Full-Time DC Design University Director
Job Description
PLEASE READ THE FULL JOB DESCRIPTION BEFORE APPLYING
DC Design redesigns America’s social systems like our criminal justice, foster care, healthcare, education, and housing systems to work better for everyone, especially low-income people of color. DC Design University is the education arm of our company, teaching the principles of Design Thinking that we use in our social impact consulting. We’re looking for a DC Design University Director, which is the director of our education department’s overall vision, goals and strategy, an expert on curriculum and program design, and a professional willing to conduct on-the-ground execution at a small company.
ROLE: DC Design University Director – Full Time
LOCATION: USA (remote)
Note: This position is largely remote, with in-person elements + travel once safe.
SALARY: $85,000- 120,000 / year
COMPANY: DC Design
WEBSITE: www.dcdesignltd.com
CONTACT: [email protected]
TO APPLY: Apply here
COMPANY OVERVIEW
WHO ARE WE? DC Design is a social impact strategy & design consulting firm. Using Human-Centered Design, our cross-disciplinary team engages the key stakeholders affected by a problem, especially those who have been through that problem themselves, to develop solutions that are validated and long-lasting. We partner with social impact entrepreneurs, foundations, nonprofits, governments and companies to address complex social problems and teach them our methods. We have extensive experience redesigning aspects of poverty-related social systems such as criminal justice, education, foster care, healthcare, and housing.
VISION: Design lasting solutions that reduce systemic inequality in America and help people thrive.
MISSION: To advance the well-being of all people by developing strategies, products, services and curricula that benefit those most negatively affected by flaws in America’s social systems.
PRODUCT OFFERINGS
EDUCATION: Through our education arm, DC Design University, we offer Design Thinking and social impact education to young people and adults, both online and in-person. For example, we teach innovators who want to ingrain the tenets of Multi-Stakeholder Design into their practice. We’ve been trusted by the Obama Foundation, BUILD.org, Central Valley Foundation, and others to teach their stakeholders. Additionally, we offer online courses for social impact innovators interested in entering social impact/design thinking fields or incorporating those methodologies in their work. We also empower high school students with these skills through mentorship and hands-on experience.
STRATEGY: We guide social innovators and organizations to create more effective and long-lasting social impact. All of our work is powered by the belief that we can only create consistent positive change by being in community with those we aim to serve. Through our framework of Multi-Stakeholder Human-Centered Design, we help organizations deepen their community ties and more confidently choose how to apply their limited resources. Our strategy work includes helping organizations better understand the needs of the people they serve through in-depth interviews, surveys, user testing, journey mapping, stakeholder mapping and other methods. We bring expertise in crafting strategic plans, updating missions and visions, and developing action plans alongside our clients, such as Santa Clara County’s Office of Reentry Services, to execute on their ideas.
DESIGN: Once a strategy has been identified, we co-develop customized services that are aligned with the needs of the people an organization serves. The apps and services we design are tailored through iterative prototyping rounds to ensure functionality. Apps like the one we developed for Grail Family Services work in both iOS and Android, and stand the test of time because of our user testing methodology.
ROLE OVERVIEW
The DC Design University Director will play a crucial role as DC Design’s executive leader for our education efforts. A keen ability to create structure, build resources and execute positive learning experiences for students of all ages and abilities will be essential for this role. The Director will be integral in creating and implementing a sustainable program structure including: systems and staff development, financial partnerships, best practices, and branding and marketing leadership. We are looking for a Director with skill sets in multiple areas to make an immediate impact within the company and with our students.
Responsibilities:
- Provide direction, oversight and management of expansion and systems development initiatives
- Develop growth strategies for program expansion nationwide, owning responsibility, alongside the CEO, for the growth of Design the Future and other programs
- Develop new community relationships
- Develop regional strategic partnerships
- Manage regional program budgets
- Advise on recruitment strategies for students and staff
- Develop novel programs and regional initiatives
- Establish fiscal sponsorship
- Develop fundraising and scholarship programs
- Develop strategic partnerships
- Advise on development and implementation of marketing and recruitment strategies
- Oversee end of year summary reports on program results
- Manage Design the Future and other DC Design University staff
- Assist with recruiting, selecting, and hiring Design the Future and DC Design University staff
- Report to the CEO and COO
- Assist with DCDU Coordinator work as necessary (program communications, database management, student application review), especially during the coming year of growth
- Lean into on-the-ground detail work when needed
- Recognize and execute on tasks needed to ensure the programs are run successfully
RELEVANT SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND MINDSETS:
- You have a bachelor’s degree in education or education administration, business studies or computer science.
- You have grown an education program in the past.
- You have or have had a teaching certification and previous teaching experience.
- You have an understanding of curriculum design. Added bonus for online/remote curriculum design.
- You have experience in a management capacity within a learning or enablement role in a non-profit, B-corp or social good organization.
- You are an excellent written communicator.
- You are an excellent verbal communicator.
HELPFUL ADDITIONAL SKILLS (Not required but great):
- You have a masters or postgraduate degree in education or education administration, business administration, software development or equivalent professional experience fostering education programs.
- You are a strong aesthetic designer able to combine technical and aesthetic design with strong human-centered values.
- You have social impact or non-profit experience.
- You have strong dedication to social justice in your professional endeavors.
- You have a history as executive director of a remote education initiative.
DC DESIGN UNIVERSITY OVERVIEW
DC Design University is the education branch of our company. A few examples of offerings we have under DC Design University include:
- Design the Future:
- Design the Future is DC Design’s flagship award-winning Design Thinking & STEM summer program in which small teams of high school students design and build products for individuals with disabilities (our Project Partners). Design the Future: Digital is the current iteration of this program offering students from all over the world the chance to participate remotely.
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- The program began in 2015 in partnership with Stanford University with only 14 students, and our final iteration before the coronavirus pandemic had expanded to six programs on four different university campuses across the country, reaching 174 students total. In the in-person program, students developed physical products in partnering maker labs. Through empathy and prototyping, students create products that meet the needs of their Project Partner, a local individual with a physical or sensory disability with a passion for mentorship.
- Our Digital iteration was facilitated to over 100 students, coming from all over the United States, and twenty-one smartphone applications were delivered to our Project Partners at the end of the session to hopefully enhance their everyday lives. We are hoping to grow our program by 10x in the next five years, and expand to partnerships with other organizations.
- Teaching Design Thinking to high school and university students like at Stanford University’s design school, to refugees, & to organizations around the world, such as Obama Foundation and BUILD.org
- Online courses about Design Thinking and Social Impact
- Design Thinking Fundamentals for Social Change: A 7-part, online video course guiding students through a step by step process for creating innovative solutions in their own life. Taught by Design the Future Creator and DC Design CEO, Durell Coleman, they learn how some of history’s greatest innovators applied design thinking principles to change the world.
- Jump Start Your Personal Projects with Design Thinking: In this live, online course taught by DC Design Lead Designer and Operations Director, Libby Johnson, students explore design thinking, how to increase their motivation, overcome common obstacles, and apply the psychology of habits alongside their cohort. They finish the course with a real, tangible first prototype of their project and a plan for further development that will withstand competing priorities.
- Other nascent online courses are planned
CONNECT WITH US
INSTAGRAM: @dcdesignltd and @youdesignthefuture
FACEBOOK: DC Design and Design the Future
LINKEDIN: DC Design Ltd