Course Development Manager

Position Details Click here to apply.Position Summary: The Course Development Manager is responsible for leading the overall product efforts within their designated product area—Student Learning or Professional Learning. The Course Development Manager manages the course development process with a product team consisting of instructional designers, subject matter experts, and course development assistants to drive effective implementation and evaluation of projects. They are responsible for developing and managing product schedules and budgets, resourcing plans, tracking and reporting, and the facilitation of internal quality assurance to ensure the delivery of high-quality solutions that meet the project requirements, on time and within budget. The Course Development Manager drives operational excellence within the project teams by implementing best practices in project management, monitoring dependencies and risks, and problem-solving to ensure the product implementation and final deliverables reflect the learner experience Michigan Virtual promises to its customers.The Course Development Manager works closely with the Instructional Design Manager and IPD Leadership to drive collaboration and quality across IPDs product solutions.Michigan Virtual – Lead, Collaborate, BuildMichigan Virtual is a Lansing-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation with a national reputation for excellence in online and blended learning with Michigan's K-12 education community. Our most valuable asset is our employees and we have received several top industry and workplace awards. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of our full-time team members reported being highly satisfied on our latest annual employee engagement survey. Founded in 1998, Michigan Virtual annually provides more than 30,000 online course enrollments for students and delivers more than 100,000 hours of online professional development programming for Michigan school personnel. We also operate the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute (MVLRI) to examine and promote best practices in digital learning.Our mission is to Advance both learning and teaching through research, practice, and partnerships. This mission statement reinforces our vision to grow meaningful relationships with policy leaders, school administrators, and teachers to ensure that every person can use digital learning to reach their full potential. We employ over 300 full- and part-time teachers, professionals, and support staff who like to have fun at work and are committed to making a difference in the world.Our Values: 1) Put Learners First, 2) Act with Integrity, 3) Embrace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, 4) Pursue Excellence, 5) Create Awesome Experiences, and 6) Incite CuriosityOur BenefitsMichigan Virtual offers a competitive benefits package including a retirement plan, health benefits with an employer-funded Health Savings Account and a very generous allotment of leave time beginning upon hire. We also offer remote work and flexible work arrangements.Commitment to DiversityWe celebrate different voices, faces, ideas, and backgrounds and believe human diversity, the seen and unseen, drives innovation and creativity. We are building a culture where everyone feels included, respected, and valued and is comfortable being their full, authentic self.Essential Functions and Responsibilities: Plan, document, and execute a consistent yet flexible product plan to ensure delivery of solutions on time and within budget.Implement and monitor project management processes and protocols that bring clarity, consistency, and coherence within the product solutions, including clearly documented processes and consistent project blueprints.Engage and collaborate with IPD, Learning Services and MVLRI leadership to identify and meet project requirements.Contribute to the weekly dashboard reports, including accurate and timely data regarding product status, health, resourcing needs, change of scope, and red flags that impact schedule, cost, or quality of deliverables.Oversee contractors assigned to products to ensure agreements are in place, training has been provided, product expectations are clear, and timelines are being met.Manage quality assurance processes for all products in the product family, incorporating established quality standards for online courses (i.e., Quality Matters) and web accessibility guidelines (WCAG 2.0) along with processes to fix and verify all known defects prior to product release to ensure the learner experience is seamless.Develop and implement process improvements targeted at delivering quality and cost-effective product solutions.Oversee the product intake process, identify stakeholder requirements,set project schedules, and allocate resources.Manage the overall schedule, encompassing project schedule, including projects of varying sizes and complexities, along with course maintenance projects and non-project tasks in collaboration with Instructional Design Managers and other team members.Promote a collaborative, cross-functional team environment.Establish and maintain relationships with external customers and stakeholders.Actively participate in department leadership to contribute to departmental planning, budgeting, monitoring, and team guidance.Collaborate with and contribute to discussions with MVLRI, Learning Services, and department leadership to bring research into practice through "next" generation product design and innovation.Build skill set of Course Development Assistants and product team members by providing ongoing support and coaching, leading and contributing to professional learning, participating in the recruitment and hiring of Course Development Assistants, and implementing onboarding and training for new hires. Job Qualifications and Requirements: Strong knowledge of product development and project management.Experience with estimating, tracking and reporting on time on projects.Demonstrated ability to analyze data to identify trends, track progress, and adjust plans accordingly.Ability to leverage project management and office productivity software to create efficiencies.Ability to learn and apply new technology tools and skills.Strong problem-solving and analytical skills and an aptitude for analyzing complex issues and developing the appropriate solutions.Experience in process improvement and internal controls development.Excellent organizational skills, the ability to meet deadlines and handle divergent tasks simultaneously.Proven track record of leading the development efforts for effective online solutions, preferably in the K-12 education market.Ability to effectively operate within a diverse environment with cross-functional teams.Demonstrated interpersonal and leadership skills, including the ability to work with and through people to establish shared project goals, objectives, and action plans.Experience in developing and training staff and overseeing compliance.Flexibility and the ability to accommodate change.Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to tailor communication to an audience to achieve the desired result. Education and/or Experience: Bachelor's degree in Project Management, Business Administration, Organizational Performance, Workplace Development, Educational Technology or related field.A minimum of 5-7 years of demonstrated experience in product development, project management, program and process management or an equivalent combination of education and experience.Experience with project management, office productivity, Learning Management Systems (LMS) and video conference software.Experience with Wrike, MS Office, Google Suite, Zoom, MS Teams, and/or Brightspace is highly desirable.PMP and/or CAPM certification is highly desirable.Experience in managing projects in the fields of educational technology or online learning is highly desirable.Supervisory experience is highly desirable, including experience in coaching and guiding the professional development of team members.Experience working and collaborating in a remote environment is highly desirable. Supervisory Responsibilities: This position has direct management responsibilities for Course Development Assistants. This position has leadership responsibilities for product team members assigned to a specific product effort.WORK ENVIRONMENT and/or PHYSICAL DEMANDS:The work environment characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. The work environment is that of a typical office and/or classroom setting.Sit in a normal seated or standing position in front of a computer for extended periods of time, with or without reasonable accomodation.The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.Ability to see and hear within normal parameters with or without reasonable accomodation.