This position is based in Boston, but the work may be done primarily remote. Any remote work must be performed in a state in which Harvard is registered to do business (CA*, CT, GA, IL, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VA, VT, and WA).
The Content Specialist for the Product Development group within the Office for External Education (OEE) at Harvard Medical School supports a growing portfolio of educational products and programs designed for OEE’s target markets of corporate learners, health care professionals, and the general public. Reporting to the Assistant Director, Instructional Design, the Content Specialist will lead the setup of learning experiences that set high standards within the medical education community within the learning platform; will hold significant responsibility for beta testing and quality assurance; and will support course delivery by maintaining and updating existing courses.
The Content Specialist will have a deep interest, and preferably experience, in the field of online education, along with a strong desire to offer a superior educational product to a diverse online audience. The candidate should be known for careful attention to detail and rigor in documentation, strong writing skills, the ability to problem solve and work independently, and the ability to frame clear questions for effective discussion and action. The candidate should be comfortable in an educational setting, capable of working at a fast pace, and able to learn new technologies quickly. This individual will balance multiple projects and competing priorities. This position will contribute to the Product Development group’s ethos as a learning organization and center of excellence, with a mindset geared toward quality, scale, and learner success.
Primary functions of this position:
LMS Implementation and Course Maintenance (40%)
- Facilitate course build efforts for OEE LMS types
- Apply technical and content development expertise to the implementation of engaging, relevant, and inclusive asynchronous online learning experiences, delivered via a variety of LMS types
- Identify opportunities to configure course assets to improve the learner experience
- Perform quality assurance and functionality checks for online learning experiences
- Support processes for UI/UX testing within learning platforms
- Update and maintain existing online courses, including implementation of routine course fixes, including typo correction, image updates, and assessment item updates
- Advise OEE colleagues on baking accessibility into project analysis and design phases; review content for adherence to digital accessibility standards and best practices
Content Management and Documentation (30%)
- Support efficient file management and versioning for course assets
- Proofread course components for grammar, formatting, and consistency
- Review course materials for assets that require copyright review, research permissions, and guide faculty on appropriate next steps
- Coordinate with other team members to maintain documentation related to online course creation and delivery, QA, and beta testing practices
Learner Data Reporting (20%)
- Coordinate among product development, technology, and operations teams on the instrumentation of learning analytics in courses
- Gather and organize learner experience data collected by the learning management system
- Create reports on platform learner activity and course evaluation feedback to inform the product development team’s opportunities for product refinement and enhancement
Instructional Technologies and Innovation (10%)
- Aid the platform development team (and vendors) in troubleshooting issues at the intersection of course content and technology
- Provide expertise to faculty and other stakeholders of platform capabilities and learner experience guidelines
- Support needs analysis for product enhancements
- Support representation of product development goals and needs at weekly platform meetings
Basic Qualifications
4 or more years of experience. Higher education may count towards experience.
Additional Qualifications and Skills
- Bachelor’s Degree is strongly preferred
- Strong writing and grammar skills
- Excellent attention to detail
- Ability to problem-solve and work independently
- Ability to learn new technologies quickly and effectively
- Technical experience developing and deploying courses in learning management systems
- Experience with data management, learning analytics, and data-informed decision making
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize and manage multiple competing deadlines
- Knowledge of digital accessibility standards and best practices
- Experience with tools for evaluating accessibility
- Experience with UI/UX testing
- Knowledge of basic HTML
- Committed to delivering a human-centered, quality learner experience
- Comfortable with ambiguity, with a growth mindset and the ability to work both autonomously and in collaboration to deliver and meet deadlines
- Motivated to remain at the forefront of educational technology, with the ability to present a perspective on these issues in strategic and technical conversations
Additional Information
A cover letter is highly encouraged as part of the application process.
This position is based in Boston, but the work may be done primarily remote. Any remote work must be performed in a state in which Harvard is registered to do business (CA*, CT, GA, IL, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI, VA, VT, and WA). Individual flexible and remote work options for this role will be discussed during the interview process. *Note: Harvard employees working in California must be exempt.
The health of our workforce is a priority for Harvard University. With that in mind, we strongly encourage all employees to be up-to-date on CDC-recommended vaccines.
Please note that we are currently conducting a majority of interviews and onboarding remotely and virtually. We appreciate your understanding.
The Harvard Medical School is not able to provide visa sponsorship for this position.
Benefits
We invite you to visit Harvard’s Total Rewards website to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:
- Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.
- Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
- Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
- Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.
- Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
- Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.
- Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
- Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.
- Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.