Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Assistant Director for Learning Experience (LX) Design

Position summary

As the Assistant Director for Learning Experience (LX) Design, you will lead the LX Design team of Learning Innovation at Duke University (https://learninginnovation.duke.edu/). In this role, you will manage a team of designers and course producers, oversee a portfolio of program and course design projects, and advise Duke schools and academic units on their digital learning strategy from a pedagogy and learning design perspective. Your portfolio of learning design projects will advance the university’s mission to develop digital learning offerings across the spectrum of Duke’s learners, including pre-college, matriculated students, professional and lifelong learners, alumni and their networks, working adult learners and post-career learners globally.

Responsibilities

Program and Resource Planning

• Work with the Director for Digital Product Strategy and Design (D-DPSD), Senior Learning Experience (LX) Designers, and Duke schools and academic units to define and set learning goals for new program development projects, including aligning the learning design goals with the school or unit's curricular and strategic goals as well as upholding Duke's values for engaging, equitable, and inclusive learning.
• With Senior Learning Experience Designers and the D-DPSD, create resource plans for program development projects, estimating staff and faculty time and other resources needed to plan, prototype, and develop new programs; revise resource plans as needed based on changes in the scope of work, workflows, timeline, or instructor availability, create mechanisms for capacity planning and advocate for resources to meet growth needs and requirements.
• Advise Duke schools and academic units on online and digital learning by sharing examples of digital learning program models and inclusive and equitable learning design best practices; determine how Learning Innovation's LX Design services and expertise can best meet the needs of Duke schools and academic units.
• Manage team budget for software, equipment, professional development, and other resource needs.
• Manages collaboration and oversight of third-party contractors to extend auxiliary services as needed.

Program Learning Design Management

• In collaboration with the D-DPSD, lead the LX Design team's efforts in contributing to the go-to-market strategy planning for new programs, including contributing to the product definition and learning design goals that the LX Design team will strive to meet when designing new programs.
• Guide and support LX Design team leads on projects to actively manage a project’s timeline, monthly productivity goals, and team assignments, in order to keep the project on time, productive, and with an appropriate distribution of work across LX Design team members.
• Coach and collaborate with project teams to resolve barriers and bottlenecks to the course design and development process, as well as creatively solve problems that the project’s clients (i.e., Duke school, program, faculty) encounter in the project.
• Regularly report completed deliverables and upcoming monthly productivity goals to project clients, stakeholders (i.e., faculty and administrators), and Learning Innovation leadership.
• Oversee project teams’ integration of evaluation and learner feedback into project debriefs and reporting; collaborate with project teams and the D-DPSD to identify and report out on lessons learned, newly developed or improved learning experience models or templates, and innovative uses of technology and pedagogy for engaging and effective learning.

Team management and collaboration

• Direct, coach, and support direct reports toward their individual success and productivity within projects and in their professional goals and growth; lead LX Design team's collaborative work with other teams (e.g., market research, marketing, learning technologies, etc.).
• Create and implement workflows for learning design prototyping, course development, media production, faculty training, and overall project management, collaboratively with Senior Learning Experience Designers.
• Collaborate with Learning Innovation staff, the Office of Information Technology, and other departments to identify and provide the best solutions for online and digital learning platforms, technologies and processes for delivering digital courses and programs.
• Lead team reflection and growth to integrate pedagogical and digital learning design best practices, including: educational and learning sciences research; applied principles for inclusive and equitable learning; and standards for accessibility in digital content and learning.

Perform other related duties incidental to the work described herein; undertake special projects as needed and assigned.

Supervisory responsibilities

Supervise the Senior Learning Experience Designers, Learning Experience Designers, Learning Experience Producers, and Learning Media Producers.

Qualifications

Education

Required: Master’s degree and five years of relevant work experience or bachelor’s degree and seven years of relevant work experience.

Preferred: Master’s degree in education, management, instructional design, learning sciences, or related field.

Experience

Required: Required work experience and demonstrable skills for this position includes:

• Relevant work experience. At least five years of experience in designing digital or online learning experiences, including at least two years of experience in successfully leading and managing teams to design and develop digital learning experiences.
• Technical skills. Experience with digital course platforms or learning management systems and other education technology. Experience using project management tools and developing (and adopting existing) workflows and processes.
• Leadership and management. Exemplifies a management style that defines success as a manager as supporting, coaching, and directing direct reports toward success in their goals and project objectives. Demonstrates an ability to lead with empathy while also holding direct reports accountable for their work responsibilities. Advocates for direct reports’ and team’s needs to succeed and grow professionally.
• Collaboration and communication. Experience working in a highly collaborative environment, with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Demonstrates an ability to build relationships, navigate and resolve conflict, and facilitate collaboration within and across teams. Has excellent and transparent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, including communicating through listening.
• Creating an inclusive work culture. Experience working to create an equitable and accessible work environment that supports all workers. Considers equity in the recruitment, training, evaluation, and support of direct reports and team members. Implements inclusive processes in day-to-day workflow of the LX Design team. Centers diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility (DEIA) principles in decision-making.
• Project and portfolio management. Highly detail oriented with strong project management skills. Has a track record of setting and following through on priorities and projects. Recognizes, credits, and rewards team members’ contributions and accomplishments. Understands resource constraints and financial implications of project management for the organization’s financial health. Demonstrates an ability to seek recommendations and insights from direct reports and team members and utilize these perspectives and information in decision-making. Has skills evaluating course or program performance, summarizing findings, communicating results, and forming an action plan.
• Adaptability. Comfortable working in an extremely fast-paced environment that constantly changes. Able to support and encourage team members or direct reports through periods of transition and growth.

Preferred: Optional but preferred work experience and skills for this position include the following.

• People management. Has previous experience managing direct reports and supporting those direct reports to succeed and grow.
• Project portfolio management. Has managed portfolios of course or program design projects, including overseeing multiple project teams, timelines, and making decisions regarding scope of work and priority tradeoffs between multiple projects.
• Higher or professional education work experience. Has carried out course design work in the field of higher education. Has designed and led the design of learning experiences for working adult learners.
• Specialized skills. Has training or work experiences in product management, user experience-driven design, designing computationally-focused education, or related skills.

Working conditions

• Hybrid work schedule (i.e., primarily working from home, with both the option to have in-office work days as well as the need to attend certain meetings on campus).
• Possible evening and weekend work
• Some work-related travel may be required

These statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position.

About Learning Innovation

You can visit Learning Innovation’s website to learn more about our team at Duke, such as the following.

• Mission and Guiding Principles: https://learninginnovation.duke.edu/about/
• Year in Progress: https://learninginnovation.duke.edu/about/progress/
• Annual Reports: https://learninginnovation.duke.edu/about/reports/
• Who We Are: https://learninginnovation.duke.edu/about/who-we-are/

Directions to apply

To apply for this position, please go to https://careers.duke.edu/, find the position opening, and submit the following.

• A 1-2 page cover letter that articulates your relevant experience and expertise and explains how you would be a good candidate for the position.
• A 1-2 page resume that outlines your previously held professional positions and work accomplishments, education, skills, and other information relevant to the competencies described in this job description.
• A list of 3 professional references, including your present supervisor. Duke will not contact your references without first seeking your permission.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Refer to Job Description

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.