Learning Designer

Universities of Wisconsin • Milwaukee, WI

18h • $60,000 - $67,000 • Remote

About The Position

The Instructional & Media Designer plays a critical role in advancing student success by shaping high-quality online learning experiences that are meaningful, inclusive, and academically rigorous. The designer partners with faculty Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to translate disciplinary expertise into thoughtfully designed online courses and programs that support student engagement, persistence, and achievement. Grounded in learning theory, this role balances creativity with intentional design—bringing together pedagogical strategy, hands-on course production, and instructional technology support. Working within UWM Online’s established development processes, quality standards, and supported technology tools, the designer supports courses from initial review to program launch, and throughout ongoing refresh cycles. Success in this role requires strong collaboration and communication skills, careful attention to detail, comfort working within defined timelines, and the ability to apply professional judgment, data, and feedback to continuously improve the online learning experience for students. Primary Responsibilities The Instructional & Media Designer’s responsibilities span five integrated domains that together support high-quality online learning. Instructional Design •Collaborates with SMEs to design engaging learning experiences that align learning outcomes, assessments, learning activities, and course content. •Identifies and curates instructional materials, prioritizing open educational resources (OER) when appropriate, and ensures proper licensing and attribution. •Applies Universal Design for Learning (UDL), ADA, and WCAG standards to support accessibility and inclusive course design. •Works effectively within structured, multi-course development cycles, using UWM Online’s established processes, structured templates, and quality standards. Faculty Collaboration •Builds faculty capacity by coaching instructors on effective online teaching strategies, student engagement approaches, assessment practices, and workload management. •Assists faculty in organizing and refining course materials, including framing language, assignment prompts, and technical instructions. •Partners with instructors to implement equitable and inclusive teaching approaches that promote student belonging and success. •Maintains confidentiality of course materials and internal communications, adhering to FERPA requirements and demonstrating strong professional judgment. Project Coordination •Meets regularly with SMEs to provide structured guidance and maintain development momentum. •Manages workflow in Teams and Asana, tracking progress, documenting deliverables, and maintaining organized design records. •Balances multiple courses simultaneously across development waves and communicates timelines, expectations, and project milestones clearly to SMEs and program partners. •Ensures course development deadlines are met, anticipating challenges and escalating risks when needed. Course Production & Support •Builds clear, consistent, and student-centered course materials in Canvas and related platforms. •Creates and integrates multimedia and interactive components to support learning goals. •Provides proofreading, editing, and consistency checks across all course materials to ensure clarity, accuracy, and alignment with templates. •Troubleshoots instructional technologies and supports faculty in resolving technical issues during development and delivery. Continuous Improvement •Conducts comprehensive online course reviews to evaluate quality standards including outcome alignment, accessibility, student engagement, and regular and substantive interaction (RSI) compliance. •Analyzes student performance data (e.g., engagement metrics, assessment trends, navigation patterns) to identify opportunities for improvement. •Develops clear, actionable recommendations for course revisions based on retention data, SME experiences, and student feedback. •Leads and supports structured course refresh cycles by collaborating with SMEs to implement updates that strengthen instructional quality and learner experience. The role requires strong instructional design skills, proficiency with Canvas and instructional technologies, effective communication and collaboration with faculty, and the ability to manage multiple projects with accuracy and attention to detail. Candidates should apply data-informed judgment, ensure consistent and high-quality course materials, and demonstrate solid knowledge of accessibility standards including ADA, WCAG 2.1, and UDL. This position is eligible for remote work. Remote work arrangements are subject to supervisor approval and must align with the operational needs of the department. Remote work does not change the performance expectations or conditions of employment. Employee must be available during normal work hours and may be required to attend on-campus meetings or events with reasonable notice.

Requirements

• Master’s degree
• Minimum two years of instructional design experience in higher education.
• Background teaching in higher education, particularly in online or technology-enhanced environments.
• Experience building courses in Canvas (or similar digital learning environment).

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Curriculum & Instruction, or a related field.
• Demonstrated skill in developing media-rich and interactive learning content for online courses, including video, multimedia, and interactive activities.
• Familiarity with student engagement tools that support interaction and active learning, including social annotation platforms.
• Knowledge of selecting and applying open educational resources (OER), including licensing, attribution, and copyright considerations.
• Experience applying accessibility standards in online course design.
• Experience with online course templates, development cycles, and instructional design processes used in higher education
• Understanding of academic policies, faculty governance structures, and online quality standards within a university or higher education setting
• Experience with, and ability to, work independently and collaboratively within structured development environments.

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with SMEs to design engaging learning experiences that align learning outcomes, assessments, learning activities, and course content.
• Identifies and curates instructional materials, prioritizing open educational resources (OER) when appropriate, and ensures proper licensing and attribution.
• Applies Universal Design for Learning (UDL), ADA, and WCAG standards to support accessibility and inclusive course design.
• Works effectively within structured, multi-course development cycles, using UWM Online’s established processes, structured templates, and quality standards.
• Builds faculty capacity by coaching instructors on effective online teaching strategies, student engagement approaches, assessment practices, and workload management.
• Assists faculty in organizing and refining course materials, including framing language, assignment prompts, and technical instructions.
• Partners with instructors to implement equitable and inclusive teaching approaches that promote student belonging and success.
• Maintains confidentiality of course materials and internal communications, adhering to FERPA requirements and demonstrating strong professional judgment.
• Meets regularly with SMEs to provide structured guidance and maintain development momentum.
• Manages workflow in Teams and Asana, tracking progress, documenting deliverables, and maintaining organized design records.
• Balances multiple courses simultaneously across development waves and communicates timelines, expectations, and project milestones clearly to SMEs and program partners.
• Ensures course development deadlines are met, anticipating challenges and escalating risks when needed.
• Builds clear, consistent, and student-centered course materials in Canvas and related platforms.
• Creates and integrates multimedia and interactive components to support learning goals.
• Provides proofreading, editing, and consistency checks across all course materials to ensure clarity, accuracy, and alignment with templates.
• Troubleshoots instructional technologies and supports faculty in resolving technical issues during development and delivery.
• Conducts comprehensive online course reviews to evaluate quality standards including outcome alignment, accessibility, student engagement, and regular and substantive interaction (RSI) compliance.
• Analyzes student performance data (e.g., engagement metrics, assessment trends, navigation patterns) to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Develops clear, actionable recommendations for course revisions based on retention data, SME experiences, and student feedback.
• Leads and supports structured course refresh cycles by collaborating with SMEs to implement updates that strengthen instructional quality and learner experience.
• Applies project management principles to course or media design such as defining project scope, establishing milestones, and tracking progress
• Provides pedagogical consultation services for instructors and staff on instructional toolsand technologies, best practices for digital instructional content, and institutional initiatives
• Establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with instructors and other academic staff to advance excellence in teaching and learning
• Reviews courses, media, or other learning products for quality using industry standardsand accessibility best practices
• Trains and supports instructors and staff to leverage technology and teach implement pedagogy effectively
• Works with campus partners across pre-production, production, and post-production stages of media development for implementation in courses and other campusinitiatives
• Creates and maintains documentation on pedagogy, course or media design, templates, instructional technologies, and curates a library of shareable resources
• Designs and develops learning activities and course content using instructional technologies to foster inclusive and equitable student experiences

Benefits

• UWM offers a comprehensive benefits package and contributes toward the cost of several benefit plans. Employees with a qualifying position also receive an extensive leave package including vacation, sick leave (with no expiration), personal holiday, and paid legal holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level