Digital Accessibility and Usability Evaluation Manager

Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education.

The role

Learning Experience and Technology (LXT) contains teams which work together collaboratively to design, deliver, and manage a sustainable and unified end-to-end learner experience of technology. We are responsible for the management and development of the Open University’s award-winning digital learning environments. Our goal is to create great user experiences, applying professional digital product management standards to enable our academic colleagues to realise their teaching vision and allow students to achieve their learning objectives.

Within LXT, we are in the process of forming an Accessibility and Usability Evaluation team, which will provide expert guidance in accessibility and usability to the team and wider OU and ensure that these aspects are embedded into the learner experience of technology. We are looking for an Evaluation Manager to help lead the direction of this new team and take responsibility for the testing, maintenance and development of accessibility and usability across the OU’s systems and websites.

We are looking for someone who has a true passion for inclusion and diversity, ensuring our digital presence is open to all. The role holder will work closely with internal stakeholders and external providers to ensure that all accessibility/usability evaluations are performed correctly to the agreed guidelines and standards

Skills and experience

This role will suit you if you:

Possess a good working knowledge of appropriate accessibility/usability guidelines and practices
Have a solid understanding of the standards used to develop websites and mobile apps such as HTML, CSS whilst possessing previous experience in testing applications for accessibility/usability
Are able to prioritise your own and other team members work effectively whilst working independently or as part of a larger team
Possess a passion for equality, diversity and inclusion, and enthusiasm for driving forward the OU’s mission statement in ensuring our digital tools and websites are accessible for all
The full summary of duties and person specification can be found here.

What you get in return

We offer a great range of benefits that support our employees and their families for the long term. Benefits include 33 days holiday per annum plus Bank Holidays and Christmas closure days and an attractive pension proposition.

Closing date: Tuesday 2nd June 2020 by 12 noon

Interview date: w/c 22nd June

How to apply

Unless otherwise stated in the advert, all applications are completed online following the instructions below and clicking the “Apply Now” link below.

To apply for this role please submit the following;

CV
Covering Letter, no more than 2 sides of A4, providing examples of where your skills and experience meet the required competencies for this role as detailed in the job and person specification.
The above documents will need to be submitted as one attachment during the application process, please include the personal statement followed by the CV in this document.

To ensure that your file is uploaded to our system correctly, please make sure your document is saved with the following file name as appropriate to the vacancy you are applying for: Digital Accessibility Usability Evaluation Manager, surname, first initial.

Access details for disabled applicants are available from the Resourcing Hub, telephone: 01908 655544, quoting vacancy reference 17332.

You will need to have your documents ready ahead of submitting the electronic application.

APPLY NOW

Please note: If you have not heard from us within a week of the application closing date, please assume that on this occasion you have not been selected for interview, however we thank you for your interest in The Open University and encourage you to apply for future positions.

We value diversity and we recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge and culture, and that this difference brings great strength. Applications from candidates with protected characteristics are welcomed. Where you start in life doesn’t dictate where you go.