Job Summary
The SimLab in the Wisconsin Center for Education allows individuals to learn and develop skills in simulated environments. Simulating scenarios is an innovative approach to providing professionals and pre-professionals with the opportunity to practice learned skills in real-life scenarios. We are seeking a Simulation Specialist to puppeteer digital avatars while performing scenarios in fields such as education, nursing, medicine, and law.
Simulation Specialists are professional actors who use digital avatars to deliver a wide range of simulation scenarios to provide individual learners with opportunities to practice and master complex interpersonal skills. Simulation Specialists will have a high level of emotional intelligence, strong active listening skills, effective communication skills, the ability to portray a wide range of personality profiles, and the ability to provide a positive and impactful experience for learners.
The ideal candidate will have a background in acting and improvisation performance. This person should also be comfortable with ever-evolving technology. This role may portray avatars across various age ranges (from childhood to adult) and industries (from education to healthcare to corporate). This person will also contribute to creating and writing prompts for the AI-driven simulations.
Key Responsibilities
- Consistently deliver scenarios in an accurate, reliable, and professional manner in alignment with stated learning objectives
- Portray a variety of perspectives using Mursion's Proprietary technology
- Facilitate reflection and debrief with diverse learner populations in alignment with stated learning objectives
- Promote and provide excellent customer service when interacting with learners, including welcoming learners, answering questions, providing information in a courteous manner across diverse learner populations
- Proactively and effectively organize and manage simulation schedule
- Collaborate in the writing of prompts for AI-driven simulations
- Attend mandatory trainings and meetings with the SimLab Director and/or team
Key Job Responsibilities
- Develops creative ideas and/or new methods for making art within designated field
- Displays work at shows, galleries, concerts, museums, and/or online, and communicates work broadly with diverse audiences
- Deliver scenarios in an accurate, reliable, and professional manner in alignment with stated learning objectives
- Pursues grants to obtain financial support for projects
- Experiments with and uses different materials (e.g., paint, film, instruments, ceramics, glass, textiles, wood, metal, and paper) and/or techniques (e.g., composition, color, space, and/or perspective) to produce desired artistic effects
- Develops portfolios highlighting artistic styles and creative processes
- Support development of materials for human-in-the-loop and AI-driven simulations
Department: School of Education / Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) Simulation Lab (SimLab)
Compensation: Minimum: $30/HR. Commensurate with qualifications and experience. This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund.
Required Qualifications
- Strong verbal communication skills and clear diction, substantial acting or improvisational experience, mastery of an actor’s instrument: voice, body, imagination
- Experience using the Mursion platform or similar simulation technologies
- Demonstrated organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple assignments, schedules, and priorities
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team environment
- Ability to provide excellent customer service while creating a welcoming and supportive learning environment
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism while working with learners, faculty, staff, and external partners
Preferred Qualifications
- Applicants must have room for the equipment provided for the position
- Applicants must have a quiet environment within their home to deliver simulations or be willing to work on-site
- Applicants must have the ability to connect equipment to an internet router with an ethernet cord
- Applicants must have high-speed internet
Education: Required: H.S. Diploma. Preferred: Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Drama, Communications, or related field.
How to Apply
Please go to the “” area and select your current UW Employment Status. Upload a copy of: Cover Letter, Current Resume/CV.
Note: There is one upload area in Workday, but you can upload multiple documents to your application. Incomplete application packages that do not include all of the requested documentation will not be considered.
Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e., a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. UW-Madison is not an E-Verify employer, and therefore, is not eligible to employ F1 STEM OPT Extension participants.
Contact Information: Jessica Tierney, SimLab Operations Manager, jtierney5@wisc.edu