ETCH Jobs of the Week 7/15/24
Leading from the back of the stage
ETCH Jobs of the Week (JOTW) is a collaboration between ETCH, your home for EdTech news and information; and my recruiting practice, Tenzing, which helps orgs positively impacting education efficiently attract, source, vet and hire mission-aligned talent.
As a reminder, Ev is on sabbatical this summer, so Jobs of the Week is on more of a ~monthly cadence. While we’re missing our fearless leader, we’ve got a great series of interviews planned with folks in the EdTech space. And Tenzing is still working hard to get people placed. Please reach out if you are hiring or looking to be hired!
Interview with Steve diFilipo
What were you doing before getting involved with higher ed?
Before higher education, I worked in Fortune 500 companies, most notably at Campbell Soup Company. Prior to entering the corporate sector, I was in the creative industry, writing, producing, and directing corporate videos and TV commercials. My first career was as a professional musician, which lasted 15 years. Performing as a musician six nights a week provided a "street education" that can't be replicated in a formal education setting. The lessons I learned about group dynamics, leadership, and collaboration have informed my subsequent career paths. As a drummer, often relegated to the rear of the stage, I discovered that I could "lead from behind." Not everyone needs to be the CEO or the lead singer in the spotlight to provide leadership. I could speak extensively on this topic.
How did you get into higher ed?
After completing a complex digital transformation project for Campbell Soup (32 international brands), I began looking for a new opportunity. I had always been an adjunct professor, teaching photography, television production, and computer science, so I had an affinity for teaching and learning. Additionally, through prior consulting in education innovation, I had developed a network of professional acquaintances who encouraged me to leverage my extensive technology experiences on college and university campuses. My first position in higher ed was as the CIO of a public college in New Jersey.
You were the CTO at one of the top community colleges in my region. How do you see the role of community colleges changing and expanding?
Community colleges have always had a unique mission focused on lifelong learning. The challenge has been one of marketing and creating an accurate narrative. The demands of federal and state policy compliance have added a “distraction” for a segment of higher education that has been traditionally under-resourced. I have always suggested that community colleges should be driven by business models, not academic models, to best serve a diverse population.
You've worked with over 100 colleges and universities in your consulting experience. Tell us about one of the most interesting projects you've worked on.
I was recruited to join the Institute for Transformational Learning (ITL) at the University of Texas System. The outcome of this initiative was an MVP that demonstrated a comprehensive learning ecosystem, placing the learner at the center of all decisions regarding their learning journey. This was a “swing for the fence” project that showcased the viability of innovation and transformation within traditional learning models.
How do you see the role of IT executives in education evolving in the coming years?
Based on my recent experience advising college and university IT leaders, I project little evolution in the role. The need to attend to basic operational requirements consumes much of IT leadership's time, limiting their ability to evolve the maturity index for their respective schools. I caution against being overly optimistic about many technology pundits' claims of advancing digital transformation and innovation. However, there are pockets of excellence across the country that signify changes in the landscape. For instance, Millersville University in Pennsylvania developed a custom user experience portal for students, faculty, and staff. The platform was developed in-house and provides a nightly customizable transactional experience that has achieved very high usability metrics. Additionally, Miami University in Ohio, under CIO David Seidl, continues to evolve the IT function not only as a technology resource, but as a business partner throughout the university.
What advice do you have for higher education leaders looking to develop and implement strategic technology initiatives?
Each higher ed organization is a unique ecosystem. From a technology perspective, allow the ecosystem to dictate the technology strategy. Consider numerous elements such as campus culture, technology maturity, student requirements, academic rigor, budget and finances, big ‘P’ and small ‘p’ politics, and individual personalities. Technology must be a critical driver in a campus strategic plan. When I engage with a school, one of the first things I check is how often the keyword ‘technology’ appears in the strategic master plan, outside of academic programs that include technology. From an executive perspective, accommodating ambiguity is a crucial characteristic.
What are you looking to do next in your career?
Currently, I am advising executives at colleges and universities on technology trends and strategies. I provide a ‘translation’ for non-technical executives to better understand and respond to ransomware incidents and federal and state compliance requirements (GLBA, HIPAA, FERPA, Export Controls, etc.). Interim executive roles are also an option, as I have held several interim positions over the past five years.
What are you reading this summer?
I am mostly following the writings of individuals addressing global digital ID, identity management, and securing AI. For high-level AI insights, I follow Meredith Whittaker, President of Signal. For current topics in higher ed tech, I turn to Phil Hill, who covers enrollment trends, online learning trends, and US DOE topics. For journalism that avoids sensationalism, I follow Amee Vanderpool. Additionally, I read Luiza Jarovsky's newsletter on general AI topics.
Now, let’s get to the Jobs of the Week…
Newsela - Senior Revenue Accountant
Location: Remote
Education Focus: K-12 Education
Mission: Transforming the K-12 education industry by providing engaging, culturally responsive learning content to classrooms nationwide.
Job Summary: The Senior Revenue Accountant is responsible for ensuring accurate and timely OTC reporting in compliance with ASC 606. Key tasks include managing revenue, accounts receivable, and commissions accounting, implementing process improvements, internal controls, and documentation to enhance OTC processes. Collaborating with multiple teams, this role supports the reduction of the OTC close timeline as Newsela scales its business. Additional duties include monitoring customer collections and assisting with commissions and other accounting tasks as needed.
Compensation: $80,000 - $90,000 base salary, plus incentive stock options, bonus, and benefits. Total compensation may vary based on experience.
Interplay Learning - Principal React Engineer
Location: Remote
Education Focus: Skilled Trades, EdTech, Virtual Reality
Mission: Modernizing Learning Management & Content Systems for skilled trade industries, building better training, better careers, and better lives.
Job Summary: The Principal React Engineer will lead front-end development for Interplay Learning's VR training platform. Responsibilities include developing web applications using React and TypeScript, collaborating with cross-functional teams, ensuring code quality, and extending expertise to mobile and VR applications. This role focuses on individual contribution and does not include people management.
Compensation: $130,000 - $140,000 base salary
Apply here
Panorama Education - Enterprise Account Executive
Location: United States (Remote, In-Person in Boston, or Hybrid)
Education Focus: K-12 Education
Mission: Radically improving education by helping school systems understand students' strengths and needs through data and tools for academic and social-emotional support.
Job Summary: The Enterprise Account Executive will lead new sales and upsell efforts within a regional portfolio of school districts and state Departments of Education serving 60,000 or more students. Responsibilities include managing sales territories, presenting to educational leaders, developing sales strategies, maintaining relationships, and ensuring the annual renewal of major accounts. This role involves significant travel and requires building and maintaining executive-level relationships, with a focus on K-12 education solutions.
Compensation: Base salary of $150,000 annually with on target earnings of $300,000.
Hazel Health - Software Engineer in Test
Location: San Francisco | Remote
Education Focus: K-12 School-based Healthcare
Mission: Removing barriers to mental and physical healthcare for K-12 students by providing accessible virtual medical and therapy services, ensuring students thrive in school, at home, and in life.
Job Summary: The Software Engineer in Test will ensure the excellence of Hazel Health’s digital platform by designing and implementing automated testing strategies. Responsibilities include collaborating with platform and product delivery teams, developing comprehensive test plans, driving adoption of testing tools, and continuously improving testing practices. This role is crucial in maintaining high-quality software delivery at speed and involves both automation and manual testing.
Compensation: $160,000 - $180,000 base salary, 401k match, healthcare coverage, paid time off, and additional benefits.
Degreed - Senior Product Marketing Manager
Location: US Remote
Education Focus: Upskilling and Career Development
Mission: Empowering individuals by connecting learning to opportunities, enabling them to build their careers through skill insights, LMSs, courses, videos, articles, and projects.
Job Summary: The Senior Product Marketing Manager at Degreed will define product positioning, value propositions, and pricing for new and existing products. This role involves creating sales content, understanding market dynamics, and ensuring external teams have the necessary resources. Responsibilities include collaborating with cross-functional partners, crafting GTM plans, conducting market research, and tailoring campaigns and messaging for specific regions and segments.
Compensation: $120,000 - $150,000 base salary, with actual compensation based on factors like experience, certifications, and location.
Green Light - Senior Data Platform Engineer
Location: Atlanta (Remote Friendly)
Education Focus: Financial Literacy for Kids
Mission: Helping parents raise financially smart kids by providing tools to automate allowance, manage chores, set spend controls, and invest for the future.
Job Summary: The Senior Data Platform Engineer will design, build, and maintain scalable data infrastructure to support Greenlight's data-driven decision-making processes. Responsibilities include developing data pipelines, collaborating with stakeholders to meet business needs, optimizing data platforms, enforcing data governance, maintaining ETL processes, and implementing MLOps processes. This role involves mentoring junior engineers and ensuring high availability and performance of the data platform.
Compensation: $142,000 - $192,000 base salary
The Last Mile - Remote Instructor - Web Development
Location: Remote
Education Focus: Web Development, Prison Education
Mission: Deliver engaging and responsive technical sessions to students in prison facilities, supporting their comprehension and preparing them for careers in technology.
Job Summary: The Remote Instructor will lead live virtual lessons on web development, collaborating with the Remote Instruction Team to develop instructional material aligned with TLM’s coding curriculum. The role involves working closely with in-facility classroom facilitators, students, and the Education department to enhance students' learning experiences and career readiness.
Compensation: $47,250-$76,250
Need more hire power? Tenzing will do all the legwork (e.g., sourcing, vetting, and managing the hiring process) for half the cost of traditional headhunters.