Recruit

The Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Program in the Department of Computational Media, Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz is accepting applications for the position Capstone Program & Student Career Development Academic Coordinator ,which supports the evaluation, improvement, and documentation of its industry-sponsored Master’s capstone program and related student career development efforts.
Under the supervision of Associate Professor Christina Chung, the academic coordinator will conduct research, analyze and map end-to-end capstone processes, identify operational and experiential friction points, and develop actionable recommendations, tools, and documentation that strengthen capstone quality, industry partnerships, and student career outcomes. The role works closely with faculty, staff, students, mentors, and industry sponsors to ensure the capstone experience effectively supports both academic goals and industry-ready career preparation.

Roles and Responsibilities
Process Evaluation & Improvement

• Support the HCI M.S. team (Vice Chair, EDCO, Program Assistant) with curriculum, marketing, and management.
• Highlight capstone successes (e.g., sponsor testimonials, internships and job successes, highlight returned sponsors, showcase on HCI website and social media channels).
• Map the current end-to-end capstone lifecycle (Sponsor pipeline -> Sponsor proposal -> Team formation -> Project Matching -> Spring research -> Fall design -> Final deliverables).
• Identify friction points and propose designs or operational improvements, including those related to student career development (portfolio readiness, networking touchpoints, mentor engagement).
• Benchmark our processes against peer programs (HCI, CS, engineering, business) to assess capstone quality, student career outcomes, and approaches to cultivating sponsor support and donations.
• Recommend process improvements, tools, templates, and workflows to increase efficiency and better support student career development.

Research & Insight Generation

• Conduct qualitative research with students, industry sponsors, mentors, and faculty (interviews, surveys, focus groups, sentiment analysis).
• Analyze data to identify recurring pain points, operational bottlenecks, and career-preparation challenges impacting students.
• Build short, digestible insight summaries, personas, journey maps, and stakeholder maps of the current capstone and career-readiness experience.

Student Career Development Support

• Evaluate how well the capstone process supports students’ portfolio and career needs (portfolio case studies, interview stories, networking touchpoints).
• Synthesize student feedback related to career preparation and help refine workshops, templates, and mentorship activities.
• Contribute to clear guidelines that help students translate their capstone work into compelling, industry-ready portfolio narratives.
• Support career-oriented activities such as mock interviews, mentor Q&As, or portfolio review sessions.
• Check in on capstone teams and their team dynamics and/or dynamics with sponsors.

Documentation & Deliverables

• Produce clear documentation of findings, recommendations, workflows, and career-related best practices.
• Refine or create capstone templates, guidelines, onboarding materials, and process maps that strengthen both project success and student career outcomes.
• Prepare presentations or briefs for faculty, staff, and the industry advisory board.
• Develop a comprehensive design recommendation for an improved capstone process, integrating research insights, benchmarking results, and stakeholder feedback into a cohesive, actionable proposal.

Applicants with any of the following qualifications and/or areas of expertise are encouraged to apply.

• Demonstrated excellence, including strong academic performance and applied experience translating HCI theory into real-world, multi-stakeholder programs and products.

• Proven experience mapping and improving complex, end-to-end processes, including sponsor-driven capstone workflows, product lifecycles, and cross-functional delivery pipelines from discovery through final deliverables.

• Hands-on experience supporting graduate-level HCI and CS students, including guiding industry-sponsored capstone teams through research, prototyping, delivery, and professional development.

• Strong qualitative research and synthesis capabilities, with demonstrated ability to conduct interviews, usability testing, and stakeholder research and translate findings into actionable insights, journey maps, and design recommendations.

• Deep familiarity with industry expectations for user experience (UX) portfolios and case studies, including translating complex, technical work into compelling, industry-ready narratives.

• Experience collaborating closely with faculty, as well as industry sponsors, effectively balancing academic goals, sponsor expectations, and student learning outcomes.

• Demonstrated ability to identify operational friction points and recommend improvements, informed by benchmarking, stakeholder feedback, and data-informed decision-making.

• Exceptional documentation and communication skills, including producing clear design artifacts, research summaries, workflows, presentations, and handoff-ready materials for diverse audiences.

• Comfort engaging directly with industry sponsors and mentors, including managing expectations, facilitating feedback loops, and supporting healthy team and sponsor–student dynamics.

• Highly organized, self-directed, and execution-oriented, with a track record of leading initiatives independently in fast-moving, ambiguous environments while delivering measurable outcomes.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.

If you need accommodation due to a disability, please contact Disability Management Services at jobaccommodations@ucsc.edu or (831) 459-4602.

Notice of Availability: In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (the Clery Act), UCSC publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. This report is published by October 1st of each year and includes current institutional policies and procedures concerning campus safety and security; fire safety and evacuation policies; sexual misconduct and relationship violence reporting and response protocols; and crime and fire statistics for the three previous calendar years. A paper copy of the ASFSR is available upon request by contacting the UCSC Police Department at 114 Carriage House Rd., Santa Cruz, CA 95064, or by calling 831-459-2231 Ext. 1.

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UCSC positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. The university sponsors employment-based visas for nonresidents who are offered academic appointments at UC Santa Cruz, as outlined in campus policy CAPM 102.530.

UCSC is a smoke & tobacco-free campus.

The University of California offers a competitive benefits package and a number of programs to support employee work/life balance.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

VISIT UC Santa Cruz