Title:

Pedagogical and Instructional Innovation Specialist

Department:

Office of the Provost

Reports To:

Center for Educational Innovation and Excellence Director Office of the Provost

Position Type:

Staff

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Director of the Center for Educational Innovation and Excellence (CEIE), the Pedagogical and Instructional Innovation Specialist plays a pivotal role in advancing innovative teaching practices, fostering pedagogical transformation, and supporting the strategic initiatives around teaching, learning, and curriculum at NJIT. This position goes beyond traditional instructional design and technical support, offering one-on-one consultations with instructors and departments to explore creative, research-based approaches to teaching and learning. Specialists will lead initiatives aimed at transforming pedagogy across the institution, driving innovative projects, and contributing to educational research and publication efforts. This position requires excellent oral and written communication skills, organization for documentation, project tracking, and balancing multiple priorities, as well as evidence-based pedagogical knowledge.

Essential Functions:

-Pedagogical Consultation: Collaborate with individual faculty members and academic departments to design and implement innovative, evidence-based teaching strategies that improve student engagement and learning outcomes. Facilitate conversations on rethinking pedagogy, active learning, and course redesign.

-Departmental & Strategic Project Support: Work with entire departments or interdisciplinary groups to lead special projects that drive pedagogical transformation across programs. Advise on curriculum redesign and assessment, development of new courses, and large-scale instructional initiatives that align with institutional goals and academic priorities.

-Assessment & Evaluation Strategies: Assist faculty and departments in developing comprehensive assessment strategies, including formative and summative assessment, and strategies for gathering data on student learning outcomes. This may include supporting the design and implementation of assessment tools that align with pedagogical innovations, and collaborating with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness to ensure alignment.

-Research & Scholarship: Lead and participate in educational research projects, including the design of studies, collection and analysis of data, and the synthesis of results for publication. Engage with faculty to co-author papers and present at academic conferences on topics related to teaching innovation, educational technology, and assessment.

-Innovative Program Development: Collaborate with the CEIE team to create and deliver workshops, seminars, and development programs focused on innovative pedagogy, digital learning, and curriculum transformation. Develop resources, web content, newsletters, and other creative content for the CEIE. Facilitate faculty learning communities that explore new models of teaching and course design.

-Instructional Technology Alignment: Provide guidance on how to strategically incorporate instructional technologies into courses to enhance teaching and learning. Help instructors understand which tools are available and provide guidance for adopting technologies that align with instructional needs to promote active learning and student success, avoiding basic technical troubleshooting.

-Thought Leadership: Act as a thought leader on campus by promoting creative, outside-the-box approaches to teaching. Serve as a resource for faculty and departments seeking to implement cutting-edge, research-informed teaching methodologies.

-Center Support: Support the overall mission of the CEIE and work on specialized projects, complex projects and other duties as assigned.

Prerequisite Qualifications:

• Education: Master’s or Ph.D. in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, instructional design, or a related field, with a strong focus on pedagogy, curriculum development, or assessment.

-Experience: 3-5 years of experience in higher education instructional design, faculty development, or a related field, with a proven track record of pedagogical transformation and instructional technology adoption at an elevated level.

-Innovative Teaching Expertise: Deep understanding of active learning, inclusive teaching, curriculum design, and transformative pedagogical practices. Experience with integrating advanced instructional technologies (beyond basic LMS tools) into teaching to promote innovation.

-Research & Data Literacy: Experience designing, conducting, and analyzing educational research studies. Proficiency in educational research methods and the ability to synthesize findings into actionable recommendations.

-Assessment Skills: Strong background in designing and implementing innovative assessment strategies to evaluate student learning outcomes and course effectiveness.

-Project Leadership: Demonstrated ability to work on strategic projects with departments and faculty, with experience managing complex initiatives that foster large-scale pedagogical change.

-Collaborative Skills: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, departments, and interdisciplinary teams.

• At the university's discretion, the education and experience prerequisites may be exempted where the candidate can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the university, an equivalent combination of education and experience specifically preparing the candidate for success in the position.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience designing and delivering faculty workshops or development programs related to pedagogy, technology integration, or curriculum design.

• Strong critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to propose novel approaches to instructional challenges.

• Familiarity with emerging trends in educational technology, such as AI in education, VR/AR for learning, and adaptive learning systems.

• The Pedagogical and Instructional Innovation Specialist will work closely with the Director of CEIE, fellow specialists, and university faculty to promote a culture of pedagogical excellence. This is a collaborative role requiring creativity, strategic thinking, and a forward-looking approach to education.

Bargaining Unit:

PSA

Range/Band:

24

FLSA:

Exempt

Full-Time