Field Day Studio Director

Academic Staff, Regular position within the School of Education / Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER).

About the role

The Field Day Studio Director is a creative leadership position responsible for overseeing the development of research-based, educational games.

Responsibilities

• Develops, directs, and evaluates research program strategic planning initiatives and establishes objectives to ensure appropriate use of financial, administrative, and staffing resources in alignment with the strategic plan.
• Develops, implements, directs, and evaluates research program operating policies and procedures to comply with regulations, institutional policies, and unit objectives.
• Serves as the unit liaison and key spokesperson to internal and external stakeholder groups, providing organizational information and representing the interests of the research program.
• Develops and audits research program budget(s).
• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees.
• Serves as a unit liaison to internal stakeholder groups to foster cross-unit partnership efforts regarding research programs and activities.
• Disseminates the lab’s work through internal and external communications, including academic articles and conference presentations.
• Serves as a consultant to project directors and provides technical expertise to research and operational personnel.
• Collaborates with project directors and the full range of clients whose knowledge and expertise varies.
• Determines unit personnel needs and the unit personnel resource allocation plan.
• Collaborates closely with the Field Day Director to plan, execute, and implement strategy.
• Supervises creative and developer staff.
• Assists with planning, implementation, and management of strategic initiatives for a center or program.
• Develops branding and communications strategy for each project and the Field Day Lab.
• Manages large research projects for a center or program.

Requirements

• 7 years minimum experience with managing multimillion-dollar grant-funded research projects (mid-career).
• Experience supervising full-time staff.
• Direct experience leading a game design studio, including supervising a team of developers and designers, production, creative direction, and game design experience.
• Experience in creative game development.
• Leadership experience in the roles of producer, creative director, and game designer.
• Demonstrated experience in academic writing and publishing and dissemination of work through presenting at conferences.
• A portfolio of currently accessible games.
• Bachelor’s degree in Design Studies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in grant writing.
• Active member of both the professional and academic communities developing and studying educational games.
• Experience working with grants funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Location

Employees at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) work in a hybrid environment, with responsibilities performed both onsite and remotely. The balance of onsite and remote work for this position will be discussed at the time of hire. Employees typically report to the office a minimum of three days a week. When onsite work is required, the employee must be able to report to 1025 West Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706.

Pay

Minimum $110,000. Commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off.
• Competitively priced health, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• Tax-advantaged savings accounts.
• Participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund.