Instructional Designer

Description

Background

Founded in 1863, Saint Mary’s is a residential campus nestled 20 miles east of San Francisco in the picturesque Moraga Valley. Based in the Catholic, Lasallian and Liberal Arts traditions, Saint Mary’s currently enrolls more than 3,000 students from diverse backgrounds in undergraduate and graduate programs. The De La Salle Christian Brothers, the largest teaching order of the Roman Catholic Church, guide the spiritual and academic character of the College. 

As a comprehensive and independent institution, Saint Mary’s offers undergraduate and graduate programs integrating liberal and professional education. Saint Mary’s reputation for excellence, innovation, and responsiveness in education stems from its vibrant heritage as a Catholic, Lasallian and Liberal Arts institution. An outstanding, committed faculty and staff that value shared inquiry, integrative learning, and student interaction bring these traditions to life in the 21st century. The College is committed to the educational benefits of diversity.

Responsibilities

The Instructional Designer will work closely with faculty and staff to design and develop effective and innovative instructional materials and programs in various educational environments, including online, hybrid/blended, and on-site/face-to-face formats. The incumbent in this role will collaborate with the Director of EdTech & Center for Equity and Excellence in Teaching (CEET) and other stakeholders to support the College’s mission of achieving student success through the promotion of effective pedagogy and technology.   

• Prepare all courses for the Canvas learning platform, following Quality Matters guidelines for course design and development. This includes creating a course shell, copying over the last version of the course, updating and revising course content and syllabus, and checking links like eRes for accuracy. Work collaboratively with faculty, ITS, and CEET partners to ensure a standardized look and feel for all courses. Consult with faculty to design, develop, implement, and evaluate technology-enhanced teaching approaches and learning initiatives, particularly in a hybrid environment, while adhering to Quality Matters standards.
  
• Improve faculty and student proficiency in utilizing educational technology tools by offering accessible resources and support. Provide personalized assistance to users struggling with Canvas and conduct both online and in-person Canvas training for them. Offer new faculty online or in-person training sessions to enhance their skills. Develop online tutorials that can be accessed by all faculty and students. Train and support faculty members in utilizing current and emerging educational technologies by providing orientation sessions and continuous assistance.
• Research and develop innovations to the online learning portion of our educational design. Help faculty with new and improved ways of presenting information. Stay current on   latest trends. For example, this might include how to do a video weekly announcement, a talking PowerPoint, recorded mini lecture, or the most effective way to track student engagement. Offer regular skill-building training (in-person and via webinar) to put these innovations into practice.  
• Utilize instructional design methodologies to create effective training programs that align with learning objectives and business goals
• Develop training materials such as presentations, handouts, e-learning modules, and job aids
• Deliver engaging training sessions in both in-person and virtual settings, using a variety of instructional methods and techniques
• Evaluate the effectiveness of training programs and make recommendations for improvement
• Provide ongoing support and coaching to trainers and facilitators to ensure consistent delivery of training programs
• Keep up-to-date with industry trends and best practices in instructional design and training delivery

 Other Duties as Assigned Contribute to department website redesign.    

Experience and Qualifications

Qualifications:

Education:  

• Required:  B.A.
• Preferred: M.A.

Experience:  (years required and applicable field of experience):

• 2-5 years in Instructional Design or similar.

Skills/Abilities:  (e.g. computer skills, written & verbal skills, trades, laws, procedures, technical)

• Looking for a candidate who is a flexible self-starter with a passion for technology and continuous improvement who is able to work in a highly collaborative environment and can engage faculty participation in innovations.
• Must have evidence of exceptional instructional design competency.
• Desire a candidate with tech experience in higher education; a plus if s/he has experience outside higher education as well.
• Desire a candidate with Canvas experience.
• Desire a candidate with Quality Matters certification.
• Must have excellent project management skills and knowledge of adult learning strategies.
• Helpful if the candidate has teaching experience, especially teaching adults.
• Excellent oral and written communication and collaboration skills highly desired.
• Experience and skill with Turn-It-In, a plus.
• Needs an understanding of some programming languages like HTML and java script.
• Experience with social media tools highly desirable.  ???

Other Requirements: (e.g. travel, weekend/evening work)

• Will need to work on weekends and evenings occasionally, to participate in faculty meetings, orientation and commencement, for example.

Benefits

Saint Mary’s College provides excellent medical, dental, vision coverage for you and your family, time off, a Tuition Assistance Plan, disability coverage – and much more.

Who is eligible for our insurance under our current policy:

Full Time Benefits: Staff employees who work a minimum of 1,560 hours per year (80% of full time non-exempt and 75% for exempt) and faculty teaching 6 or more courses per academic year.

Eligible Dependents: Legally married spouses / Domestic partnerships registered by the state and Qualifying children (up to age 26)

Participation in the benefit programs begins the first of the month following your date of hire.

Saint Mary’s College provides resources to help you balance work & life and encourages healthy living through on campus classes such a yoga,  provides faculty and staff access to exercise areas, and provides discounts through our benefits plans.  As a member of the SMC faculty and staff you have  access to the library, Hearst Art Gallery, as well as discounts to our bookstore, food services, Cultural events and activities on campus and businesses in the Lamorinda Area.

Salary is competitive with other non-profit higher education institutions and commensurate with qualifications, experience, budget and internal equity considerations. Please provide salary history and expectations.

For more information on the Benefits of Saint Mary’s College, send your questions to hr@stmarys-ca.edu.

About Organization

The Saint Mary’s College of California experience inspires learning that lasts. The College’s rigorous education engages intellect and spirit and awakens the desire to transform society. We are all learners here—together, working to understand and shape the world.

Our community is centered on a set of beliefs:

• We believe that conversations, focused on essential questions and classic texts, foster critical thinking and ignite a lifelong passion for learning.
• We believe our approach to teaching, scholarship and service transforms society and ourselves.
• And, we believe that the essential human dialogue between faith and reason nurtures each person along a spiritual journey.