Senior Manager, Software Engineering, LMS
American Public Education, Inc.

At American Public Education, Inc. (APEI), the Senior Manager, Software Engineer, Learning Management System (LMS) role is pivotal in advancing our digital learning initiatives, particularly with Brightspace and/or Anthology Blackboard. This role demands a blend of technical and LMS expertise, focusing on the development, delivery, operations, integrations, and support and will champion continuous improvement and overall team performance. She/he will provide leadership to work effectively and efficiently in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, collaborating with internal and external software engineering, infrastructure, operation/support, project management, architecture, and business departments/groups. The Senior Manager will lead the entire project lifecycle, encompassing solution architecture, design, prototyping, development, testing, and deployment.

The Senior Manager, Software Engineering, LMS will be instrumental in fostering a collaborative and forward-thinking work environment, steering initiatives that integrate custom and COTS applications, blending on-premises and cloud solutions while adhering to standards like PCI/PII/FERPA/ADA standards. Integral to this role is the collaboration with integration and classroom support experts to enhance the learning experience for students and faculty, ensuring that initiatives align with educational goals and technology standards. She/he will be responsible for hands-on guidance to the LMS Engineering team, providing mentorship and assistance to members, and partner with IT and Business teams to identify, define, analyze, and implement solutions with high scalability, performance, and 24x7 availability.

Responsibilities:

• Manage team performance assessments, emphasizing optimization of the LMS domain, including people, process, and technology.
• Solution design and guide teams with developing custom plugins, integrations, and features for the Brightspace and/or Anthology Blackboard LMS platforms; utilizing a diverse set of programming languages such as Java, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
• Collaborate closely with instructional designers and subject matter experts to create e-learning solutions tailored to a variety of audiences, ensuring these solutions are both innovative and effective.
• Lead the integration of Brightspace/Anthology with other systems and applications, with integration platforms, APIs and other technologies.
• Lead and support ADA and Digital Accessibility initiatives.
• Spearhead prototyping, integration testing, performance optimization, and scalability testing to ensure robust and efficient LMS applications.
• Maintain a strong focus on the security and compliance of LMS applications, overseeing change management processes and managing vendor relationships effectively.
• Develop comprehensive technical specifications, system architectures, and deployment plans, focusing on the efficiency and scalability of LMS operations and new initiatives.
• Apply a tactical and strategic approach to solution design, utilizing best practices and innovative methodologies to deliver impactful e-learning solutions.
• Stay up to date of emerging trends and technologies in e-learning, applying these insights to continually enhance the LMS platform and stay ahead of industry developments.
• Analyze complex problems and deconstruct them into actionable technical solutions, leveraging your deep understanding of LMS applications.
• Engage in project planning, estimation, and documentation, contributing your expertise to ensure successful project execution.
• Leads business process improvements and design alternatives to optimize LMS technical solutions, demonstrating a keen understanding of both technical and business needs.
• Perform additional duties as assigned

Requirements:

• In-depth experience developing custom plugins, integrations, and features for the Brightspace and/or Anthology Blackboard LMS platform, including leveraging APIs and other integration technologies.
• Familiarity with Brightspace SDK, including access to Brightspace APIs, client libraries, tools, samples, and walkthroughs.
• Knowledge of Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) standards
• Strong proficiency in programming languages commonly used in web development, such as Java, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
• Expertise in integrating LMS with other systems and applications, such as CRM systems, student information systems, and payment processing systems, using REST APIs, SOAP APIs, and other integration technologies.
• Knowledge of instructional design principles and e-learning best practices, and experience implementing these principles to design and develop effective e-learning solutions.
• Advanced problem-solving and analytical skills, with the ability to troubleshoot and debug complex technical issues related to the LMS platform and integrations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate technical information to non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, including instructional designers, subject matter experts, and project Senior Managers, using agile development methodologies and best practices.
• Ability to follow Web accessibility (Section 508 and Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)) standards.
• Experience with integration platforms, APIs, and the ability to design and develop custom integration solutions to meet specific business requirements.
• In-depth knowledge of SQL and relational database management systems (RDBMS), such as SQL Server, MySQL, or Oracle, and expertise in writing complex SQL queries to retrieve and manipulate data
• Expertise in database design and normalization principles, as well as database performance tuning and optimization techniques
• Familiarity with database administration tasks, such as backup and recovery, monitoring, and maintenance, and experience implementing these tasks in a production environment.
• Understanding of data warehousing concepts and techniques, such as ETL processes and dimensional modeling, and experience designing and developing custom reports and dashboards using SQL and reporting tools, such as Power BI
• Expertise in security and authentication protocols for integrations, such as OAuth 2.0 and SAML
• Minimum of 10+ years of overall IT experience with 3+ years having led LMS teams and delivered complex LMS solutions.
• 5+ years of experience in full-stack web development using Java, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS; SQL and expertise in SQL queries.
• 3+ years of experience developing custom plugins, integrations, APIs, and features for the Brightspace and/or Anthology Blackboard platform.
• Solution design and development lead role experience is a must.
• Experience developing utilizing DevOps/Agile SDLC, Testing, and CI/CD required.
• Experience working in a 24x7 environment; ability to work flexible hours and be on-call.
• Highly self-motivated, self-directed, and attentive to detail.
• Ability to present ideas in business and user-friendly language.
• Leads organizational improvements and advances resources with new opportunities.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including for non-technical resources and executive management.

*Please note that you may be asked to provide your Web portfolio in addition to your application and resume.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree preferred

About Us:

Online, on campus and in the workplace, we provide higher education and training to our country's heroes - military service members, veterans, nurses, government employees, and motivated professionals that want to make a difference. American Public Education, Inc. educates service-minded students, ranging from the military, public service, federal agencies, and nursing communities, through American Public University System (APUS), Hondros College of Nursing (HCON), Rasmussen University and Graduate School USA (GSUSA).

It is the policy of American Public Education, Inc. (APEI) to afford equal opportunity to all qualified persons. We treat all qualified individuals equally as to their recruitment, hiring, assignments, advancements, compensation, and all other terms and conditions of employment. American Public Education, Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or physical, mental, or sensory disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Colorado, California, Washington and NYC Pay Transparency Statement

If you are a resident of Colorado, California, Washington or New York City and this role is available remotely, you may be eligible to receive additional information about the compensation and benefits for this role, which we will provide upon request. Please send an email to