About the position
The instructional designer will be a member of the design team in the Instructional Design and Development unit at Excelsior University. Our team works closely with subject matter experts and other community and university stakeholders to develop transformative, engaging, high-quality learning experiences for our students. The Senior Instructional Designer plays a critical role in Excelsior University's centralized course development team, overseeing instructional design at the program level to ensure a cohesive and high-quality student experience. This position is responsible for developing and enforcing course design standards, reviewing course materials for consistency, and mentoring instructional designers. The Senior Instructional Designer also engages directly in course development, applying expert-level instructional design skills to create engaging and effective online learning experiences. Working closely with subject matter experts (SMEs), academic partners, and other members of the Instructional Design and Delivery team (IDD), the Senior Instructional Designer ensures that courses within a program are aligned with institutional learning goals, accreditation requirements, and best practices for adult learners. This role requires a strategic thinker with a deep understanding of instructional design and an appreciation for standardized course development. This position is based out of the university's home office in Albany, NY with the option of considering remote candidates. Remote employees will have mandatory occasional travel for meetings, conferences, and professional development opportunities. Remote employees are expected to be available during work hours 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Eastern time. The University will supply necessary equipment to perform the essential functions of this job (e.g., Laptop, docking station). Employees are responsible for having a workspace where they can participate in virtual meetings without multiple interruptions and noise.
Responsibilities
- Collaborate with SMEs to design and develop engaging online courses.
- Apply instructional design principles to structure content and create relevant, engaging learning experiences.
- Guide SMEs in analyzing and assessing the application of appropriate and effective instructional strategies, tools, and assessments to achieve identified learning outcomes.
- Lead program-level instructional design efforts, ensuring consistency and alignment across courses.
- Develop, document, and enforce instructional design standards, templates, and guidelines.
- Provide expert-level instructional design support, including course design, assessment strategies, and outcome alignment.
- Review instructional design deliverables to ensure quality, coherence, and adherence to institutional standards.
- Ensure courses within a program align with institutional and program outcomes.
- Collaborate with instructional designers to maintain a consistent student experience across courses.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of Excelsior's course development processes and methodologies.
Requirements
- Master's degree in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, or a related field.
- 8+ years' experience designing and developing online courses in a higher education setting.
- Expertise in instructional design models (e.g., Backward Design, Bloom's Taxonomy) and adult learning principles.
- Ability to develop and enforce instructional design standards and guidelines.
- Experience ensuring course alignment with program and institutional learning outcomes.
- Strong skills in reviewing and providing constructive feedback on instructional design deliverables.
- Experience working with learning management systems (LMS), preferably Canvas.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to mentor and guide instructional designers.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Nice-to-haves
- Experience overseeing instructional design at a program or institutional level.
- Prior experience working in a centralized course development model.
- Knowledge of accreditation requirements and their impact on course design.
- Expertise in accessibility standards and universal design for learning (UDL).
- Experience using learning analytics to inform instructional design decisions.
- Experience designing courses or programs for competency-based education (CBE).
- Experience developing doctoral-level courses and programs, ensuring appropriate rigor and research integration.
