Associate Director of Product Research

Associate Director Of Product Research

The Center for Academic Innovation (CAI) at the University of Michigan is seeking a qualified Associate Director of Product Research to lead the strategic direction, coordination, and execution of product and user experience research across the Michigan Online portfolio. In this role, reporting to the Director of Content and Product Strategy, you will oversee the product research function, ensuring that research efforts are aligned with organizational priorities and directly inform decision-making across platform strategy, learning experience design, content development, operations, and emerging product innovation.

You will partner closely with Data, Business Intelligence, Marketing and Market Strategy, and cross-functional Online Learning teams to integrate qualitative and quantitative insights, enabling a holistic understanding of the end-to-end learner journey. You will supervise a team of researchers, establish research priorities and workflows, and ensure that research outputs are actionable, timely, and aligned with CAI's strategic goals.

Responsibilities include:

• Product & UX Research Strategy and Leadership
• Research Operations, Governance, and Integration
• Cross-Functional Research Application and Insight Generation
• Leadership and Team Management

Required qualifications include:

• 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 actionable insights and inform strategic decision-making.
• Proven ability to communicate research findings and recommendations to diverse stakeholders, including senior leaders and cross-functional teams.
• Experience collaborating with product, design, marketing, analytics, and operational teams to inform product and organizational strategy.
• Experience conducting research in online learning, higher education, EdTech, workforce development, or related learning environments.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate learner experiences, outcomes, and long-term impact across diverse learner populations.
• Familiarity with emerging technologies and AI-enabled tools relevant to research, learning, and product development.
• Strong communication, leadership, and project management skills, with the ability to balance strategic thinking and operational execution.

The mode of work for this position is hybrid with a minimum of four days in the office per week, Monday through Thursday, with an option of remote work on Fridays. On occasion, you may be required and must be available to work onsite on Fridays if necessitated by our center's policy and domain leadership or by your job requirements.

Candidates must have legal authorization to work in the United States.

The general salary range for this position is $110,000 - $120,000. Candidates can expect to be paid a competitive and equitable salary. Factors used to determine salary include education level, experience, knowledge and skills for the position and salaries that are currently established within the unit. All candidates are encouraged to discuss salary questions to honor alignment and transparency throughout the recruiting process.