Instructional Designer

Instructional Designer

VCU Continuing and Professional Education (VCU CPE) connects the expertise and resources of Virginia Commonwealth University with adult learners, employers, organizations, and communities through high-quality continuing education, professional development, and workforce-focused learning. In partnership with VCU's colleges, schools, faculty, and other university units, VCU CPE develops and supports accessible, responsive learning opportunities that extend beyond traditional degree programs and help learners build knowledge, skills, and credentials throughout their lives. VCU CPE's portfolio includes open-enrollment courses and programs, customized training for employers and organizations, noncredit certificates and micro-credentials, and other short-form learning experiences designed to meet evolving learner and workforce needs. Through academic, industry, and community partnerships, CPE helps translate VCU's expertise into relevant learning opportunities that advance individuals, organizations, and the communities VCU serves.

The position is an Instructional Designer for VCU Continuing and Professional Education (VCU CPE) and is a new role supporting the continued growth of VCU CPE's noncredit portfolio, academic and external partnerships, and workforce-focused initiatives. VCU CPE is seeking an experienced instructional designer who will bring established expertise in instructional and learning experience design to help translate faculty expertise, academic content, and employer and workforce needs into high-quality, skills-based learning experiences for adult and professional learners. As a new dedicated instructional design role within VCU CPE, this position offers the opportunity to help shape and advance CPE's approach to instructional design while collaborating with faculty, subject matter experts, VCU CPE colleagues, and instructional design and learning professionals across the university.

The ideal candidate has experience designing learning for professional, business, industry, or adult audiences and understands how to translate complex academic or technical content into practical, skills-based learning experiences. This position will work closely with VCU staff, faculty, subject matter experts, program leaders, industry partners, and internal teams to design learning experiences that are engaging, accessible, outcomes-driven, and aligned with learner, employer, and workforce needs.

This role is especially suited for an experienced instructional designer or learning experience designer who can move fluidly between higher education and workforce learning environments, helping transform credit-bearing or academic content into shorter, modular, competency-based learning experiences for noncredit audiences. An instructional designer must be an agile problem-solver, capable of shifting between multiple projects with competing deadlines while maintaining a high standard of quality.

The Instructional Designer for VCU CPE will design and build a portfolio of credit and noncredit continuing and professional education offerings, working collaboratively with faculty, industry partners, and VCU CPE staff to develop high-quality, workforce and industry-aligned learning experiences for open enrollment and customized training.

Key responsibilities include:

• Instructional Design and Course Development – Design and develop engaging, accessible learning experiences for adult and professional audiences, including courses, workshops, customized training, micro-credentials, and certificates. Apply adult learning theory, learner-centered instructional design principles, and evidence-based practices to develop measurable learning outcomes, activities, assessments, and instructional materials across online, hybrid, and in-person formats.
• Workforce & Skills-Based Program Design – Translate academic, technical, and professional content into practical, skills-based learning experiences aligned with learner, workforce, and industry needs. Support the development of modular and stackable learning pathways that connect competencies, assessments, credentials, and opportunities for continued learning or career advancement.
• Faculty, SME and Industry Collaboration – Partner with faculty, subject matter experts, staff, program leaders, workforce partners, and employers to identify learning needs and co-design effective programs. Facilitate the translation of faculty expertise and employer-identified skills into applied learning activities, workplace scenarios, projects, assessments, and other evidence of competency.
• Learning Technology and Course Production – Build, revise, test, and maintain courses in Canvas, VCU's learning management system, ensuring clear navigation, accessibility, usability, learner engagement, and consistency. Develop and integrate accessible interactive content, multimedia, and digital learning resources using tools such as DesignPLUS, Harmonize, Panopto, Adobe Express, Canva, and other learning technologies.
• Project Management and Quality Assurance – Manage multiple course and program development projects from initial scoping through development, review, launch, evaluation, and revision. Coordinate timelines, documentation, stakeholder feedback, and deliverables while conducting quality assurance reviews for instructional alignment, accessibility, functionality, learner experience, and course readiness.
• Continuous Improvement and Innovation – Analyze course data and learner, instructor, partner, and program feedback to improve learning experiences and contribute to VCU CPE standards, templates, workflows, and instructional design practices. Stay current with emerging learning technologies, including appropriate uses of artificial intelligence, and evolving practices in adult learning, workforce education, micro-credentials, and continuing and professional education.

The Instructional Designer pursues professional development opportunities and association memberships to advance their knowledge and expertise and contribute to the scholarship and professionalism of the unit. Continued professional growth and engagement in relevant professional associations will be encouraged and supported by VCU CPE.

This position is eligible for remote work in accordance with VCU's flexible work arrangement policies. Regular on-campus and occasional off-campus presence will be required for meetings, programs, events, partner engagements, and other activities as needed or when indicated by leadership. Flexible work arrangements are subject to university policy, operational needs, and the strategic direction of the unit and university.

AI should not be used for any part of the application submission or process.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in instructional design, education, learning technologies, curriculum and instruction, adult learning, communications, business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Minimum three (3) years of professional experience designing, developing, and implementing online, hybrid, and/or technology-enhanced learning experiences
• Demonstrated experience with learning management systems (LMS), educational technologies, and emerging technologies that support teaching and learning
• Demonstrated knowledge of instructional design principles, adult learning theory, learning outcomes, assessment design, and evidence-based practices for adult and professional learners
• Demonstrated experience developing learner-centered instructional materials, activities, assessments, and digital learning resources of varying length and complexity
• Demonstrated experience collaborating with faculty, subject matter experts, clients, or other stakeholders to design and develop effective learning experiences
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex academic, technical, or professional content into clear, accessible, applied learning experiences
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple instructional design or course development projects, including timelines, documentation, stakeholder feedback, deliverables, and competing priorities.
• Experience applying digital accessibility standards and best practices, including WCAG, Section 508 principles, Universal Design for Learning, and inclusive design, to instructional materials, multimedia, assessments, and course design.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
• Skill with MS Office and Google Workspace and the aptitude to learn new technology platforms
• Skill in analytical and critical thinking, project management, problem recognition and resolution skills
• Ability to anticipate issues, identify risks, and solve problems proactively
• Ability to exhibit creativity, self-direction and the capacity for independent work, multi-tasking and organization skills
• Ability to commit to the highest ethical standards
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with faculty, staff, administrators, clients and other personnel
• Ability to commit to quality, integrity, responsiveness and customer service
• Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in a discipline such as Instructional Design, Learning Technologies, Curriculum and Instruction, Adult Learning, or a related field
• Five (5) or more years of experience designing learning experiences for adult, professional, workforce, or nontraditional learners
• Experience designing learning experiences for business, industry, community, government, healthcare, nonprofit, or employer-partner audiences
• Experience developing competency-based or skills-based assessments, rubrics, performance tasks, projects, portfolios, simulations, workplace scenarios, or other evidence of learning
• Experience collaborating with faculty, subject matter experts, community collaborators, industry partners, or employers to co-design learning experiences
• Experience facilitating workshops, training sessions, or professional development opportunities in a higher education environment
• Experience using e-learning authoring tools, multimedia tools, AI tools, Adobe products, or other technologies to support online and blended learning
• Familiarity with digital badges, stackable credentials, micro-credentials, competency frameworks, or alternative credentialing models
• Experience conducting quality assurance reviews for online course design, accessibility, instructional alignment