Job Description

The mission of the MIT Center for Constructive Communication (CCC) is to design tools, methods, and systems that connect rather than divide us to create a healthier society.  CCC is undertaking an ambitious, campus-wide effort – RealTalk@MIT – that combines the ancient wisdom of human conversation with digital technologies.  CCC’s long-term goal for the program is to help MIT transform into a “listening organization”– one that promotes a culture of respectful dialogue where students, staff, faculty, and campus leadership can share their lived experiences across boundaries.  The core of the RealTalk system is participation in facilitated, recorded small-group conversations – initially focused on students, and extending to staff, faculty, and leadership – that help to provide a safe and supportive environment for consent-based sharing of personal stories and experiences rather than opinions.  The hope is that these conversations will help to build a culture of listening and dialogue that promotes a sense of shared understanding, empathy, and trust.

The Real Talk Systems Lead will serve on the RealTalk leadership team and focus on the design, build, and implementation of the RealTalk@MIT system across campus and stakeholder categories (e.g., students/staff/ faculty, labs/centers/institutes, affiliate organizations, etc.) in collaboration with the Hub Lead.  The role will also design, develop and lead the comprehensive administration of RealTalk@MIT, including but not limited to user registration and access management, database management, data policies, and tech support/services to deliver RealTalk@MIT to various stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Systems Design + Integration: (30%):

• Design, establish, and oversee the RealTalk@MIT system – and the planning for it to become a sustained resource for all of MIT as it aspires to become a “listening organization”;
•  Lead the integration of RealTalk@MIT’s three core components – Program Design, Tech & Data Management, and Training & Certification – into a system and team that operates seamlessly across all connections;
• Lead the design and implementation of a comprehensive administration process for RealTalk@MIT that – guided by data policy – establishes robust databases of participants (based on roles, affiliation, demographics), enables registration/tracking, data/tool access management, tech support, etc. for up to thousands of users (conversation participants, leaders, sensemakers, etc.) over time;
• Manage and help develop the implementation of RealTalk data policies across programs, including working with CCC leadership and MIT legal on the development of necessary updates.

Platform Adoption (20%)

• Lead the process of adapting the Fora conversation platform and mobile app to the technology/methodology needs of RealTalk@MIT, including collaborating with the platform and engineering teams to develop specifications, test prototypes, and integrate solutions;
• Collaborate with CCC’s translational research team on identifying research projects relevant to RealTalk@MIT and on planning how these projects can intersect with the program’s current state and future development;
• Work with CCC’s translational research and prototype engineering team (e.g., sharing case studies and user insights) on the design and iteration of research-based prototypes that have the potential to integrate into RealTalk@MIT that will lead to the development of curriculum and training by the Hub Lead;
• Identify and prioritize tech support and service needs that surface through RealTalk@MIT usage, and collaborating with the platform and engineering teams to specify solutions for implementation.

Organizational Adoption (20%):

• Map the MIT organization through the lens of RealTalk@MIT to identify areas for potential adoption, with an eye toward advancing the Institute along a long-term path to becoming a “listening organization”;
• Collaborate with the Hub Lead on the design of a community engagement plan – i.e., the relationships and strategies necessary for building awareness and understanding of RealTalk@MIT among various levels of leadership (e.g., central administration, DLCs, faculty, staff, student organizations, alumni, etc.) as a precursor to trial and adoption;
• Manage the execution of the community engagement plan to drive RealTalk@MIT collaborations with student organizations, academic departments, administrative units;
•  Co-lead with the CCC communications team the development and execution of a communications plan – which might include traditional “marketing” (flyers, posters), internal comms channels, events, etc. – that creates awareness and interest among potential conversation participants and leaders across student, staff, faculty, and administration audiences.

Program Design & Evaluation (30%):

• Collaborate with the Hub Lead on the design of customized programs for stakeholders wishing to implement RealTalk@MIT in their units, organizations, and communities – from the ongoing first-year program to special projects to specific faculty and staff efforts;
• Provide ongoing guidance to these stakeholders on how to develop conversation design tools (such as conversation and facilitation guides), how to recruit and train conversation leaders/sense-makers (alongside the training/certification team), how to manage participants and their data, and how to share out highlights and insights from the project;
• Lead, in collaboration with the Hub Lead, CCC translational research, and MIT administration, the development of an impact assessment & reporting plan consistent with both the Provost’s aim to evaluate the program’s effectiveness after 2 years, and the Institute’s long-term goal of becoming a listening campus;
• Work with the Hub Lead and CCC translational research to execute the impact assessment and reporting plan;
• Drive the collection, analysis, and reporting of trend data; make appropriate recommendations for the revision of existing MIT policies or practices; and use these data to inform training, best practices, and community initiatives;
• Collaborate with the Hub Lead to prepare comprehensive reports (while respecting participant privacy) on program outcomes, identifying trends and proposed adjustments to enhance impact.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, higher education, organizational or business administration, or similar;
• 5 years of relevant professional experience in program management, business systems or process development;
• Experience working effectively in a university setting and with college students, faculty and staff;
• Experience in technology/data/systems administration at community scale;
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement effective business and organizational processes;
• Demonstrated organizational skills and high degree of initiative, resourcefulness, judgment, problem-solving, and discretion in dealing with complex projects;
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion principles;
• Works well independently as well as a contributor to team efforts in a fast-paced environment;
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, and demonstrated ability to interact with multiple internal and external stakeholders;
• Self-motivated, attention to detail, ability to manage multiple objectives/tasks and meet competing deadlines.

Preferred: 

• Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field of expertise;
•  Product management or related experience;
• Experience with overseeing large-scale projects in collaboration with engineers, designers, and end users;
• Experience in project/program evaluation and impact analysis;
• Adept at collecting information needed to prioritize decisions;
• Experience creating dynamic and comprehensive reports; collecting and synthesizing feedback for stakeholders.

This is a one-year appointment with the possibility of extension based on funding and the course of research.

To apply, please visit  MIT's careers at  https://hr.mit.edu/careers  and search for job ID number #23950.