Academic Program Manager/ Sr. Manager (Computer Science; Data Science; Mathematics)

The Team

Minerva Project partners with leading institutions to build new education programs with profound impact. Our goal is simple: work with pioneers to dramatically improve the way students learn. With every partnership, we focus on improving learning by intentionally cultivating the durable and transferable skills needed for academic, professional, and societal impact. Combining design expertise, advanced digital technology, and leading educational science, we collaborate closely to provide partner institutions with greater flexibility, expansion opportunities, and enhanced learning outcomes.

The Position

The Academic Program Manager (APM) will be responsible for leading university partnership programs, ensuring consistency and quality, and building strong relationships with partner stakeholders.

This position will plan, oversee, and lead the academic program from inception through to completion. The APM is responsible for guiding the design, development, and delivery of the academic program, while ensuring that all academic aspects of the program are implemented smoothly and consistently. The APM advises the partner on all academic-related matters including curriculum, policies, staffing, training, and implementation of the academic aspects of the program.

In addition to managing 2-3 partnership programs, APMs typically also take on the role of Course Manager for one or more courses each semester for programs they manage or other partnership programs. Course Managers train and support partner instructors to design and/or deliver courses using active learning pedagogy on Forum. This includes leading weekly team teaching meetings with course instructors, customizing curriculum and lesson plans, and coaching partner faculty. APMs report to an Academic Program Director for Higher Education or Professional Learning.

Senior Academic Program Managers are experienced academic leaders who in addition to their regular responsibilities will also carry out work on strategic projects and activities such as program design consulting, business development, writing grant and RFP proposals, and thought leadership through research, writing, and conference participation.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Managing academic partnerships so as to ensure the delivery of transformational learning opportunities for students
• Building and maintaining a positive and productive relationship with partner administrators and instructors
• Advising partners on defining program goals and objectives, involving all relevant stakeholders and ensuring technical and logistical feasibility
• Interacting and coordinating with a range of internal and external stakeholders to manage various aspects of program implementation simultaneously, such as technical setup, enrollments, training, and course management
• Serving as main point of contact in communication with partner instructors and administrators, especially regarding curriculum and pedagogy
• Supporting impact measurement through surveys and reports to track partner program performance, and evaluate the successful completion of short and long-term goals
• Addressing program-level academic questions and troubleshooting solutions efficiently
• Delivering high-quality communication outputs and work products in a timely manner

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Degree in computer science, data science, or mathematics discipline. Ph.D. preferred, but candidates with Master's or Bachelor's degrees, along with relevant work experience or additional training, will be considered.
• Previous experience with student-centered teaching and active learning pedagogy
• Experience developing and managing courses, ideally for student centered or flipped classroom environments
• Schedule flexibility to work across multiple time zones

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in interdisciplinary teaching, research, or curriculum development
• Prior project management or consulting experience, ideally in the field of education
• Fluency in Spanish or Korean is highly desirable but not essential
• Knowledge of various project management platforms and methodologies
• Coaching and leadership experience
• Experience managing and interacting with clients

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Proven leadership and collaboration skills
• Ability to problem-solve
• Ability to delegate effectively
• Excellent time-management skills
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills
• Mastery of active learning techniques
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Ability to identify and manage risk
• Ability to make decisions and execute tasks independently

ABOUT US:

Minerva® was established in 2011 by Ben Nelson, who recognized that by combining leading educational science with advanced digital technology to completely redesign what, how, and where education occurs, we could close the widening global skills gap and remedy the dearth of critical wisdom in the world. We recognize that talent is distributed around the world, but access to high-quality learning is concentrated, closely mirroring the concentration of global wealth. Minerva aims to change this, significantly expanding access to a new, more effective way of learning.

Minerva Project believes that talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not, that different backgrounds and perspectives are valuable in our work, and that a shared sense of belonging enables team members to thrive. We strongly encourage applicants who share these commitments to apply.

We are hiring with the future in mind, and candidates hired into this role can anticipate professional growth opportunities. Experienced candidates with the right backgrounds may be considered for positions at more senior levels.

We offer competitive salary and benefits, including:

• Health, dental, vision (or allowance for international employees)
• Disability, Life insurance, 401k (for U.S. based employees)
• Equity opportunities
• Flexible vacation policy
• Laptop for work use

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter explaining the following:

• Interest in the position
• Professional experience managing projects and client relations
• Leadership and communication abilities
• A current resume

Closing Date: December 30, 2022

Start Date: While earlier and later start dates are possible, preference may be given to candidates who can join our team by February 1, 2023.