Professional Development and Postdoctoral Affairs (PDPA) at Boston University invites applicants for a postdoctoral associate to support the Innovations in Graduate Education grant entitled PhD Progression: Creating workforce-driven flexible credentials for doctoral students. This position supports the expansion of a micro-credentialing professional development curriculum for doctoral students at Boston University and the connection of that curriculum to newly created experiential learning opportunities. The postdoc will assist the PDPA team in developing, organizing, implementing, and assessing the curriculum and experiential learning opportunities, as well as supporting the creation of a multi-institutional consortium that will contribute to the curriculum and offer blended learning opportunities.

This program enables BU doctoral students to earn microcredentials as markers of their acquisition of core professional skills, monitor their progress through various learning pathways, share benchmarks in their individual development plans, develop a practice of career planning and lifelong learning.

The successful applicant will work with PDPA and consortium partners at Boston University, local and national industry partners, and partners at other universities. The postdoc’s primary responsibilities will be to:

• Develop, implement, research, and evaluate the doctoral professional development curriculum and online learning pathways in a mentored setting
• Receive training in facilitation techniques and co-facilitate in-person/virtual learning communities for doctoral students enrolled in the program
• Collaborate with consortium members to build supportive partnerships and design the experiential learning opportunities associated with our curriculum
• Lead the program evaluation work and contribute to research on the curriculum and the consortium partnership, including producing scholarship related to both
• Provide logistical and administrative support for the curriculum, experiential learning opportunities, and consortium including assisting a student employee in organizing curriculum content, evaluating and tracking student progress, and issuing badges

These training and research activities will provide valuable experience for the Postdoctoral Associate in learning design, program management, program evaluation and research. This position is ideal for those interested in careers within academic administration, learning design, career development, and industry engagement. The successful candidate will be co-supervised by the Assistant Vice President and Assistant Provost for Research Development and PhD & Postdoctoral Affairs and the Assistant Director for PhD Student Professional Development.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible appointment for two years with an anticipated start date of January 2, 2023. To apply, please send a resume or CV and cover letter describing your background, qualifications, future goals, and why you believe you would be a strong fit for the position to the PDPA team at gradpd@bu.edu. Please be prepared to provide three references and a writing sample. Application materials will be considered on a rolling basis, but for full consideration, all materials must be received by November 7, 2022

Applicants should have completed a PhD before starting the position, and have a strong interest in academic administration, academic and/or professional development programming, and program evaluation. The ideal candidate will have experience with curriculum design, project management, qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and/or program evaluation. Preference will also be given to candidates who are also familiar with learning design tools like Articulate 360 and qualitative research tools like NVivo. Candidates with a demonstrated publication record, involvement in professional development or teaching-related projects, program evaluation are preferred. The individual should be able to work proactively and independently and must be comfortable managing competing project activities, deadlines, and deliverables. They also must possess strong communication skills, be familiar and facile with online collaboration, able to work collaboratively across remote teams. The candidate should have an interest in working across disciplines and be able to collaborate with colleagues across a range of academic fields.

Please note all newly hired staff and faculty will need to be in compliance with Boston University’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Booster Requirement  within 30 days of date of hire. You must upload your vaccine documentation or request a medical or religious exemption (instructions ). For further information on the University’s response to COVID-19, please visit the COVID-19 Resources  site.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.