Digital/Video Communications Specialist with the PhET Interactive Simulations Project

Job Summary

The PhET Interactive Simulations Project (http://phet.colorado.edu) at the University of Colorado Boulder has an opening for a Digital/Video Communications Specialist. This position supports communication and outreach amongst an international community of inclusive technologists and researchers through creation of short videos and animations shared through high-quality social media, and community website management. PhET’s research and development efforts include numerous collaborations; this position is part of an initiative contributing to the advancement of inclusive design, research, and development practices across PhET’s research community.

This is a temporary position primarily funded by the NSF grant “AccelNet: Catalyzing International Convergence Research Networks to Transform Human-Computer Relationships” which has the goal of supporting international research networks to advance inclusive design of emerging technologies. Inclusively designed technologies are designed from the outset to be capable of supporting a broad span of human diversity, including users with disabilities.

This position would be ideal for someone looking for flexible, remote, part-time work with high impact at the intersection of technology design and accessibility. The successful candidate will be employed by the University of Colorado Boulder. The candidate will join the PhET Interactive Simulation project's growing team of 20+ full and part-time faculty, researchers, teachers, software developers, and staff. More information on PhET can be found at: http://phet.colorado.edu.
The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

The PhET Team is a leader in inclusive design for highly interactive technologies used in science and mathematics teaching. This position is part of a PhET initiative contributing to the advancement of inclusive design, research, and development practices across PhET’s research community.

The PhET team is dedicated to high-quality STEM education for all students, disseminating PhET simulations as open (free) education resources globally and pioneering approaches for making interactive content accessible to all learners. We are a passionate, creative, and productive group, including STEM education, simulation, and inclusive design experts, education researchers, software engineers, quality assurance specialists, and more. Our project is a blend of an academic research project, an outreach project, and an innovative education technology company, housed within the Department of Physics and working with diverse partners at CU Boulder and around the world.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Work closely with PhET leadership to produce and share digital/video content. The successful applicant’s responsibilities will include:

Digital/Video Content:

• Create short videos and animations telling the story of research developments, technology creations, development challenges, and personal narratives of researchers for an audience including researchers and the general public.
• Support video capture of relevant footage (potentially in-person or remotely, depending on the successful candidate’s location and available grant funding for travel).
• Edit short lectures and discussion videos recorded by the PhET Team and collaborators to create a collection of educational resources for the research community.

Email List & Social Media Updates:

• Create, schedule, and manage a communication planning calendar for PhET’s research community.
• Communicate with members of PhET’s research community through an email list to support the drafting, editing, and publication of updates to the community.

Website Updates:

• Assist with the setup of a small, dedicated research community website.
• Co-manage with PhET leadership the research community website, including editing and publishing content to update the community on new community activities and outcomes.
• Create quarterly reports on growth and evolution of the research community using basic website analytics.

What You Should Know

• This is a part-time (40%) position (16 hours/week), but we will consider candidates interested in the range of part-time from 20-50% (8-20 hours/week).
• Timeline for reviewing applications: We plan to begin reviewing applications August 22, 2022. We will continue reviewing applications until the position is filled, up to Sept. 15, 2022. We plan to communicate an update on the position to all applicants by or before September 30, 2022.
• The start date is flexible. We will consider start dates as early as Sep 1, 2022 and as late as Nov 1, 2022, with a preference for an early start date.
• Candidates can work remotely in the United States (US residents only).
• All University of Colorado Boulder employees are required to align with the campus COVID-19 vaccine requirement. New employees must provide proof of vaccination or receive a medical or religious exemption within 30 days of employment.

What We Can Offer

• The annual starting salary range at 40% time for this position is $16,000-$30,000.
• Salary is commensurate with education and experience.
• This part-time position is eligible for paid vacation and sick leave. However, this position is only eligible for benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, tuition benefit, and ECO Pass at 50% time. Positions under 50% time are not eligible for benefits.

Benefits

The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits , including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO Pass. The University of Colorado Boulder is one of the largest employers in Boulder County and offers an inspiring higher education environment. Learn more about the University of Colorado Boulder .

Be Statements
Be ambitious. Be pioneering. Be Boulder.

What We Require

• A Bachelor’s Degree.
• 2+ years of experience as a communications professional, including creating digital/video content for social media and/or websites.
• Experience working in a collaborative, remote work, environment.

What You Will Need

• Outstanding storytelling, content creation, editing and motion graphic skills.
• Experience creating short form videos for websites, using Adobe Rush, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or similar software.
• Proficient in the world of digital media trends.
• Experience with digital/video content creation for workplace settings, such as professional development, academic outreach, etc.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize, coordinate and collaborate.

What We Would Like You To Have

• A Bachelor’s Degree in communications, digital media, film, marketing, advertising, journalism, or closely related field.
• Sophisticated knowledge of Final Cut Pro, Adobe Rush, Premiere Pro, Audition, After Effects, Lightroom and Photoshop.
• Experience with common editing techniques and advanced storytelling.
• Knowledge or experience in digital accessibility, including video captioning and audio description.
• Knowledge or experience with Office 365 and Sharepoint.
• Knowledge or experience with graphic design, branding and maintaining a brand identity across media and platforms.
• Personal interest or passion in advancing accessibility for people with disabilities.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

1. A current resume, including at least one link to an example of digital/video content you created.
2. A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.

Posting Contact Information

Posting Contact Name: Boulder Campus Human Resources

Posting Contact Email: Recruiting@colorado.edu