University of California Irvine

Senior Director, Academic Innovation

Req ID: 145879
Payroll Job Title: 005988-INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN MG
Location: Irvine, California
Organization: UCI Campus
Division: Paul Merage School of Business
Department: Merage/Digital Learning
Reports to Title: 000549-ADMIN MGR 3
Position Type: Full Time
Salary Range Minimum: USD $132,600.00/Yr.
Salary Range Maximum: USD $259,800.00/Yr.

Who We Are

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide.

To learn more about UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.

The UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business, as part of the prestigious University of California system, is a top-ranking world-class research institution with acclaimed faculty known for their ability to inspire and equip leaders to leverage emerging technologies that will shape the future of business. As a core principle, inclusive excellence drives our innovation and transformation of the business landscape.

Your Role on the Team

The Merage School seeks a Senior Director, Academic Services & Instruction to champion our world-class teaching and learning with technology. Managing organization-wide instructional design programs and initiatives. The successful candidate will drive a strategic focus on education technology systems issues and trends and will be responsible for the deployment of funds relating to all organizational learning systems and platforms. As a dynamic, customer-focused and relationship-driven leader, the ideal candidate will demonstrate an ability to build consensus within a complex, multi-stakeholder school community.

Other key areas of focus for this role will be providing supervisory oversight of the academic services team, driving operational efficiency , and empowering our expert faculty with the tools and resources to engage their students in both in-person and online environments

What It Takes to be Successful

The ideal candidate for the Senior Director role is a visionary leader who excels in change management and influence, possessing the unique ability to navigate complex governance structures and build consensus during large-scale organizational redesigns. They must demonstrate AI application expertise-preferably within higher education-moving beyond policy to the practical application of AI in teaching and learning. Bridging the gap between academic tradition and digital innovation, the ideal leader respects faculty independence while driving the integration of new pedagogies.

The Merage School seeks an innovator skilled in process re-engineering & efficiency to optimize operations. This person should be a champion of people leadership, prioritizing delegation and staff empowerment. The ideal candidate will utilize learning analytics and data forecasting to optimize student outcomes, course scheduling, and unit-wide performance. To ensure long-term sustainability, they must possess sharp financial acumen to manage budgets and identify cost-savings, alongside a commitment to data-driven decision making.

Required:

• Thorough knowledge of and excellent skills in conducting needs assessment and online program design, delivery and evaluation.
• Thorough knowledge of design life cycles.
• Thorough understanding of the goals of the university's online education initiatives, including short- and long-term goals that directly impact the course design and development team.
• Thorough knowledge of instructional design principles, workplace learning and performance strategies, learning technology systems and multimedia tools, and of team development techniques that ensure delivery of online courses meeting strategic business goals.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills and proven presentation skills representing business competencies to potential faculty and university partners.
• Excellent management skills, including directing and developing staff members and budget control.
• Excellent and highly effective liaison and collaboration skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to establish training and development goals and objectives.
• Excellent skills to influence and to translate training and learning language to the business and vice versa.
• Deep understanding of education technologies relevant to supporting academic services and instructional delivery within a higher-education context.
• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in instructional design and educational leadership in a higher education setting.
• 3-5 years of senior leadership experience overseeing a team of at least 10 employees in higher education.
• Proven track record of implementing AI-driven solutions for instruction and learning, with a focus on practical application and faculty/staff adoption.
  

Preferred:

• Thorough knowledge of organization human resources policies and procedures and thorough knowledge of budget / fiscal processes.

Special Conditions:

• Primarily onsite position with an option for Hybrid work

Total Rewards

In addition to the salary range listed below, we offer a wealth of benefits to make working at UCI even more rewarding. These benefits may include medical insurance, sick and vacation time, retirement savings plans, and access to a number of discounts and perks. Please utilize the links listed here to learn more about our compensation practices and benefits.

The expected pay range for this recruitment is $132,000- $164,400 (Annual).

Conditions of Employment:

The University of California, Irvine (UCI) seeks to provide a safe and healthy environment for the entire UCI community. As part of this commitment, all applicants who accept an offer of employment must comply with the following conditions of employment:

• Background Check and Live Scan
• Employment Misconduct*
• Legal Right to work in the United States
• Vaccination Policies
• Smoking and Tobacco Policy
• Drug Free Environment

*Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

The following additional conditions may apply, some of which are dependent upon business unit or job specific requirements.

• California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act
• E-Verify
• Pre-Placement Health Evaluation

Details of each policy may be reviewed by visiting the following page - https://hr.uci.edu/new-hire/conditions-of-employment.php

Closing Statement:

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.

We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce along with honoring unique experiences, perspectives, and identities. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.

UCI provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities upon request. For more information, please contact Human Resources at (949) 824-0500 or eec@uci.edu.

Consideration for Work Authorization Sponsorship

Must be able to provide proof of work authorization

To apply, visit https://jobs.uci.edu/careers-home/jobs/145879






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