Edtech.com's Summary

Digital Promise Global is hiring a Director, EdTech R&D. The Director will lead the research and development projects focused on EdTech tools and emerging technologies to improve learning experiences for historically excluded learners. The role involves driving strategy, managing partnerships, synthesizing research, influencing policy, and overseeing a team to advance effective and equitable educational technology solutions.

Highlights

Lead EdTech R&D projects to center learning sciences and equity in design and development.
Cultivate partnerships with educators, researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders.
Translate research findings into policy recommendations at federal, state, and local levels.
Manage and mentor a team of project directors and managers within the EdTech R&D group.
Stay current on EdTech and emerging technology trends, advising on their educational impact.
Require a Ph.D. in education research or related field with 3+ years relevant experience or equivalent.
At least 5 years of professional experience in learning sciences, analytics, psychometrics, and managing R&D projects.
Strong knowledge of education sector, policy landscape, and experience with multi-stakeholder project management.
Experience engaging with federal or state education policy focused on digital learning and EdTech adoption.
Salary ranges from approximately $105,507 to $140,331 depending on location; includes comprehensive benefits and flexible work environment.

Director, EdTech R&D Full Description

Director, EdTech R&D
Powerful Learning

Remote (United States)

About Digital Promise Global

Digital Promise is a global nonprofit working to expand opportunity for each learner. We work with educators, researchers, technology leaders, and communities to design, investigate, and scale up innovations that empower learners, especially those who have been historically and systematically excluded.

Our efforts are multifaceted and grounded in the real-world challenges facing learners and educators—from working to expand K-12 students’ access to high-speed internet, to providing adult learners with opportunities to earn micro-credentials that further their careers and secure their well-being.

About Powerful Learning

The Powerful Learning team ensures all learners have consistent and sustained experiences of powerful learning, thus empowering them to thrive in an increasingly complex and technological world. Our work involves engaging in research that contributes to the field of learning sciences; designing solutions that define, model, and provide examples of evidence-based insights that support the implementation of powerful learning; engaging strategic partners and communities to co-design and advance powerful learning solutions; and mentoring leaders within the education ecosystem. Our team, alongside our broader organization, is well-positioned to respond to the emergent needs of the field.

About the Position

Digital Promise is seeking a Director, Edtech R&D for the Edtech R&D team. Our work brings together diverse educators, researchers, and product developers to co-design, implement, and advance more effective and equitable EdTech resources.

The Director, Edtech R&D is responsible for developing and leading the Edtech R&D team’s research and development projects for EdTech partners seeking to develop a new tool or improving existing products to better support meaningful learning and to provide market transparency about product quality for procurement and adoption decisions. The Director drives the vision and strategy for emerging technologies work for the Edtech R&D team at Digital Promise and coordinates internally and externally with partners to facilitate the development of innovative K12 learning technologies to improve the learning experiences of those historically and systematically excluded in traditional educational systems. The Director of Edtech R&D reports to the Deputy Director of EdTech R&D and manages a team of project directors and managers.

Responsibilities

● Direct Edtech Product R&D Projects: Lead the Edtech R&D team’s strategy to drive EdTech and emerging technologies to center learning sciences research, evidence, and historically and systematically excluded learners throughout design and development. This includes leading the team’s strategy for the research and development of emerging EdTech products and product features, ensuring timely delivery, resource allocation, and effective communication.

● Support Edtech Partnerships: Leverage and cultivate cross-team collaborations across Digital Promise, as well as external relationships with other organizations, product developers, research institutions, policymakers, education agencies, and industry experts to develop partnerships and strategy for EdTech-related innovations and initiatives.

● Lead and Facilitate Edtech Product Design Strategy: Identify and disseminate capacity building tools and strategies that enable EdTech teams to design with evidence, design for excluded populations, design for learner variability, scale and sustain their products, and ultimately improve educational outcomes.

● Develop and Integrate Policy: Translate EdTech R&D findings into actionable policy recommendations that inform federal, state, and local decision-making related to EdTech adoption, implementation, and funding. This includes monitoring EdTech-related policy and regulatory shifts as well as synthesizing and disseminating research findings to policymakers, funders, and education leaders.

● Synthesize Learnings Across Projects: Collaborate with research teams to leverage findings across projects, identify themes and synthesize findings to iteratively inform product development strategy and goals for the EdTech industry, philanthropic organizations, and investors.

● Lead Cross-functional Edtech Initiatives: Develop and lead cross-functional partnerships across research institutions, product developers, and educators to design, implement, and test impactful learning solutions.

● Foster Funder Relationships: Build and manage relationships with existing and prospective funders, including developing new opportunities.

● Budget Management: Collaborate with the Operations team on project operations and budgeting, to include expense and revenue management and knowledge management.

● External Communications: Partner with the Communications team to represent Digital Promise through presentations at national conferences and policy convenings, authoring blogs and reports, and managing the public sharing of EdTech R&D project stories, outputs, and learnings.

● Monitor Evolving Innovations in Edtech and Emerging Technologies: Stay current with the latest trends, research, and advancements in educational technology and emerging fields, analyzing their potential impact on education and recommending actionable strategies to support EdTech R&D.

● Commitment to Equity in Education Outcomes: Deep commitment to eliminating opportunity and achievement gaps for historically and systematically excluded learners.

● Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Strong understanding of the challenges faced by historically and systematically excluded communities and experience leading design of inclusive EdTech solutions for and with diverse participants.

Team Oversight and People Management (Culture and Performance)

● Serve as a leader on the Powerful Learning Edtech R&D team, in collaboration with the Deputy Director and Senior Director of Edtech R&D; responsible for providing coaching, direction, vision aligned to Impact Goals

● Ensure organizational health and cultivate a positive and inclusive workplace culture and employee experience

● Ensure all team members have the knowledge, skills, and attributes needed to fulfill their day-to-day responsibilities; ensure all team members understand their critical role in the overall organization

● Provide direction and support to team members specific to the issues and opportunities that come from their responsibilities; intervene as needed to course-correct

● Support Deputy Director and Senior Director to hire and develop team personnel

● Oversee and delegate appropriately to a team of EdTech R&D experts

Education

● A Ph.D. in education research, or related field + 3 years of relevant experience

● Equivalent experience will be considered.

Qualifications

● At least 5 years of professional experience in learning analytics, learning sciences, psychometrics, or mixed methods

● At least 5 years of experience leading and managing research and development projects, preferably in the education sector.

● At least 5 years of experience effectively supporting teams in developing and implementing processes resulting in the development of solutions (e.g., programs, curriculum, tools, etc...).

● Demonstrated experience and knowledge in developing, implementing and facilitating project management process, human-centered design, technical and non-technical solution design and development.

● Ability to execute on high-value and high-visibility deliverables (tools, reports, presentations) for internal and external audiences, with attention to detail and excellence.

● Demonstrated experience engaging with federal or state education policy, especially in areas of digital learning and EdTech procurement.

● Strong understanding of the policy landscape affecting EdTech, including funding mechanisms, adoption processes, and compliance requirements.

● Proven ability to translate complex research into policy-relevant insights and advocacy strategies.

● Experience managing multi-stakeholder projects, including program design and evaluation.

● Demonstrated knowledge of the education sector, marketplace of education solutions and new methods and models for researching and designing education programs and products.

● Strong interpersonal and communication and writing skills.

● Experience managing teams and direct reports to support collaboration, growth, and impact.

● Experience developing partnerships; managing large-scale projects and delivering outputs on time and on budget; and working with and managing multiple external stakeholders.

● Demonstrated commitment to personal reflection on equity-centered ways of being, mindsets, and ways of working. A commitment to advocating for equity in education and an understanding of communicating to and with diverse audiences.

● Ability to work and thrive in a fast-paced environment and manage competing tasks, deadlines, requirements, and decisions.

● Ability to travel to school districts and to R&D convenings, education conferences, and critical stakeholder meetings as required.

● A passion for learning, a team mentality, creativity, and a positive “can-do” “yes-and” spirit.

Working Conditions:

Digital Promise Global is a hybrid organization. Employees are expected to travel at least 4 times a year for in-person meetings and the annual staff retreat. Additional travel may be required based on role and responsibilities.

● (a) Travel up to 30%

● (b) Physical/Sensory Demands Fast-paced working environment. Extensive computer usage and online engagement & communication. Must be willing to build inclusive relationships and collaborate with employees at all levels within the organization and external partners.

● (c) Special Provisions: Occasional work outside of normal business hours, such as weekends and evenings required.

Compensation

We consider candidate experience and location when determining where a candidate may fall within that range. Digital Promise offers a competitive total rewards package including coverage of 85% of health insurance premiums for employee coverage and 75% of health insurance premiums for dependent and family coverage, 15 vacation days, 12 sick days, 3% 401k employer contribution, 3% employer 401k match, and a flexible work environment.

The full-time salary range for the Senior Quantitative Researcher/Data Scientist position based on geographical regions is listed below, with an exact salary depending on relevant experience.

California: $128,952 - $140,331

DC Metro Area & NYC: $117,229 - $127,573

National: $105,507 - $114,816

To Apply

Please apply and submit your resume and cover letter. Applicants are encouraged to submit their materials as soon as possible. Submissions are reviewed on a rolling basis until the search is successful.

Digital Promise is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applications without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

Original Job Description