Director, Digital Innovation Institute & Studio

Ramapo-College-of-New-Jerse; Mahwah (NJ); On-site; USD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

New Jersey State Benefits

Generous PTO

Professional development

Wellness programs

Tuition discounts for employees and of

Job summary

Ramapo College of New Jersey invites applications for an entrepreneurial, visionary Director of the Digital Innovation Institute (DII). The 12-month administrative role includes a faculty appointment with tenure eligibility, reporting to the Provost, and leading digital pedagogy across the liberal arts curriculum.

The Director will champion ethical AI integration, oversee the Studio for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation, and drive partnerships to ensure institutional self-sustainability in five

Qualifications

• Terminal degree in a field relevant to digital humanities, data science, educational technology, communications, or related discipline.
• A record of distinguished teaching and scholarly achievement for a tenured faculty appointment at Ramapo College.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of progressive leadership experience with budgets and personnel.
• Proven track record securing major external funding via grants, sponsorships, or donations.
• Sophisticated understanding of digital innovation trends, including AI ethics and data literacy.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the strategic vision for the Digital Innovation Institute (DII) and its Studio space.
• Directly supervise the Instructional Design Center staff and oversee operations, scheduling, and technology infrastructure.
• Partner with Institutional Advancement to secure grants, foundation funding, and philanthropic gifts.
• Co-design faculty training frameworks to ensure pedagogical intentionality precedes technology adoption.
• Serve as external liaison to scale community-engaged projects and collaborations.

Skills

Leadership

Fundraising

Budget management

Digital literacy

Academic administration

Education

Ph.D. or equivalent

Job description

About Ramapo College of New Jersey

Ramapo College of New Jersey is the state's premier public liberal arts college, where students build the confidence, skills, and perspective to thrive in a changing world. Located on a breathtaking 300-acre campus in the foothills of the Ramapo Mountains and just a short trip from New York City, Ramapo blends the best of both worlds: natural beauty, state-of-the-art facilities, and access to one of the world's most dynamic job markets.

Working at Ramapo

Ramapo College of New Jersey has been recognized as a "Great College to Work For", where our employees are at the heart of everything we do. We foster an equitable and fair workplace where ideas are welcomed, contributions are valued, and individuals are encouraged to grow both professionally and personally. Employees benefit from meaningful work, opportunities for development, and the chance to make a lasting impact on students' lives every day.

At Ramapo College, we believe excellence is achieved through teamwork, respect, accountability, innovation, and a shared commitment to learning. Our all-hands-on deck culture requires leadership at all levels to ensure we achieve our mission, implement our goals, and invest in our future one student at a time. We are proud to offer a supportive environment that values well-being and continuous improvement. We believe in being bold, being kind, and being good teammates, making Ramapo not just a place to work, but a great place to belong.

Ramapo College offers outstanding benefits through the New Jersey State Benefits system, generous PTO, professional development opportunities, wellness programs, tuition discounts for employees and their dependents, and much more.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time, managerial position, and the days of work and hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 pm. Note: This position is in the "NL" category of employment (non-fixed work week) and individuals in this role have no claim or entitlement to time off or cash compensation for hours worked beyond their normal schedule. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand. It is the policy of the College to grant hour-for-hour compensatory time off, with advance approval, only when employees are required to work on a holiday. Time earned must be used within one fiscal year from the time it is earned.

Compensation

Manager - D30$130,000 - $150,000

Job Summary

Ramapo College of New Jersey invites applications and nominations for an entrepreneurial, visionary academic leader to serve as the inaugural Director of the Digital Innovation Institute (DII). Holding a 12-month administrative position with a faculty appointment with tenure or eligibility for tenure in a discipline represented in the college, the Director will serve as a key administrative leader reporting directly to the Office of the Provost.

The Director will champion the ethical and educational integration of emerging digital technologies and artificial intelligence into a liberal arts curriculum. Operating with the strategic acumen, the Director will oversee the physical Studio for Teaching, Learning, and Innovation, manage the Instructional Design Center (IDC), and drive the corporate, philanthropic, and community partnerships necessary to achieve institutional self-sustainability within five years.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic & Executive Leadership: Define and execute the strategic vision for the DII and its physical Studio space; align digital innovation goals with Ramapo's core student-centered, liberal arts mission.
• Operational & Personnel Management: Directly supervise the Instructional Design Center (IDC) staff, student assistants, and technical personnel. Oversee the operational workflow, scheduling, and technology infrastructure of the physical Studio.
• Revenue Generation & Philanthropy: Partner aggressively with Institutional Advancement to secure federal/state grants, private foundation funding, and philanthropic gifts. Develop and execute the Year 3-5 revenue-generation models, including corporate partnership tiers and digital consulting services.
• Academic & Pedagogical Collaboration: Co-design faculty training frameworks alongside the Faculty Director of the Faculty Resource Center (FRC) to ensure pedagogical intentionality precedes technology adoption. Oversee the administration of the Summer Faculty Fellows program and DII course-redesign seed grants.
• Public Scholarship & Community Innovation: Act as the primary external liaison to scale community-engaged projects (e.g., text-mining, digital archiving, and data science collaborations with local non-profits and civic entities).
• Teaching & Research: Maintain a modified scholarly presence. The Director will teach a reduced load of one course per academic year to prioritize executive administration and fundraising.

Required Qualifications

• Terminal Degree: Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in a field relevant to digital humanities, data science, educational technology, communications, or any discipline represented at the College leveraging digital methods.
• Academic Credentialing: A record of distinguished teaching and scholarly achievement sufficient to merit a tenured faculty appointment at Ramapo College.
• Administrative & Financial Acumen: Minimum of 3-5 years of progressive leadership experience (e.g., Center Director, Department Chair, or Associate Dean) with proven experience managing complex budgets and personnel.
• Demonstrated Fundraising Success: A proven track record of securing major external funding via competitive grants (NSF, NEH, etc.), corporate sponsorships, or private donations.
• Technological Literacy: Sophisticated, high-level understanding of digital innovation trends, including AI ethics, data literacy, digital tools, and pedagogy, with the ability to translate these concepts across diverse liberal arts disciplines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience launching a new academic center, incubator, or campus-wide innovation hub.
• Background in corporate relations, executive education, or business development within an academic setting.

EEO Statement

Ramapo College is an Affiliated Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Ramapo has a long history of advocating, advising, and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. Examples can be found in its mission statement, strategic plans, degree and course offerings, community outreach programs and other diversity programs. Ramapo's commitment to diversity and inclusion is infused across all facets of the College; where the environment is welcoming, dedicated to social justice, respectful of freedom of expression, focused on educating and having an ongoing conversation regarding cultural competence and the benefits and importance of diversity.

Organizational Security Responsibilities

This position requires adherence to the organization's information security policies and procedures. All employees share responsibility for protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the organization’s mission essential IT assets, regardless of role. Individuals in this role are expected to apply appropriate safeguards, participate in required security awareness training, and promptly report potential security incidents in accordance with institutional policies.