Associate Director of Product Research

A cover letter and resume are important submissions for the hiring team to get a sense of your experience. In the cover letter, in two pages or less, please let us know how this role aligns with your career aspirations and skill set. Submit both a cover letter and resume as one file (because of system limitations).

• Define and lead the product research strategy and roadmap for Michigan Online, proactively identifying research opportunities and aligning priorities with organizational goals.
• Lead the team's translation of research findings into actionable recommendations that inform product direction, learning design, media design, operational improvements, user experience design, and content strategy
• Guide research approaches related to emerging areas, including AI-enabled learning design and new online learning product models
• Define and oversee user- and learner-centered research sampling strategies and participant incentive structures to ensure insights are representative of Michigan Online's global learner population

• Serve as institutional contact liaison for research conducted in partnership with internal and external entities
• Establish and oversee research operations, governance, and methodological standards, ensuring compliance with IRB requirements, FERPA, ethical research practices, and institutional policies.
• Partner with Data and Business Intelligence (DBI) to align qualitative research insights with quantitative analytics, enabling integrated analysis of learner behavior and experience
• Develop feedback loops and shared roadmaps with DBI to support triangulation of data and deeper learner insights

• Collaborate with Marketing and Market Strategy, Business Intelligence, Operations, Program Management, and other cross-functional teams to integrate learner, market, and organizational insights into strategic planning, product development, and portfolio decisions.
• Lead research initiatives that evaluate learner experiences, outcomes, and long‑term impact across diverse learner populations, leveraging qualitative and quantitative methods to generate actionable insights.
• Assess emerging opportunities, market trends, competitive landscapes, and innovations in online learning to inform product strategy, learner experience design, and portfolio growth.
• Translate research findings into clear, evidence-based recommendations that support decisions related to product direction, program effectiveness, learner success, operational models, and organizational priorities.
• Establish mechanisms for sharing and applying research insights across CAI, ensuring that research consistently informs decision-making and continuous improvement throughout the Michigan Online portfolio.

• Supervise and develop a team of product and UX researchers, providing clear direction, mentorship, and performance management
• Align team capacity and skillsets with organizational research priorities
• Ensure high-quality research outputs and timely delivery across multiple concurrent work streams
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and strategically aligned research culture
• Serve as a key decision-maker for research prioritization, approach, and execution, escalating only high-risk or institutionally sensitive matters

• Doctoral degree in education, information science, human-computer interaction, learning sciences, social sciences, or a related field.
• Five or more years of experience leading research teams and research strategy in complex, cross-functional organizations.
• Significant experience conducting product, user experience, or applied research for digital products, online learning environments, or related fields.
• Expertise in qualitative and mixed-methods research, including research design, interviews, surveys, and program evaluation.
• Demonstrated knowledge of research governance, including IRB processes, FERPA requirements, ethical research practices, and human subjects protections.
• Experience integrating qualitative and quantitative data to generate…