[Job-Listings] Brandeis University Job Opening: program director, digital accessibility

[Andrews, David B (DEED)]

Hello!

Brandeis is looking for a program director, digital accessibility. Please see the details below. If you are interested in applying, please go to
https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbrandeis.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com%2Fen-US%2FJobs%2Fjob%2FBrandeis---Waltham-Campus%2FProgram-Director--Digital-Accessibility_R0005333-1&data=04%7C01%7Cdavid.b.andrews%40state.mn.us%7Cfa33a5cfb3cb4fb8819108d9f7c158e2%7Ceb14b04624c445198f26b89c2159828c%7C0%7C0%7C637813232497276826%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=2f4EJwApo8hEnkYj5z8%2FjUD%2BcA8S3PxoEy9DbOpVpmw%3D&reserved=0

Thank you,
Audrey


The Digital Accessibility Program Director will bring passion and dedication to web accessibility program management, remediation, consultation, training and support. This role will bring central oversight, technical leadership, expert guidance and strategic thinking on accessibility compliance in higher education, and knowledge of creating accessible user interfaces and content. The Program Director will manage and report on organizational progress towards developing a widespread, ingrained accessibility practice encompassing planning, metrics, and remediation across the university.

*Key Responsibilities*

*Leadership/Oversight/Expertise 25%*
* Provides expert guidance on the refinement and creation of accessibility policies, practices, guidelines, standards, systems, procedures, and metrics related to designing and maintaining accessible information communication technology.
* Identifies obstacles to digital accessibility and analyzes their impact and risk in order to prioritize allocation of limited campus resources.
Provide guidance for legal counsel, central communications and administration to create a risk-based approach for university level web accessibility planning.
Reviews VPATs and/or RFPs for technology adoption, attends technology vendor demos when applicable, to facilitate procurement of accessible technologies. Supports the development of corrective action strategies to address accessibility audit concerns, including around third party systems and applications being purchased or upgraded.
* Stays abreast of trends in development, implementation and assessment of accessible technologies and best practices, as well as changes in Federal and State regulatory requirements and laws, by attending conferences and webinars, maintaining a diverse professional network of accessibility peers and experts and other means of research.
* Builds and maintains effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to increase the awareness and importance of digital accessibility on campus and advance the accessibility of the University's public web properties and digital artifacts.
* Manages and leads the work of student employees and interns in monitoring for and remediating web accessibility violations.

*Community Education 25%*
* Educates the Brandeis community and spreads awareness of obstacles to
ADA/504/508 accessibility compliance in the university's web-based content presence by developing online resources and speaking at meetings and seminars.
* Shepherds and mentors the community through the transition from an accommodations model to a more proactive model for digital accessibility.
* Reviews organizational training needs and develops a cross-functional accessibility training program with proven and results-based curriculum for increasing skill and acumen for digital communicators.
* Offers hands-on, in person workshops to provide real-time assistance to faculty/staff to develop technical skills.
* Fosters accessibility champions in each area of the university.

*Consultation/Support 25%*
* Works with the Web team to design systems, features, and functions as "accessible first."
* Works cross-functionally with web and application development, creative, and content teams to proactively identify accessibility trends, technology, and solutions.
* Formulates and evaluates coding solutions, workarounds and remediation strategies for more complex and challenging situations to ensure compliance with both functionality content (pdf, doc, ppt, indd, html, video, etc.).
* Clarifies and communicates the accessibility requirements for all university websites including departments, institutes, and courses. Serves as the first point-of-contact for questions about implementing changes.
* Connects with affected members of the community for input to find solutions that will work for them. Participates in task force for campus accessibility that liaises with students with disabilities to establish open communication and uncover needs.
* Manages web accessibility help desk and provides on-demand consulting services and assessment/remediation support.
* Demonstrates commitment to diversity and to serving the needs of a diverse population.

*Auditing & Analysis 25%*
* Analyzes the impact of barriers to accessibility (e.g., frequency, severity, affected user group) to prioritize allocation of accessibility development work and measures compliance with relevant standards * Implements appropriate controls and quality assurance to support consistent and efficient resolution, error reduction, and continuous process improvement * Executes both automated audits and manual testing of campus-wide digital assets for accessibility violations in either content or functionality.
* Oversees captioning for digital media published on the Brandeis website or Brandeis's YouTube channel.

*Job Requirements*

* Bachelor's degree required; master's degree strongly preferred with a minimum of 5-8 years of related work experience.
* Minimum four  years demonstrated successful experience implementing accessibility standards, policies, regulatory requirements, industry best practices, and guidelines * Minimum five years of experience auditing for accessibility violations, including manual testing with assistive technologies on multiple platforms including Windows, Mac, mobile; knowledge of designing and testing methodologies on each platform with various WCAG validation toolsets.
* Minimum three years' experience with design and development of accessible digital/multi-media products and web content, extensive content and web functionality remediation, documentation creation, and oversight.
* Minimum one year of direct experience with HTML, CSS, ARIA and web content management systems.
* Public speaking experience and prior teaching/training experience * Experience with captioning and audio description techniques.
* Experience supporting faculty/staff in the implementation of accessibility requirements and best practices; specifically related to technology purchases, implementations and upgrades.
* Experience working effectively in highly collaborative, team oriented environments, especially in the field of web development.
* Experience in a higher education environment; demonstrated understanding of who faculty are and how to work effectively with them.
* Experience supporting affected users a plus * This job is based on our Waltham, MA campus

*Skills & Knowledge*
* Professional knowledge of disability law (as applies to higher education EIT).
* Deep understanding of  web accessibility standards and guidelines (WCAG 2.0/2.1, Section 508, WAI-ARIA); including VPAT interpretation and analysis.
* Advanced knowledge and application of accessibility factors, patterns, and best practices for website and application content creation and functionality, including multimedia emerging technologies, and online learning environments, per W3C WAI guidelines and specifications (WCAG, WAI-ARIA techniques, etc.), Section 508 and other evolving accessibility standards.
* Excellent organizational and project management skills and a keen eye for detail.
* Demonstrated and proven track record of effectively and independently leading projects and initiatives to completion.
* Ability to work effectively within a highly collaborative environment across diverse populations in a higher education setting.
* Ability to manage highly sensitive information with discretion.
* Excellent interpersonal and verbal/written communication skills. Must have the ability to organize and effectively communicate complex information, problem solve, and apply creative solutions; ability to interact with stakeholders from all levels of a complex organization.
* Professional knowledge of web technologies (HTML/CSS, JavaScript, and Web content management systems and learning management systems).
* Extensive knowledge and experience with PDF document remediation and native-file accessibility structuring in MS Word and Adobe InDesign.
* Solid knowledge and experience with screen reader technology, such as JAWS and VoiceOver.
* Understanding of accessibility APIs and various inspection methods both automated and manual.
* Knowledge of applications development best practices, techniques and tools (both custom and off-the shelf) used in an iterative development environment including understanding of defect management process and integration with JIRA.
* Ability to brainstorm solutions with web developers, designers, and software engineers.
Extensive knowledge and experience with digital accessibility and understanding of accessibility issues.

*Certifications*
* Certified Professional of Web Accessibility (CPWA) preferred * Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) preferred * Certified Professional of Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) preferred _______________________________________________