Instructional Administrator in Consumer Behavior & Marketplace Studies

School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Wisconsin–Madison's School of Human Ecology invites applications for an Instructional Administrator in the Consumer Science Department. This 12-month renewable teaching appointment blends instruction, mentoring, and program development to advance CBMS student success.

The role teaches multiple courses annually, coordinates curriculum, mentors staff, and drives curriculum improvements with data-driven decision making.

Qualifications

• Previous teaching experience or transferable skills with motivation to excel in higher education.
• Industry experience in marketing research or related field.
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience with software and technology tools such as Excel, Tableau, programming, and AI data tools.
• Evidence of innovativeness, initiative, and professionalism in team settings.
• Knowledge of research methods including qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Responsibilities

• Supervises day to day activities of instructional support staff.
• Directs instructional design for in-person, online, and laboratory instruction.
• Delivers classroom, online, and/or lab instruction, including grading.
• Develops teaching techniques to improve course effectiveness and outcomes.
• Assesses learner performance and prepares improvement reports.

Skills

Teaching experience

Marketing research

Strong communication

Excel

Education

Master's degree

Tools

Tableau

Programming

AI data tools

Job description

Job Category

Academic Staff

Employment Type

Regular

Job Profile

Instructional Administrator

Job Summary

The Consumer Science Department in the School of Human Ecology (SoHE) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison invites applications for an Instructional Administrator. The Instructional Administrator position serves as an instructor and program leader within the Department of Consumer Science, integrating for-credit instruction, student mentoring, and program development to advance student success in the Consumer Behavior and Marketplace Studies (CBMS) program.

This 12-month, renewable teaching appointment combines instruction and administrative duties. The position teaches two courses (6 credits) each fall and spring semester and one course during the summer, with the remainder of the appointment dedicated to program and curriculum advancement work.

Reporting to the Chair of Consumer Science, the role collaborates closely with faculty, academic staff, campus partners, and external stakeholders to integrate CBMS instruction into coursework, co-curricular programming, and outreach efforts. The position coordinates and mentors undergraduate student employees, graduate teaching assistants, and lecturers instructing core courses in the CBMS curriculum, contributes to curriculum development, and monitors program outcomes for course/program improvement.

The Instructional Administrator will provide training and onboarding for all instructors teaching the 3 core courses that connect data, insights and analysis throughout the program. This position will coordinate courses, providing mentoring and guidance to assure quality and consistency. The role also gathers and analyzes annual data from course instructors to guide continuous improvement and course revisions for the core courses in collaboration with the faculty course coordinator and Academic Planning & Innovation staff.

This role will promote the Consumer Insights & Analytics Pathway to prospective students and provide leadership on curriculum designed to ensure the courses evolve with the knowledge, skills, and tools relevant to careers in the field. As the Consumer Insights Pathway coordinator the position will also plan and promote at least one experiential learning activity or trip to augment student learning with career experiences in the field.

This position balances instructional delivery with program leadership responsibilities, using evidence-based teaching practices and assessment strategies to enhance student learning and program impact across campus. The instructional assignment may vary, depending on the program and teaching needs.

This role will teach courses within the Consumer Behavior and Marketplace Studies program curriculum and related elective courses; this includes but is not limited to the following subject areas: consumer insights, basic research methods, software and technology tools (e.g., Excel, Tableau, programming, AI data tools), data storytelling. Teaching responsibilities include designing course content, preparing syllabi and learning objectives, creating and assessing student assignments, maintaining office hours, and supporting student learning and success.

The successful candidate will be expected to maintain and continuously improve teaching effectiveness and remain flexible in meeting evolving departmental and program needs.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Supervises the day to day activities of work unit employees involved in instructional support as needed
• Directs and executes the development of instructional design for academic classroom, online, and/or laboratory instruction in accordance with identified strategies and leadership goals
• Provides classroom, online, and/or laboratory instruction, including grading
• Develops teaching techniques that enhance course effectiveness in alignment with desired outcomes and established strategy
• Assesses learner performance and prepares reports recommending instructional improvements

Department

Consumer Science Department

Compensation

Negotiable, 12-month

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. Please review the summary of benefits for more information.

Required Qualifications

Qualified candidates will have the following skills and abilities:

• Previous teaching experience or transferable skills with motivation to excel in higher education
• Industry experience in marketing research, consumer research or related field
• Strong communication skills
• Experience with software and technology tools (e.g., Excel, Tableau, programming, AI data tools)
• Evidence of innovativeness and creativity
• Sound judgement, maturity and professionalism, and an ability to take initiative and build team spirit
• Ability to work effectively within a diverse community
• Promote respect and the practice of civility in the workplace
• Knowledge and experience with research methods including qualitative research, secondary data analysis, quantitative research methods

Education

A master's degree is required, preferably in Consumer Research, Data Science, Consumer Science, Business Administration, or a closely related field.

Contact Information

Abby Putnam, [e-mail]

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Institutional Statement on Diversity

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.