The Royal Conservatory is one of the
largest and most respected music education institutions in the world, providing
the definitive standard of excellence in curriculum design, assessment,
performance training, teacher certification and arts-based social programs.
The
mission of The Royal Conservatory, to develop human potential through
leadership in music and the arts, is based on the conviction that the arts are
humanity's greatest means to achieve personal growth and social
cohesion. The curriculum for the study of music developed by The
Conservatory has become Canada's national standard and its broad use has served
to bind together the people of the nation with the thread of shared creative experiences.
The
Conservatory has articulated a new vision for digital engagement through the
establishment of the Digital Learning division which has a significant growth
and expansion mandate to develop and create a variety of experiences, courses
and resources including a series of online communities for private music
teachers and much more! Our plan is to make the very best tools and resources
in music training and professional development readily available in the kinds
of digital formats that today’s youth, adults and the music teaching community
will find most engaging. the RCM will deliver courses through an LMS (Moodle),
on the web and as educational resource apps.
Reporting
to the Chief Digital Officer, the Systems Administrator will support the Royal
Conservatory of Music’s (RCM) Digital Learning team in finding solutions for
presenting courses in a manner that goes beyond the standard GUI. You will be
responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Conservatory’s highly
customized Moodle LMS platform, including supporting the set-up and delivery of
a variety of course types as well as data gathering, analysis and reporting.
You understand in detail the Moodle data model and exactly how Moodle
functionality maps to that data model. You are well versed in PHP and
experienced with Moodle’s modular open-source framework. Customization,
out-of-the-box thinking and solution finding are challenges you find rewarding.
You will work closely with the IT department to ensure that the LMS is fully
integrated with the Conservatory’s Community Management System (Drupal). You
possess strong judgement, are consultative by nature and pride yourself on your
skills.
To
accomplish these goals, a key requirement of the position is the ability to
read music and play an instrument to fully appreciate and understand the
complexity of engaging artistic learners.
Responsibilities
Include:
- Using
knowledge of LMS capabilities to recommend delivery strategies that yield
a rich, meaningful and dynamic experience and are appropriate for music
and arts students.
- Understand how
to customize environments and are able to source solutions through the
global open-source community.
- Experience
with authoring tools and integrating interactive multi-media and media
elements.
- Managing and
defining all user accounts and roles in cooperation with instructional
designers and IT team.
- Ability to
read and understand PHP in the context of Moodle’s object oriented design
and working closely with developers to ensure that the LMS performs
efficiently (in the RCM’s high volume environment) and can also be
maintained in an efficient manner.
- Managing
course content and back-up processes to ensure stability and a seamless
user-experience.
- Using Moodle
and Google Analytics to assess trends and develop reports.
- Configuring
the RCM’s Moodle platform to best support identified educational
objectives including installing and maintaining custom or user-contributed
plug-ins.
- Comprehensive
understanding of the Moodle data model including all core tables, their
entities and relationships. The ability to write SQL code to update tables
or append to tables in certain circumstances is definitely an asset.
- Comprehensive
understanding and experience with Distributed Version Control Systems and
best practice version control processes. Knowledge of Git and Git
Repositories is a definite asset
- Experience in
system testing procedures including function, system and integration
testing. Able to configure and maintain all functions/processes in the
Moodle administration panel to support the Conservatory’s needs in a
timely and efficient manner.
- Staying
current with Moodle support community; research and share information
about updates and features.
- Providing and
preparing LMS training and documentation for colleagues who support the
faculty and develop online curricula.
- Provide tech
support and tech support training to front line staff such as course
moderators and Candidate Services.
- Providing
day-to-day issue resolution to key stakeholders. Performing other duties
as required or assigned.
Required Skills:
- Five years
(minimum) experience as a systems analyst, ideally with CMS/LMS platforms
(Moodle preferred), including installation, configuration, maintenance and
technical support.
- Proficiency with modular web development concepts
(including Model View Controller (MVC), PHP, JavaScript frameworks and Ajax).
- Ability
to map Moodle processes to the database tables and use that information to
help troubleshoot LMS and course presentation issues.
- Proficiency in
server administration using the command UNIX (Linux) line.
- Knowledge of
API development and integration.
- Experience in
the integration of third-party plugins for enhanced functionality.
- Cohort
building and social tools management.
- Knowledge of
authoring tools.
- Working
knowledge of video formats and codecs.
- Internet
usability: responsive design, accessibility features for AODA compliance.
- Good
understanding of the Drupal CMS and framework.
- Knowledge of
e-commerce systems such as Magento.
- Strong
organizational, documentation and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to
juggle multiple projects while delivering quality results to deadlines.
- Ability to
proactively plan and complete time-sensitive projects.
- Excellent
interpersonal, communications and collaboration skills.
- Detail-oriented
and accountable.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s
degree in computer science or multi-media development.
- Minimum 5
years’ experience in systems administration using databases and
maintaining a small to medium-scale Moodle-based Learning Management
System.
- Experience in
an education environment with a high volume of students.
- Knowledge of
usability standards and protocols, UX guidelines.
- Experience
working with developers and Instructional Designers in a formal education
environment. Proven ability to work with various software applications,
knowledge of educational apps and industry standards.
- Project
Management experience.
- Ability to
read music and play a musical instrument.
Interested candidates are asked to
submit a cover letter with a current résumé online by November 1, 2015. Please note that this position may be filled
prior to the deadline should a suitable candidate be identified.
Apply online at:
https://www.rcmusic.ca/connecting/career-opportunities
While The Royal Conservatory of Music
appreciates the interest of all applicants, only those individuals selected for
an interview will be notified.