Associate Director, Instructional Support and Development

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

About the role

This position involves oversight and leadership in the areas of faculty development, capacity-building, and outreach to serve the needs of the HGSE teaching community and ensure that HGSE’s support of excellence in teaching is preeminent in the field of education and across professional schools. This position is responsible for keeping HGSE on the leading edge of pedagogical strategies that serve the teaching and learning needs of students and faculty regardless of modality.

Responsibilities

• Partners with faculty to continuously improve teaching practice throughout the School, and with the Director, Instructional Support and Development, cultivate a portfolio of strong faculty relationships guided by the School’s priorities.
• Views teaching as intellectual work based on research principles and engages faculty in a wide variety of development opportunities including classroom observations, one-on-one consulting, workshops, and pedagogical projects.
• Brings an experienced teaching and faculty development perspective to discussions around community needs and implementation strategies.
• Supports individual faculty members to improve teaching practice and best practices for syllabus development, equitable instructional practices, case-based teaching, diverse forms of deep and active learning, and authentic assessment of learning outcomes.
• Supports the adoption and implementation of new instructional approaches and technologies by providing consultation on course design, design of assignments, exercises and simulations, classroom management strategies, etc.
• Assists faculty with course improvements based on observed practice and student feedback.
• In collaboration with the Director, Instructional Support and Development, develops and leads:
  • Professional learning experiences for HGSE faculty overall, including individual workshops and ongoing communities of practice.
  • Professional development programs and mentoring for new instructors (including the New Faculty Teaching Institute), providing them with resources and guidance in effective teaching practice.
• Leads professional-development programming and mentoring efforts for Teaching Fellows:
  • Hires and manages the TF Instructional Coach.
  • Oversees orientation, recognition, and other sessions for TFs.
  • Liaises with other HGSE partners to clarify TF-related policies and supports.
  • Develops TF pedagogical resources.
• Showcases innovation in teaching and learning through outreach channels (such as the TLL website, HILT Conference, etc.).
• Creates web and print resources that meet the evolving needs of HGSE instructors.
• Partners with the Director, Instructional Support and Development to shape and define the ISD portfolio of projects and functional deliverables by managing new requests and evaluating and prioritizing them to ensure planned, organized, and timely implementations.
• May collaborate with Faculty Affairs on faculty hiring by providing advice and support related to teaching and mentoring skills.
• Follows national and international developments in pedagogy and related fields to incorporate relevant ideas into HGSE programs and services.
• Collaborates on strategic projects within the school and with other university departments as needed and may represent HGSE on university-wide groups focused on teaching improvement.
• Provides project leadership on complex projects, identifies partners both inside and outside of the group, and maintains clear communication channels with all stakeholders.
• Manages temporary and term employees working in the Instructional Support and Development portfolio.
• Mentors doctoral and other graduate fellows in the areas of faculty development.
• Leads and participates in other academic projects as assigned.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• Minimum of five years experience as an instructor and/or in faculty development in higher education.
• Teaching experience.

As part of the interview process, finalists will be required to participate in an on-campus simulated instructional consultation session with a faculty member, followed by a debrief. Candidates should submit a cover letter and resume as a single PDF document. Any applicant wishing to be considered for this position should indicate that they meet all of the basic requirements in either the cover letter or resume.

Qualifications

• Ed.D/Ph.D. (desired but not required).
• Higher education teaching experience in multiple modalities/formats (e.g., face-to-face, blended, online; degree program and professional non-degree).
• Experience with one-on-one coaching of senior, experienced professionals (such as senior faculty), including the ability to develop trust and collegiality.
• Expertise in designing active-learning experiences and supporting faculty to implement active-learning principles; more broadly, demonstrated experience in pedagogical design and implementation that leverages scholarship on teaching and learning and incorporates research-based best practices.
• Experience developing and implementing faculty programs, consultations, and resources on:
  • Engaging Generative AI effectively and ethically to support teaching and learning.
  • Equitable, inclusive teaching and advising.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within a workgroup and across departments.
• Ability to lead a complex long-term project with multiple stakeholders.
• Experience teaching with problem-based pedagogies.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to plan and meet deadlines.
• Ability to manage others.

Pay

$95,000 - $110,000 commensurate with experience.

Schedule

35 hours per week. This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off including parental leave.
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one.
• Retirement plans with university contributions.
• Wellbeing and mental health resources.
• Support for families and caregivers.
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement.
• Commuter benefits, discounts, and campus perks.