Associate Director for Media Technology and Innovation

Job Summary

The Center for Academic Innovation (CAI) at the University of Michigan is seeking an Associate Director for Media Technology & Innovation to provide leadership regarding media innovation. Reporting to the Director for Learning Experience Design and Media Design, this new role will lead the support for the Lab facility at the Center for Academic Innovation, manage critical relationships with centralized units such as U-M Information Technology Services, and will consult with academic units across the University of Michigan as those units build their digital media capacities and strategies. This leadership role will supervise our media technology and media design teams. In addition, this role will work closely with CAI’s software development and user experience design team, design managers, extended reality (XR) team, and other relevant stakeholders on campus to provide an exceptional approach to media innovation, video management, and production through consultation, sharing expertise, experimentation, and strategic innovation. We are looking for a talented leader with exceptional technical and people skills.

About Us

The Center for Academic Innovation is a strategic priority for the University of Michigan. Through curricular innovation, tools for learning, and educational data and research, the center aims to shape the future of learning and redefine the role of the public research university by extending academic excellence, expanding public purpose, and ending educational privilege.

Our preferred future includes:

• An open model for pre-college learning and preparation that broadens access and enhances participation

• A personalized, rigorous, and inclusive model for residential learning grounded in learning analytics and experimentation

• A flexible and networked model for global and lifelong learning that embraces the evolution of a more permeable university

• A participatory and inclusive model for public engagement that accelerates bilateral knowledge construction and sharing

As we reimagine the global public research university and create a culture of innovation in learning, we value:

• boldness and humility

• creativity and process

• risk taking and tradition

• personalization and scale

• openness

Diversity, Equity and InclusionLearning 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. Individuals from groups historically underrepresented in higher education are strongly encouraged to apply.

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

Responsibilities*

• Attract, motivate and retain passionate teams by mentoring and encouraging professional growth, fostering operational excellence, creativity, and a culture of continuous improvement and coaching

• Represent the teams in management settings by advocating for the teams, articulating team needs and acting as liaison amongst the rest of the CAI teams

• Lead the Media Design team whose responsibilities include creating video and other media assets to support exceptional online learning experiences

• Oversee the documentation and development of processes that are suited to our purposes

• Lead the Media Technology team whose responsibilities include infrastructure, media production computers, edit suites, studios, event spaces, field equipment, storage systems, and archiving system

• Oversee management of physical spaces related to media production

• Oversee the implementation of Media Asset Management

• Help create systems and processes necessary for exemplary design-intensive initiatives to launch and scale

• Develop and maintain collaborative external partnerships with Information Technology Services, the Duderstadt Center, while fostering collaboration within teams across CAI

• Lead dissemination and knowledge sharing activities to engage campus, national and global communities in discussions around media innovation and technology

• Provide expert advice to academic unit partners as they further develop their media design and technology capabilities

• Lead collaborative Research and Development efforts to drive innovation in media design and technology

• Facilitate the implementation of the CAI Student Fellows Program in the Media Technology and Design teams.

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor’s degree or higher, or equivalent experience

• 5+ years experience managing teams in a higher ed context

• Demonstrated knowledge of media production and media technology

• Experience working with faculty, administrators, technologists, and team supervision.

• Ability to communicate effectively across departments, and explain options and decision points in a digestible and collaborative manner.

• Strong leadership, mentoring and problem-solving skills.

• Demonstrated ability to manage diverse expectations

• Demonstrated ability to manage decision-making

• Demonstrated ability to be flexible and thrive in an environment with rapidly changing requirements and priorities

• Strong and demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, respect, and inclusion.

• Experience providing consultation services

• Experience evaluating and communicating technical risks and benefits of differing video solutions

• Proven skill and ability with managing multi­phase projects from inception to completion, including the ability to build consensus among team members and balance multiple concurrent priorities

Desired Qualifications*

• Master’s degree

• 3+ years experience managing media production

• Experience managing budgets

• Experience managing change

• Experience documenting processes

• Experience in mediation

Additional Information

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

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

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/AA Statement

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

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