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Posted May 25, 2022
University of Michigan

Gameful Learning Developer

Ann Arbor, MI, USA Full Time
Reference: 217347

How to Apply A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter...

How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position, include your salary requirements, and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position. If possible, please include a link to your electronic portfolio/dossier as part of your resume.

What You'll Do

In this position, you will be empowered in a highly autonomous developer role within a collaborative team leveraging modern technologies, languages and approaches. The developer for this role will join cutting edge efforts to support higher education through gameful learning. Work with complex data and cloud based solutions. Be part of a dynamic multi-disciplinary team that focuses on creativity and impact; automation and iteration.

The developer selected for this position will play a critical role in advancing and exploring the cutting-edge of Gameful Learning software innovation at the University of Michigan. Help create and evolve applications to author and participate in simulations (ViewPoint), create gameful courses (GradeCraft), and deliver quiz powered learning (ProblemRoulette). Operate across a wide range of exciting projects and technologies with a focus on leveraging dedicated development cycles to target the initialization, improvement and iteration needed to advance high-priority software innovations.

Mission Statement

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.

Who We Are

About the Educational Technology Team

As a Gameful Learning Developer at the Center for Academic Innovation, you will play a key role on the Education Technology team. This team is made up of diverse skill sets and individuals, including Software Developers, UX Designers, QA Analysts, DevOps Engineers, Data Scientists and Behavioral Scientists. We work collaboratively to apply our expertise to create innovative solutions, tools and technologies to the big challenges in education, enabling innovative learning 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:

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, the University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

  • Generous time off, including vacation time, sick time, holiday and season days
  • A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting
  • Many choices for comprehensive health insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Long-term disability coverage
  • Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

For additional Benefits and Wellness details, see http://benefits.umich.edu/

Responsibilities*

  • Project level application development, including reviewing the work of fellow developers and designers
  • Coordination with QA to ensure fully tested and high quality version releases
  • Maintaining technical familiarity and expertise with the evolution of mainstream and emerging technologies
  • Collaborating closely with software developers, user experience designers, instructional designers, faculty, researchers, and students at the University of Michigan
  • Employing a pragmatic approach by understanding the tradeoffs between a perfect solution and a working solution
  • Working closely with the team to solve problems, transfer knowledge, and develop software architecture and designs

Skills You Have

  • You are a self-driven team contributor who enjoys conceiving and implementing solutions to complex real world problems. You think in terms of abstraction, modularity and reuse. You architect your projects to address the situation in front of you and optimize for future flexibility. You know how to work backward to address a problem rather than accept a solution.
  • You are known for your forward-looking mindset, anticipating needs and opportunities before they emerge. You believe in iteration and think in terms of efficiency and sustainability, pursuing automation and reducing points of failure. You take pride in the work you deliver and are known for the quality of your releases. You set ambitious goals and realistic milestones.
  • You are valued as a team member and thought partner. You are comfortable presenting your ideas to your team and stakeholders. You are a skilled and enthusiastic collaborator who works well in team settings, knowing where to listen to the expertise of others and when to lead with your own.
  • You think from the user perspective and challenge yourself and your collaborators to think about impact and design solutions to identifiable challenges. You care about usability, functionality and presentation of the applications you design. You have experience creating something new and helping projects realize their potential.

Required Qualifications*

  • Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or a related field and 2+ years of professional software development experience, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
  • Experience working in a cross-functional product team
  • Experience developing and deploying applications at scale
  • Experience working with Python or Ruby and an associated web application framework (e.g. Flask/Django or Rails)
  • Foundational knowledge of modern web technologies including JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS
  • Experience working with relational database platforms (e.g.: MySQL, PostgreSQL or Oracle)
  • Hold strong attention to detail and concern for information accuracy
  • Strong analytical and problem solving skills
  • Ability to work well in a multicultural and collaborative environment

Additional Information

  • This position will report to the Software Development Lead at the Center for Academic Innovation
  • The salary for this position will be based upon the selected candidate’s education and experience
  • This role is intended as a hybrid role (some amount of time in-office in Ann Arbor, some remote)
  • 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

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.

This listing expired on Jul 09. Applications are no longer accepted.