Educational Developer

Position Job Title: Career Educational Developer

Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent (Hybrid)

Reports To: Director, Centre for Teaching Excellence

The University of Niagara Falls is looking for an education developer to join the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE). As an educational developer you will report to the Director: Centre for Teaching Excellence and work closely with the developing CTE team, including the Senior Instructional Designer, and other academic and administrative units across the UNF community, in the development of interactive and research-grounded faculty programming and curriculum supports. The Educational Developer will collaborate with the CTE team to support faculty, curriculum developers, and specialists by designing certificates, workshops, and curriculum support for diverse delivery modes. Leveraging best practices, they will create engaging, inclusive content and manage projects to ensure timely and relevant delivery of faculty supports.

Key Responsibilities

• Manages the development, delivery, and evaluation of programs and services designed to address the instructional needs of UNFC’s faculty members (e.g., certificates, workshops, instructional and course design consultations, pedagogical support for educational technologies and hybrid learning approaches).
• Facilitates departmental, program-level, and institution-wide initiatives or programs that promote the importance of teaching excellence.
• Engages in individual consultations.
• Design, support, administer, and facilitate workshops and learning sessions for faculty certificate and other programming.
• Lead the process of accreditation for UNFC’s Faculty Instructional certificate.
• Work with instructional designers to optimize collaborative learning experiences.
• Support faculty in the meaningful application of AI technologies to enhance student learning experience.
• Build relationships with faculty and academic leaders to promote teaching excellence across UNFC’s programs.
• Develops and manages relationships with relevant academic support units (Library, Student Success).

Strategic Direction:

• Contributes to the development and implementation of institutional strategic initiatives regarding the enhancement of teaching and learning (e.g., curriculum mapping, assurance of learning, teaching and learning awards, teaching and learning spaces, multi-modality practices and supports).
• Contributes to the development and implementation of the department’s strategic plan and provides leadership on departmental strategic priorities as needed.
• Engages in research and/or makes scholarly contributions within the broad field of higher education.
• Represents the university on provincial, national, and/or international projects related to teaching, learning, or educational development as needed.
• Participates actively in relevant professional associations and conferences to reinforce and promote UNFC’s position and profile in pedagogical innovations and in the field of educational development.
• Proposes policies, procedures, and guidelines to support course development and delivery.

Centre for Teaching Excellence:

• Contributes to the Centre’s thought leadership in higher education pedagogy and educational development as requested.
• Collaborates with CTE colleagues to develop and build courses, workshops, and interactives to support faculty and course development.
• Contributes to the overall mission of CTE in supporting the development of programs, courses, and faculty support at UNF.
• In collaboration with CTE colleagues, represents CTE in program and faculty development project teams.
• Supports the instructional design team when needed.

Position Requirements

Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree in relevant field. PhD preferred.
• At least 5 years’ experience teaching in a university setting.
• 3-to-5-years’ experience working in faculty development and/or educational development roles.
• At least 5 years’ experience in curriculum and course development.

Competencies:

• Demonstrated knowledge of theories and practices used in educational development, including inclusive pedagogies, educational technologies, blended learning, teaching, course design, and assessments of learning.
• Demonstrated knowledge of contemporary issues in higher education teaching and learning, such as AI technologies, evaluation strategies, and hybrid approaches to learning.
• Demonstrated abilities with quantitative and/or qualitative research methods.
• Solid managerial skills within an academic environment, including proven skills in staff development and relationship management and achieving results using a collaborative approach.
• Demonstrated success in contributing to change efforts while showing respect for and sensitivity to academic and disciplinary norms.
• Excellent verbal, written, presentation communication, and facilitation skills.
• Demonstrated high level of organization and ability to manage high volumes of activity and change.
• Proven analytical, strategic, and systems thinking, and project management.