Senior Instructional Designer

The Senior Instructional Designer will provide leadership and expertise working collaboratively with faculty, subject matter experts, and media producers to design innovative and effective digital learning environments for online and hybrid classes for both graduate and undergraduate programs. Through analysis, collaboration, training, design planning, course development, and course assessment, the Senior Instructional Designer supports faculty in developing online and digitally-enhanced courses. They will consult on digital learning pedagogy, effective learning design practices, content creation and curation, digital assessment, and the use of instructional technologies to enhance online teaching and learning. Additionally, they will consult with SCU Online and the Associate Vice Provost of Online Graduate Programs. The successful candidate will have a passion for education and the mission of the University, strong project management skills, a record of researching and identifying best practices and tools for teaching and learning, demonstrated knowledge of current trends in instructional design and technology, and a commitment to collaborative teamwork and creative problem solving.

In addition to these responsibilities, the Senior Instructional Designer facilitates workshops, training sessions, and individual faculty consultations on the application of instructional design principles and the integration of instructional technology to support student engagement. As a member of the Instructional Technology team, the successful candidate will provide exceptional customer service supporting faculty use of the Canvas LMS and other instructional technologies.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Online Course Design and Development 

• Design and develop online and hybrid courses in consultation with faculty and subject matter experts
• Build courses in the Canvas learning management system, including self-paced courses for online programs and other university needs (credential programs, faculty and student initiatives and training courses, etc.)
• Consult and collaborate with media production staff in the creation of instructional videos and media content using various authoring/production tools (iMovie, Garage Band, Final Cut, etc.)
• Manage course production projects from inception through delivery while meeting course design deadlines
• Collaborate with the Instructional Technology team to review course quality using agreed-upon course design quality standards and make revisions as needed
• Monitor, review, and carry out ongoing troubleshooting of course sites in the learning management system (e.g. typos, broken links, formatting and display issues)
• Maintain and update tasks and project status reports
• Facilitate course review activities. Make recommendations for improvements and updates in course/program design
• Incorporate Universal Design for Learning principles and use effective practices for ADA, Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 compliance in online and hybrid courses
• Recommend policies and procedures that improve the course development and revision process
• Conduct course and program assessments and gather feedback from stakeholders to continually update and improve course design and content
• Maintain high regard for student privacy in accordance with FERPA policies and procedures

Faculty Development and Support

• Recommend and implement effective strategies for supporting faculty
• Assist faculty with integrating technology into their courses by blending technology resources with effective pedagogical strategies
• Design and facilitate faculty development workshops about research-based instructional design, online and hybrid learning, and instructional technology
• Support faculty in overcoming barriers to using technology to enhance teaching and learning across all academic programs
• Provide administrative support for the campus LMS (currently Canvas), including account creation, course importing, troubleshooting, escalating technical problems and liaising with vendor
• Create and maintain LMS and instructional technology resources to assist faculty
• Share best practices on assessing the impact of technology efforts on student learning
• Support faculty transitioning to hybrid/blended/flipped and fully online courses
• Provide technical support to faculty and students

Professional Development

• Stay current in the fields of instructional design and instructional technology through conferences, workshops, networking, and other resources.
• Plan for future developments and use of technology in instruction
• Share expertise with colleagues in department and Information Services

Provides Work Direction

To student staff/interns when appropriate

Receives Work Direction From

Manager, Instructional Technology

General Guidelines

• Recommends initiatives and implements changes to improve quality and services
• Identifies and determines cause of problems; develops and presents recommendations for improvement of established processes and practices
• Maintains contact with customers and solicits feedback for improved services
• Maximizes productivity through use of appropriate tools; planned training and performance initiatives
• Researches and develops resources that create timely and efficient workflow
• Manages projects and prepares progress reports; informs supervisor of project status and deviation from goals
• Ensures completeness, accuracy and timeliness of all operational functions
• Prepares and submits reports as requested and required
• Develops and implements guidelines to support the functions of the unit

Qualifications 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The items below are representative of the knowledge, skills, abilities, education, and experience required or preferred.

This position requires the ability to effectively establish and maintain cooperative working relationships within a diverse multicultural environment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of instructional design principles and practices
• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills with the ability to work with the campus community in a tactful, patient, and courteous manner
• Excellent written and oral communication
• Experience designing tutorials, workshops, and online learning materials, including video creation and editing
• Excellent project management skills
• Demonstrated competence in presentation and teaching
• Extensive experience and proficiency with a variety of instructional technologies, including the Canvas LMS, course creation tools (CidiLabs Design Plus, Articulate Storyline), multimedia authoring/production tools (e.g., iMovie, Garage Band, Final Cut, Adobe Premiere, etc.); construction of web sites (e.g., WordPress, Weebly, Google Sites, etc.), web programming, web communication tools, graphic applications (e.g., Photoshop, Google Photos) and design; social media, mobile technologies and Apps
• Proven ability to troubleshoot and identify software application problems and implement solutions
• Fast learner with good problem-solving skills
• Creative, with an enthusiasm for new instructional technologies
• Ability to work with minimal supervision, be self-motivated, and show initiative
• Ability to work, collaborate, and communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical personnel as well as a diverse population of students, faculty and staff
• Knowledge of and commitment to concepts and issues tied to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion in teaching and learning
• Appreciation for the University’s mission, vision, values, priorities, procedures, and policies

Education and Experience

Required

• Master’s degree in instructional design, instructional technology, or equivalent appropriate academic preparation, plus 3 years relevant experience
• Demonstrated knowledge of instructional design principles including performance-based outcomes assessments
• Experience using a standards-based approach to course quality assurance (e.g. Quality Matters)
• Extensive and successful record of working with faculty or subject matter experts (higher education preferred but not required), with demonstrated ability to understand and interpret educational needs and develop effective instructional solutions, working projects from concept through completion

Preferred

• At least two years of experience in the development and assessment of online or blended courses at the college/university level
• At least one year of experience teaching online or blended courses preferred

Physical Demands

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, the California Fair Employment & Housing Act, and all other applicable laws, SCU provides reasonable accommodations for qualified persons with disabilities.  A qualified individual is a person who meets skill, experience, education, or other requirements of the position, and who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Considerable time is spent at a desk using a computer
• Considerable time spent standing in a classroom setting
• May be required to bend under furniture and/or move computer equipment
• May be required to travel to other buildings on campus
• May be required to attend conference and training sessions within Bay Area or in- or out-of-state locations
• May be required to occasionally travel to outside customers, vendors or suppliers

Work Enviroment

The work environment characteristics described below are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

• Typical office environment
• Typical classroom environment
• Mostly indoor office environment with windows
• Offices with equipment noise
• Offices with frequent interruptions

About Organization

Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University sits in the heart of Silicon Valley—the world’s most innovative and entrepreneurial region. The University’s stunningly landscaped 106-acre campus is home to the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís. SCU has among the best four-year graduation rates in the nation and is rated by PayScale in the top 1 percent of universities with the highest-paid graduates. SCU has produced elite levels of Fulbright Scholars as well as four Rhodes Scholars.
Santa Clara University is a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university with more than 8,800 students. Founded in 1851 by the Society of Jesus, California's oldest operating higher education institution offers a rigorous undergraduate curriculum in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus nationally recognized graduate and professional programs in business, law, engineering, education, counseling psychology, pastoral ministries, and theology. The University boasts a diverse community of scholars offering a values-oriented curriculum characterized by small class sizes and a dedication to educating students for competence, conscience, and compassion. The traditions of Jesuit education—educating the whole person for a life of service—run deep in all of its curricular and co-curricular programs.
Santa Clara is perennially ranked among the top national universities by U.S. News & World Report and has a national reputation for its undergraduate program that features a distinctive core curriculum, an integrated learning environment, and research opportunities for undergraduate students.