Senior Advisor, Digital Product Development

Follow us on LinkedIn

Job Type:

Employee

Duration in Months (for fixed-term jobs):

24

Job Family:

Research and Program Support

# Of Open Positions:

1

Faculty/Service - Department:

Administration Office, Office of the Vice-President, Academic Affairs

Campus:

Main Campus

Union Affiliation:

N/A

Date Posted (Yyyy/Mm/Dd):

2025/10/16

Applications must be received BEFORE (YYYY/MM/DD):

2025/10/27

Hours Per Week:

35

Salary Grade:

Non-Union Grade NC8 - 35 hrs

Salary Range:

$94,214.00 - $117,768.00

Position Purpose

Reporting to the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs, plays a strategic role in designing, adjusting and implementing innovative digital education solutions. Works closely with the faculties to increase the impact of programs in place or in development, creating modular pathways (micro-credentials, non-credit offerings) adapted to the needs of a diverse clientele. Using user-centred approaches (UX research, ideation workshops, data analysis), designs products in line with pedagogical and institutional goals, and market development. Contributes to the University’s digital strategy by crafting a framework of flexible, reusable offerings based on best practices.

Specific Accountabilities

• Strategic product development: Defines and implements strategies to develop digital educational products that support the University’s academic and promotional goals. Works with faculties to identify potential program modularization (courses, skills blocks, learning units) and designs flexible, complementary pathways (micro-credentials, non-credit offerings). Supports faculty teams promoting their current offerings or those in development by integrating innovative formats adapted to various audiences, including professionals in continuing education.
• UX research and field validation: Plans and leads ideation workshops with academic stakeholders. Conducts user interviews and qualitative and quantitative analysis to guide product design. Integrates UX research findings in deliverables to optimize the learning experience and relevance of proposed pathways.
• Strategic watch: Identifies growth opportunities based on current academic offerings. Proposes product models adapted to market needs and emerging trends in digital learning. Assists with strategic watch concerning pedagogical innovation, hybrid formats and education product development best practices.
• Cross-functional co-ordination and faculty collaboration: Liaises between faculties, central services and external partners to ensure consistency in product development. Facilitates collaboration between program managers, learning specialists and technical teams, to ensure initiative quality and viability.
• Continuous improvement and process optimization: Establishes performance indicators for educational products developed and ensures monitoring. Assesses deliverables in terms of strategic objectives and adjusts processes based on return on experience and learners’ changing needs.
• Stakeholder communication and mobilization: Develops and implements communication strategies adapted to various internal and external audiences. Presents concepts, prototypes and deliverables so they are clear and appealing to faculties, services and partners. Fosters understanding of issues related to educational innovation and modularization of offerings, and mobilizes stakeholders using collaborative approaches and adapted communications tools.

Knowledge, experience and skills

• University degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Five years’ relevant experience in educational product development, program design and management of strategic projects in an academic or related setting
• Skills in UX research, modularization of academic offerings, cross-functional collaboration, change management and market development
• Proven experience in UX research applied to education (ideation workshops, user interviews, qualitative and quantitative analysis)
• In-depth knowledge of approaches to modularization of academic offerings (micro-credentials, non-credit pathways)
• Experience in cross-functional collaboration on digital transformation projects with academic, pedagogical, technical and administrative teams
• Highly developed change management method and market development skills with regard to educational innovation
• Outstanding ability to communicate with diverse audiences, simplify complex concepts and mobilize stakeholders
• Strategic orientation, creativity, autonomy and ability to manage several projects at once in a dynamic environment
• Bilingualism — English/French (spoken and written)

Key Competencies at uOttawa:
Here are the required competencies for all or our employees at uOttawa: 

Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self-starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.

The University of Ottawa embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We are passionate about our people and committed to employment equity. We foster a culture of respect, teamwork and inclusion, where collaboration, innovation, and creativity fuel our quest for research and teaching excellence. While all qualified persons are invited to apply, we welcome applications from qualified Indigenous persons, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women and LGBTQIA2S+ persons. The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible, barrier-free work environment. The University is also committed to working with applicants with disabilities requesting accommodation during the recruitment, assessment and selection processes. Applicants with disabilities may contact hrtalentmanagement@uottawa.ca to communicate the accommodation need. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Note: if this is a union position: The hiring process will be governed by the current collective agreement related to the union affiliation noted above; you can click here to find out more.

If this is a front-line position with responsibilities to interact with students, selected candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehension and reading comprehension in their second official language. The rating is determined by a proficiency test designed by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.