Director, Playground

Description:

1. Strategic Planning and Management:

· Lead the vision and strategy for the playground as a key university resource that reshapes intellectual experiences, creates learning communities and develops contextualized problem-solving opportunities for students, faculty and community members using Human and Planet-Centered Design.

· Foster a collaborative and transdisciplinary environment for learning, experimentation, ideation, and prototyping on contextual challenges. The current four areas of focus include:

a. Student Centered Design (Creating student centered learning strategies)

b. Urban Ecologies (Socially & environmentally responsible design strategies)

c. Designing for Circularity (Sustainable systems & product design)

d. Imagining Futures (Speculating a safe future for our planet)

· Manage partnerships with industry and community partners for design-led research and innovation.

· Develop and lead transdisciplinary workshops and dialogues.

2. Budget and Space Management:

· Oversee the management of the playground ecosystem, including the budget, staffing, and facilities.

· Manage the allocation of resources to ensure the effective operation of the playground.

· Develop and implement policies and procedures for the efficient use of the playground space.

· Ensure the playground facilities meet the needs of students, faculty, and community members.

3. Faculty Collaboration and Intellectual Offerings:

· Provide faculty with resources and support to help them use design thinking to solve complex problems and integrate this mindset in their existing courses.

· Create courses in the Creative Practice category in the Habib Liberal Core and also train faculty in offering special design courses from the playground.

· Collaborate with faculty to develop new courses and programs that incorporate design thinking.

· Enable faculty to use the playground as a resource for their teaching and research.

4. Learning Communities and Contextualized Problem-solving:

· Create learning communities and contextualized problem-solving opportunities for students, faculty, and community members.

· Develop programs and initiatives that engage students, faculty, and community members in design-led research and innovation.

· Provide opportunities for students to develop their design skills and knowledge.

· Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and the sharing of ideas and experiences.

5. Representation and Outreach:

· Represent the playground at Habib University and in the wider design community both locally and internationally.

· Create design dialogues, meet-ups, hackathons, design challenges, and an annual design conference through the playground

· Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders in the design and innovation community.