Instructional Designer (Remote, Hybrid, or On-Site)

San Francisco Bay University•Fremont, CA

10h

About The Position

San Francisco Bay University (SFBU), a nonprofit, WASC-accredited university in Fremont, California, is hiring an Instructional Designer for its Center for Empowerment and Pedagogical Innovation (CEPI). The role will help develop SFBU’s Pro+ programs, beginning with MBA Pro+, by planning course experiences, aligning outcomes and assessments, developing learner-facing Canvas content, reviewing course builds, testing AI coaching activities, and maintaining shared course models and templates. The designer will collaborate with faculty, subject matter experts, instructional designers, the Chief Learning Officer, and external development partners. Most of the work supports Pro+ program development; the remainder provides instructional design support across SFBU, including course reviews, faculty consultations, Canvas setup, and accessibility improvements. This is a full-time, 12-month contract position, renewable contingent upon performance review. The position may be remote, hybrid, or on-site, subject to University policies and business needs. Candidates must reside in California and be regularly available during Pacific Time business hours for meetings and collaboration. The salary range is $90,000–$115,000 per year, depending on experience. Applicants must submit a cover letter, CV or resume, a portfolio link or two work samples, and contact information for three professional references. Finalists will complete a short course-review exercise. Applications are reviewed immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Education, Instructional Design, Learning Experience Design, Educational Technology, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
3–5 years of experience in higher education instructional design, online learning, or a closely related area.
Experience designing and reviewing online courses in Canvas or a comparable learning management system, including writing learner-facing content and build specifications.
Experience mapping outcomes to activities and assessments and developing rubrics and formative checks aligned to those outcomes.
Experience applying course-review standards or structured QA processes, such as Quality Matters, OSCQR, or an institutional rubric, to evaluate alignment, accessibility, and usability.
Working knowledge of Universal Design for Learning, transparent assignment design, and WCAG accessibility, including checking contrast, heading structure, and mobile use.
Experience using generative AI in instructional design and ability to critically evaluate AI-generated materials and AI coaching for quality, accuracy, and student experience.
Ability to turn complex technical or quantitative concepts, such as finance, data analysis, or programming, into sequenced activities and worked examples.
Experience collaborating with faculty and subject matter experts on course design.
Clear writing and ability to give colleagues and external partners specific, prioritized feedback.
Experience working effectively on a remote team, including managing schedules and deliverables and keeping colleagues informed through shared trackers and clear written updates.
Ability to manage several connected deliverables and parallel course builds in an iterative, fast-moving environment.
Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and student success.
Must reside in California.
Regular availability during Pacific Time business hours for meetings and collaboration.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a related field.
Experience with DesignPLUS or similar Canvas design tools.
Experience designing courses for business, professional, or graduate programs.
Experience reviewing or directing work produced by an external vendor or development team.
Experience supporting faculty development or UDL training.
Experience with AI-supported, adaptive, or competency-based learning models.
Experience launching new online programs or scaling a course design model across multiple programs.
A portfolio showing course page design, assessment design, or course review work.

Responsibilities

Plan Pro+ courses before development by creating module and lesson blueprints that specify outcomes, topics, activities, assessments, human touchpoints, and required Canvas pages and assets.
Map program, course, and module outcomes to activities, resources, assessments, and signature-assignment milestones; identify and resolve gaps or misalignment before launch.
Write and edit learner-facing Canvas content, including course overviews, lesson pages, and assignment directions, using transparent assignment design to explain purpose, tasks, and success criteria.
Develop and review assessments, rubrics, quizzes, and formative checks; verify that assignment rubrics assess all requirements stated in assignment directions.
Design scaffolded preparation for major assignments so early work contributes to later deliverables.
Review courses module by module against the course learning model and blueprint, documenting exact Canvas locations, priorities, and specific recommendations while distinguishing curriculum alignment issues from learner-experience improvements.
Review courses built by external development partners, provide structured and prioritized feedback, and confirm fixes before release.
Test AI coaching activities from the perspectives of confident and struggling learners, distinguishing isolated issues from patterns before recommending course-wide changes.
Maintain the Pro+ Canvas templates, design guide, and QA checklists, adapting them for new programs while supporting consistency across programs.
Build and edit Canvas pages, learn and use DesignPLUS components as needed, and test course packages in sandbox courses and the Canvas Student app.
Check accessibility before release, including color contrast, heading structure, text size, captions, and mobile layout, against ADA and WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
Review technical and quantitative materials with faculty for accuracy, clarity, and appropriate scaffolding.
Contribute to student onboarding and faculty development, including short UDL and AI-pedagogy trainings that lead to a course-ready change.
Use learner feedback, course analytics, and assessment results to identify student difficulties and recommend targeted improvements.
Provide instructional design support for other SFBU courses, including course reviews, faculty consultations, Canvas course setup, and accessibility fixes.
Coordinate timelines, documentation, and communication with faculty, program leaders, CEPI staff, and external partners across multiple program launches.
Perform other responsibilities as assigned.