DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION, NEW EDUCATION INITIATIVE (NEI)

Position Overview:

The position will oversee a team of instructional staff, course designers, and developers who will build a new curriculum consisting of stackable credentials leading to stackable bachelor's degrees in science and engineering with computing/AI. The director will serve as the leader within the NEI in developing the overall digital learning strategy alongside faculty and will manage a team that executes this strategy. Responsibilities include overseeing the design and development of pedagogy and helping build universal learning materials for the new program, including online digital content and flipped classroom experiences, assignments, assessments, and co-ops; and leading the design and development for MIT’s Faculty Academy, a type of teach-the-teachers professional development program which will prepare teachers to deliver this new content. We are looking for a candidate who shares our passion for changing education and learning in the age of AI and preparing the future workforce. This position will involve working closely with MIT students, staff, researchers, and faculty as well as the newly created curriculum team.

The director will be responsible for the development and performance management of a team of instructional staff and will lead instructional staff hiring for NEI in collaboration with the senior program manager and faculty director. The director will build a positive work culture through trust and managing team dynamics. The Director will establish project management guidelines ensuring uniform course creation across all subjects. The Director will also be responsible for budgets and creating a uniform onboarding system for training a new team. The director ensures all educational materials developed for the projects meet MIT quality standards. The director will create and maintain strong relationships with departmental instructional staff and faculty across MIT to inform decision-making.

This is a 1-year term appointment. An extension is possible based on performance and funding.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions):

• Lead the development of the overall NEI learning strategy in collaboration with faculty.

• Design and oversee the coordinated development of NEI curriculum and all other learning content for stackable degrees and micro-credentials (including online digital content and flipped classroom experiences, assignments, assessments, and co-ops).

• Oversee the hiring and management of a team of teaching fellows responsible for building the learning content and executing the strategy.

• Ensure that the learning content, pedagogy, and technology reflect the capabilities and impacts of AI on education, learning and future workforce requirements. 

• Develop a new Faculty Academy that will provide professional development and training for NEI faculty.

• Update the curriculum team with advances in the learning sciences and digital and on campus learning tools, and work with each course team including instructors and staff to apply best practices from the learning sciences into teaching.

• Build a culture of group goals and execution of projects. 

• Evaluate the effectiveness of several different courses and pedagogical approaches by working with instructors and learner data analytics.

• Lead the team in identifying promising areas of interest in educational innovations and practices for implementation and share these findings with the new educational initiative team of teaching fellows and faculty developing learning content. 

This position will be required to work on campus to support the building of courses and work collaboratively with each course team and faculty leads. 

Supervision Received:

This position reports to the Faculty Director for NEI

Supervision Exercised:

Supervise instructional staff in several subject matter disciplines, as well as a team of teaching assistants, videographers, instructional designers, and education technologists.

Qualifications and Experience:

MINIMUM REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

PhD in engineering, computing, math, social sciences, science or humanities with proven ability and flexibility to adapt to a rapidly changing platform/environment; and an ability to deliver high-quality results while managing multiple priorities. A minimum of 8 years of relevant experience.

• Demonstrated excellence in teaching and developing courses in higher education settings, both on campus and online. Track record of developing cohesive teams is a plus.

• Strong experience in implementing best practices from education research literature and innovating on education models and tools. History of catalyzing faculty to education innovation is a plus.

• Proficiency in evaluating the effectiveness of learning materials and education programs across several different subjects. 

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Proficiency in evaluating the effectiveness of learning materials and academic assessment. Strong problem-solving / debugging skills and working knowledge or familiarity with statistical software and analytics tools to analyze big data sets. Candidates should have extensive experience in using and working with educational technology, digital teaching and learning in higher education, production of educational content, academic assessment methodologies, and the delivery and management of online and blended educational programs. Experience with teaching and using Artificial Intelligence tools is critical.

• Strong problem-solving skills and knowledge of or ability to learn new LMS systems and other web publication tools.

• Proven track record of working independently, collaboratively, and managerially; must be organized, able to support multiple projects simultaneously, work effectively in a fast-paced work environment, and manage a team.

• Excellent communication and leadership skills, and the ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with faculty, staff, and students.

Application material should include a cover letter speaking to qualifications; a teaching statement specifying teaching beliefs and practices; a CV listing educational background, publications, talks, and other applicable experiences. Applications will be considered until the position is filled.