Principal Innovation Education Specialist - Learning Design

Theuniversityofauckland; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Auckland’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) invites applications for Principal Innovation Education Specialist to shape how innovation and entrepreneurship are learned and applied across Waipapa Taumata Rau. This senior role combines deep practice with learning design to codify methodologies into scalable frameworks and playbooks.

You will develop train-the-trainer resources and digital approaches, enabling academics, facilitators and partners to adapt CIE’s

Qualifications

• Experienced innovation practitioner with learning-system design
• Ability to codify complex methodologies into practical playbooks
• Proven capability to build train-the-trainer programs
• Strong verbal and written communication across disciplinary contexts

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of learning frameworks, methodologies, architectures and models
• Codify programmes and practitioner knowledge into practical playbooks and tools
• Design adaptable learning frameworks coherent across the university
• Develop and deliver train-the-trainer approaches for academics and partners
• Create facilitator resources, guidance and quality approaches
• Develop learning architectures for progression across innovation and translation pathways
• Test and refine AI-enabled learning approaches and digital tools
• Collaborate with CIE teams to test in real-world settings
• Provide specialist advice on innovation learning and capability development
• Contribute to CIE Leadership Team and strategy

Job description

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

This is a unique opportunity to shape how innovation and entrepreneurship is learned and applied across Waipapa Taumata Rau.

As Principal Innovation Education Specialist, you will lead the design and codification of the learning systems that underpin CIE's innovation and entrepreneurship capability development. You will take complex innovation and entrepreneurship methodologies and turn them into clear, practical and reusable frameworks, learning architectures, playbooks and tools that can be applied across programmes, venture pathways and wider University contexts.

This is not primarily a programme-delivery role. It is a senior specialist position for someone who can combine deep innovation and entrepreneurship expertise with learning design and systems thinking-making practitioner knowledge explicit, structured and scalable, and building the capability of others to apply it effectively.

A key part of the role will be enabling innovation and entrepreneurship learning to extend beyond CIE. You will develop train-the-trainer approaches, facilitator resources and capability-building models that equip academics, facilitators and partners to confidently use and adapt CIE's innovation learning approaches in different disciplines and contexts. This means creating a coherent underlying approach while recognising that innovation may be learned and applied differently in research, teaching, professional practice and venture development.

You will work across CIE and with academics, practitioners and partners to build a more coherent innovation learning system, including exploring how digital and AI-enabled approaches can extend the reach, personalisation and effectiveness of innovation education.

• Lead the design and development of CIE's innovation and entrepreneurship learning frameworks, methodologies, architectures and models.
• Codify programmes and practitioner knowledge into practical playbooks, tools and reusable approaches that can be applied by academics, facilitators and partners.
• Design learning frameworks and approaches that provide coherence across CIE while being adaptable and contextualised to different disciplines, participant groups and contexts across a large research-led university.
• Design and develop train-the-trainer approaches that build the capability of academics, facilitators and partners to confidently deliver and adapt innovation and entrepreneurship learning.
• Develop facilitator resources, guidance and quality approaches that support effective and consistent application while allowing adaptation for different disciplines, audiences and contexts.
• Design learning architectures that create coherence and progression across innovation capability, research translation and venture development pathways.
• Develop and test digital and AI-enabled learning approaches, including interactive tools, digital mentors and other scalable learning components.
• Work with CIE teams, academics and practitioners to test, refine and continuously improve learning frameworks through real-world application.
• Provide specialist advice and thought leadership on innovation learning, capability development and the effective translation of innovation methodologies into practice.
• Contribute as a member of the CIE Leadership Team, bringing specialist expertise to CIE strategy, organisational capability and continuous improvement.

This is a permanent full time contract, working 37.5 hours per week.

Mō tō mātou rōpū | About the team

The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is Waipapa Taumata Rau's platform for developing the innovators, entrepreneurs and changemakers of the future. We work across the University to help students, researchers and staff build innovation and entrepreneurial capability, turn ideas into action, develop ventures, and create social, cultural, environmental and economic impact for Aotearoa and the world.

CIE is entering an exciting new chapter. With an ambitious new strategy, we are significantly increasing the reach and impact of innovation and entrepreneurship across the University, helping realise Waipapa Taumata Rau's ambition to be a global powerhouse of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, and strengthening the University's contribution to a more innovative and prosperous Aotearoa.

We are building a team of people who are curious, collaborative, ambitious for impact and committed to turning ambition into action. If you want to help shape how a world-class research-led university develops innovative and entrepreneurial people, we would love to hear from you.

He kōrero mōu | About you

You are an experienced innovation practitioner and learning systems thinker who can make complex ideas clear, practical and usable. You understand innovation and entrepreneurship deeply enough to interrogate methodologies rather than simply package existing content, and you have the d