Associate Director for Curriculum Development & Online Education

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Associate Director for Curriculum Development & Online Education

Job Profile Title

Director B, Student Services, Graduate Programs

Job Description Summary

The Associate Director for Curriculum Development and Online Education is a pedagogical leader who advances education for health care professionals. The position bridges the expertise of renowned faculty, the potential of working professionals, and the skill of facilitators. As a senior leader for the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy’s online educational initiatives team (MEHP Online), the Associate Director ensures pedagogical excellence, directs curriculum development and instructional operations, and provides strategic collaboration.

The Associate Director influences the effectiveness of the Master of Health Care Innovation degree and helps achieve the standard for educational excellence and strong community that are hallmarks of the MHCI. The program launched in 2017 as the first fully online degree of the University of Pennsylvania. The Associate Director also extends impact through continuing education workshops, graduate collaborations, and resources to drive innovation.

The Associate Director reports to the Director of Online Educational Initiatives. Direct reports include the Instructional Designer and the Course Coordinator, as well as a roster of teaching assistants.

Responsibilities may evolve along with the MHCI and other initiatives.

Job Description

The Associate Director’s duties include:

• Lead curriculum development for online graduate and continuing education programs that are applicable, feasible, viable, and sustainable.
  • Ensure that the curriculum is coherent, relevant, and foresighted. Integrate program competencies and address emerging priorities across courses.
  • Assess the need for course updates with faculty and partner with them on major course designs and refreshes.
  • Implement a tiered approach to course development and continuous improvement with a lean instructional team. Directly steward substantial course redesigns. Provide targeted consultation and review for moderate updates. Establish processes that enable consistent delivery for courses that require minimal change.
  • Lead CME workshop design and learning.
• Sustain a culture and practices of pedagogical excellence, valuing faculty expertise and student experience.
• Shape assessment strategy and ensure that all graduate courses are rigorous and effective for health care professionals.
• Coach a busy multidisciplinary faculty with customized pedagogical, technology-supported solutions to shape their expertise into online education that is effective, student-centered, and sustainable.
• Design learning activities that build interprofessional community to deepen understanding and increase impact, while fostering respect, trust, and safety for all participants.
• Lead the development and implementation of academic policy.
• Serve as a pedagogical thought partner within MEHP and across Penn. Contribute to outward‑facing teaching, scholarship, and thought leadership that strengthens the program’s reputation.
• Lead instructional operations and staff, and contribute to MEHP Online team senior leadership.
  • Supervise two FTE direct reports to ensure quality and enable professional growth. Maintain and supervise a roster of teaching assistants.
  • Shape online educational initiatives as a nimble, thoughtful collaborator with the Director and fellow Associate Directors. Assess and recommend policy, operations, educational content, or individuals to address opportunities and manage crises.
  • Plan instructional budget and assess resources with Director of Online Educational Initiatives.

• Provide strategic leadership in expanding educational opportunities from MEHP Online.
  • Lead opportunities for external specialists to supplement faculty expertise, including co-curricular programming for in-person Seminar and synchronous events.
  • Build relationships within Penn and Penn Medicine for MEHP Online to serve as an educational resource to help individuals and interprofessional groups drive innovation.

Qualifications

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree (Master’s preferred) or equivalent work experience
• 5-7 years of experience (7+ preferred) in course development, grounded in pedagogical principles, for graduate students and/or professionals; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proficiency in online instructional design
• The ideal candidate will demonstrate strengths in communication (to various audiences and across multiple modes), analytical thinking, problem solving, organization, flexibility, creativity, teamwork, initiative, foresight, and strategic thinking to advance the mission of MEHP Online.

Preferred qualifications:

• Higher education instruction
• Practice in design-thinking methodology
• Familiarity with Canvas
• Broad health care knowledge

This is a hybrid-eligible work position, requiring regular presence on campus in Philadelphia.

To Apply

Along with a résumé/CV, candidates must submit a cover letter, otherwise their application will not be reviewed. In your cover letter, briefly describe a great experience you’ve had translating someone else’s domain expertise into a delightful learning experience at work, in school, or elsewhere: What 1 or 2 factors made it effective for the audience?

Job Location – City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Perelman School of Medicine

Pay Range

$80,891.00 – $96,500.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements

Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn’s exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you’ll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay