Summary
In this position, you will join the talented and collaborative User Experience Design team at the Center for Academic Innovation and contribute UX Design for innovative software applications created to tackle the big challenges and opportunities in higher education. You will work with a highly creative multi-disciplinary team of designers, developers and behavioral scientists to provide design expertise to high priority and high impact projects and initiatives. This role will be empowered to make key design decisions and work autonomously to focus on the research, design, and implementation of intuitive user experiences for custom built software applications across a range of impactful projects and technologies.
Who We Are
About the Educational Technology Team
As a UX Designer at the Center for Academic Innovation, you will work directly on the Education Technology team. This team is made up of a diverse set of individuals, including other UX Designers, UX Researchers, QA Analysts, Software Developers, and Behavioral Scientists. We work collaboratively to apply our expertise in the creation and evolution of digital education tools and technologies to enable innovative learning practices and personalization at scale across the U-M community and beyond.
About the Center for Academic Innovation
The Center for Academic Innovation is where creativity, excellence, and the University of Michigan’s aspirations for societal impact combine to reimagine the future of higher education. Through curricular innovation, educational data and research, and educational technology, we position U-M as a global leader in academic innovation to create and inspire change in higher education and to reinforce an engaged and informed society
Why Work at Michigan?
Benefits:
24 vacation days and 15 sick leave days a year with provisions for extended benefits
Opportunities for professional development and travel
TIAA-CREF and Fidelity Investments retirement options available
For additional Benefits and Wellness details, see http://benefits.umich.edu/
Responsibilities*
Provide feature conceptualization and interface design for software applications and platforms
Employ systems thinking within your projects, developing a sustainable structure and guidelines for growth
Articulate, develop, and model the end user experience to make user interaction simple, efficient, and consistent
Oversee all stages of the software design process: user flow diagrams, wireframes, mockups, and implementation
Analyze difficult design choices faced by your project team and make recommendations based on in-depth reviews, strong analysis, and data
Skills You Have
Your design process takes a holistic approach, identifying patterns and workflows by considering the larger system.
You’re skilled at making sense of complex ideas or constraints, seeing how they relate to to the bigger picture, and creating logical connections within the system.
You have experience organizing, structuring, and thoughtfully labeling content so that users can discover and traverse information in the most effective way.
You have a strong understanding of graphic design and are well-versed in typography, color theory, branding, layout, and hierarchy.
You have experience developing a brand identity and working within an established set of guidelines.
You’re proficient with Adobe Creative Cloud platforms and prototyping tools such as Sketch, Invision, etc.
You are an intellectually curious, creative problem solver focused on design methodology who won’t compromise design standards in order to meet your solutions.
You employ a pragmatic approach which appreciates the trade-off between a perfect solution and a working iterative solution.
You keep the user’s needs at top of mind.
You analyze research findings to make design recommendations based on in-depth reviews, analysis, and expertise.
You stay on top of design trends and best practices for the web.
You’re have a base level understanding of front-end implementation (HTML, CSS, and JS) and / or the desire to learn and grow this skillset.
You’re passionate about creating inclusive, accessible tools for a diverse user population.
Required Qualifications*
A cover letter attached as the first page of your resume which includes your salary requirements
Design portfolio link included in resume
BA or BFA plus experience in HCI, UX Design, Product Design, Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Systems Design, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
Underfill Statement
This position may be underfilled at a lower classification depending on the qualifications of the selected candidate.
Additional Information
This position will report to the Creative Design Lead for User Experience Design at the Center for Academic Innovation
The salary for this position will be based upon the selected candidate’s education and experience
The responsibilities of this position may be fulfilled in a hybrid work environment, depending on the preference of the selected candidate
This position must be based in the United States
This is a 5 year term limited position with the possibility of renewal depending on funding
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Learning and working in environments designed for equity and inclusivity are necessary for the U-M community to make progress on solving the problems that matter most to society. In addition to collaborating with faculty and staff on projects that explicitly focus on DEI, the Center for Academic Innovation uses inclusive design processes in all of our work. All interested applicants, including those from groups historically underrepresented in higher education, are encouraged to apply.
Background Screening
The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.
Decision Making Process
Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and continue until the position is filled.
U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.
U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy
COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters when eligible, are required for all University of Michigan students, faculty and staff across all campuses, including Michigan Medicine. This includes those working remotely. More information on this new policy is available on the Campus Blueprint website or the UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint websites.