eLearning Training Manager

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE:  please note that the deadline for applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant’s location.

1.     Organizational Context

a.    Organizational Setting

The post is located in the Distance Learning Program of the WIPO Academy. The WIPO Academy plays a central role in WIPO's activities to enhance the capacity of countries to use the intellectual property (IP) system and adopts an interdisciplinary approach to IP education focusing on its links with trade, innovation, health, applied sciences, information technology and creative industries. The portfolio of courses on IP caters to different target audiences: inventors and creators, business managers and IP professionals, policy makers and government officials of IP institutions, diplomats, students and teachers of IP and the civil society.

b.    Purpose Statement

The WIPO Distance Learning (DL) Program provides easy access to updated and relevant IP knowledge in all fields of IP. To achieve this, it runs each year an average of 330 general and advanced training courses for the benefit of more than 100,000 persons worldwide. The courses cover the basics of IP rights (history, definitions and scope of protection), their economic rationale, international sources of IP law, the international protection of IP and landmark judicial cases in the area of IP, the global IP services offered by WIPO to industry current developments and best practices in strategic management of IP rights, and address SME's, youth, and women through specific programs. Courses are offered in several languages including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Portuguese.

c.    Reporting Lines

Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Distance Learning Program, and the overall supervision of the Executive Director of the WIPO Academy, Regional and National Development Sector, the incumbent performs the following tasks in the framework of the WIPO Academy.

d.    Work Relations

The incumbent plays an important role in coordinating the dissemination and presentation of the online courses to the public and under specific cooperation agreements with IP Offices in various languages, including under the DL component of WIPO's Master's programs.

2.      Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will perform the following principal duties:

a.   Manage the implementation of the distance learning courses offered by the Academy supervising all phases involved in the planning, delivery, administration and evaluation; supervise the work of consultants/course administrators assigning work and ensuring conformance to service orientation standards and best practices as defined by the WIPO DL Program, and evaluating performance.

b.   Establish relationships with tutors and coordinate the teaching and daily services of a multi-disciplinary and multi-lingual team of IP experts, i.e., authors, WIPO experts, instructional designers, finance and translation teams, and IT specialists to monitor the delivery of DL courses; supervise the structuring of course content for online delivery.

c.   creation of online tools for student/tutor interaction; preparation of operational and technical documentation for the distance learning platform; preparation, updating and implementation of user acceptance testing for distance learning course delivery; collection of feedback for impact and data analysis.

d.   Supervise the offering of specialized distance learning and blended learning services to government officials, executives, the young and their teachers, women in science, and the judiciary.

e.   Monitor the IT platform and finance related issues to anticipate potential overload and take necessary action; troubleshoot and provide technical support to diagnose and resolve problems encountered by learners and tutors; escalate complex issues requiring further investigation/intervention.

f.    Coordinate national training of IP Offices and universities, and act as trainer in WIPO Academy's Distance Learning Customization workshops to increase institutional capacities in IP training.

g.   Research, analyze and evaluate new e-Learning delivery technologies and make recommendations to the supervisor for their deployment.

h.   Liaise with external partners (universities and/or national IP Offices) on customization, joint offering, design, administration and logistical arrangements of joint programs, in particular under the DL component of the Academy's Masters' and Professional Development programs.

i.    Represent the DL Program's administration by providing substantive backstopping to meetings (e.g., work plan, budget, funds-in-trust) and other collaborative trainings of the service, to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations.

j.    Perform other duties as required.

3.      Requirements

Education (Essential)

Advanced university degree (equivalent to Masters) in computer science, information technology or related field.  A first-level university degree in a relevant field plus two years of experience in addition to the experience requested below may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience (Essential)

At least seven years of professional experience in the management and coordination of elearning projects, while handling related operational support including technical assistance, cooperation, capacity building, or development.

Experience managing or coordinating training services in multiple languages.

Experience (Desirable)

Experience in resource planning or workforce management for an IP elearning administration team.

Language (Essential)

Excellent knowledge of English.

Language (Desirable)

Working knowledge of French.

Job Related Competencies (Essential)

Strong ability to manage tasks in an independent manner while delivering high quality online and hybrid training on time.

Strong ability to supervise a high-volume, multidisciplinary team of experts, and administrators in delivering training year-round.

Strong competency in evaluating new e-Learning delivery technologies and implementing updates adapting to technologies ensuring that best practices duly supported for developing country.

Ability to investigate technical incidents and provide information to software developers for further investigation.

Analytical and problem-solving skills.

Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member of a team.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Client orientation, with the ability to deliver a high quality client service, improving service execution, delivery and outcomes.

Strong sense of customer-orientation with the ability to listen to clients and see the bigger picture.

Competent user of Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint and the internet, and the ability to work with databases and other content authoring and information management systems (such as Moodie, Opinio, Articulate Storyline, Scenari) and adapt quickly to new software.

4.      Organizational Competencies