Wilderness Online Education Coordinator

Description

The University of Montana invites applications for a Wilderness Online Education Coordinator for the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation. This position oversees operations of the Wilderness Institute’s online education programs, with primary responsibility for two programs: the interagency e-courses on wilderness management hosted by Wilderness Connect, and the University of Montana Wilderness Management Distance Education Program (WIMDEP) and associated graduate certificate in wilderness management. The role requires expertise in wilderness management and excellent interpersonal and communication skills to work effectively with students, agency partners, and academic colleagues. The coordinator works closely with federal wilderness-managing agencies (especially the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center), university faculty, and instructional staff to ensure that online courses reflect current knowledge of wilderness management policy and practice, adhere to instructional design best practices, and provide an engaging learning experience. 

Examples of Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage high volumes of student and partner communications.
• Coordinate course content updates and evaluation.
• Contribute to instructional delivery and student assessment.
• Organize and conduct outreach and recruitment efforts to grow program enrollment.
• Interact with federal agency partners to design and deliver online course content.

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduate degree in natural resources, environmental management, environmental science or policy, science communication, education, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience demonstrating expertise in wilderness management policy and practice.
• Demonstrated skills applicable to online education, program coordination, and outreach/recruitment.
• Knowledge of and experience with federal wilderness-managing agencies.
• Ability to design, develop, and manage educational content in virtual learning environments (instructional design).
• Combination of education and experience sufficient to contribute effectively to instruction in the Wilderness Management Distance Education Program.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multi-institutional teams using digital communication tools across multiple time zones.
• Experience managing a high volume of communications in an organized and professional manner.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with a variety of partners and students with varying values, goals, and constraints.
• Capacity to work independently under deadlines while maintaining high-quality results.
• Willingness and ability to learn and comply with University policies and procedures.

Preferred Qualifications

• Coursework, research, or scholarly publications in wilderness management, wilderness recreation, wilderness policy, wilderness planning, wilderness history and philosophy, or wilderness science.
• Relevant professional experience with a federal agency in wilderness management, an academic institution with a wilderness focus, or a wilderness stewardship nonprofit organization.
• Knowledge of current professional, scholarly, and social trends and discourse related to wilderness preservation and management.
• Experience using instructional design software, learning management systems, and/or graphic design tools to create effective online learning experiences.
• Wilderness and field education experience, skills, and credentials (e.g., Wilderness First Responder, Swiftwater Rescue Technician).
• In-person is strongly preferred; remote or hybrid arrangements may be considered.

Additional Information

Position is full-time, 1.0 FTE, Letter of Appointment and includes a comprehensive and competitive benefits package including insurance package, mandatory retirement plan, partial tuition waiver, and wellness program.