturing nuance to inform recommendations and share actionable suggestions with teammates, faculty, and academic units in support of project and portfolio success.
• Cross-Team Collaboration: Serve as a collaborative thought partner with CAI teams (including Learning Design, Program Operations, Program Management, Platform Strategy, and Marketing) to ensure aligned vision, seamless information flow, and coordinated execution through all project phases.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in education, business, communications or another relevant field
• Strong strategic thinking and creativity, with experience proactively identifying or developing new online learning opportunities.
• Demonstrated intellectual curiosity about a range of academic content areas and proven ability to build trust with subject matter experts
• Strong innovative spirit and adaptability: willing to suggest initiatives and take on tasks beyond the traditional job description as needed.
• Experience collaborating across organizational teams (such as operations, marketing, learning design, and technology/platform units) to deliver complex projects or products in digital education, academic innovation, or related settings.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate cross-functionally throughout the stages of project sourcing, design, launch, and iteration.
• Proven track record of managing multiple stakeholder relationships, supporting projects from initial ideas through planning, execution, and refinement.
• Skilled in evaluating and identifying new use cases for existing educational content for expanded audiences or new contexts.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to tailor style and messaging for a wide range of stakeholders (faculty, senior leaders, external
  organizations) and manage challenging or complex conversations with tact, empathy, and professionalism.
• Advanced ability to critically analyze, synthesize, and interpret data and research findings (especially from marketing and product research sources) and translate insights into nuanced, actionable recommendations for project direction and stakeholder engagement.
• Analytical ability to track and report on portfolio metrics, using data to inform recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Awareness of trends in higher education, workforce skills, and online learning platforms (edX, Coursera, Canvas, etc.).
• Demonstrated transparency in project reporting and proactive in bringing up concerns, risks, or dependencies.

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

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

The mode of work for this position is Hybrid with a minimum of 4 days in the office per week, Monday through Thursday, with an option of remote work on Fridays. On occasion, you may be required and must be available to work onsite on Fridays if necessitated by our center’s policy and domain leadership or by your job requirements.

Must have legal authorization to work in the United States.

The salary for this position will be based on the selected candidate’s education and experience.

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

Salary Information

The general salary range for this position is $85,000 – $90,000. 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 salaries that are currently established within the unit. All candidates are encouraged to discuss salary questions to honor alignment and transparency throughout the recruiting process.

Organizational Statement on Harassment

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.

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 at least seven calendar days. This job 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.