Instructional Designer- Educational Developer

Job Description

Job Description

Title: Instructional Designer- Educational Developer

Department:  Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Work Location: Remote or Hybrid

Reports To: Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL)

FLSA Status: Full-time, Exempt 

Salary: $85,000- $100,000/annually

The Instructional Designer partners with faculty across Notre Dame de Namur University's schools and programs to design, develop, and continuously improve high-quality courses and learning experiences. Working within CETL, this role blends pedagogical expertise with technical fluency in the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) to support faculty at every stage of course design — from initial concept through ongoing quality improvement — while advancing CETL's broader mission of teaching excellence, accessibility, and innovation across the university.

Core Responsibilities:

• Partner with faculty to design, develop, and revise courses using sound instructional design principles and evidence-based pedagogy
• Build and maintain course content, structure, and functionality within Canvas, ensuring a consistent and high-quality student experience
• Support faculty through consultations, training, and troubleshooting related to course design and Canvas functionality
• Apply and promote course quality, accessibility (ADA/WCAG 2.1), and regulatory standards, including Regular & Substantive Interaction (RSI) and credit-hour alignment
• Contribute to CETL programming, faculty development initiatives, and institutional teaching and learning priorities
• Collaborate with colleagues across CETL, academic schools, and administrative units to support institutional goals
• Stay current on trends, tools, and best practices in instructional design, educational technology, and higher education pedagogy

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Instructional Design, Educational Instructional Technology, or a related field 
• Advanced Canvas Administrator-level proficiency or certification, including integrations and troubleshooting at scale (beyond course-building)
• Experience with Canvas Outcomes and/or program-level assessment
• Experience with Canvas Course Analytics, or AI integrations within Canvas
• Certification from Quality Matters (QM) or the Online Learning Consortium (OLC)
• Demonstrated experience in instructional design, preferably within higher education
• Working proficiency with Canvas LMS or a comparable learning management system
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical or pedagogical concepts for varied audiences
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities independently
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive, accessible, and student-centered course design
• Demonstrated experience in instructional design, preferably within higher education
• Working proficiency with Canvas LMS or a comparable learning management system
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical or pedagogical concepts for varied audiences
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities independently
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusive, accessible, and student-centered course design
• A coaching or mentoring orientation toward colleague growth

Specialized Focus:

This position leads with relationships, not content, recognizing that faculty development succeeds through trust, consultation, and community rather than workshops and handouts alone. This person is a skilled facilitator, equally comfortable holding space for a faculty learning community or a one-on-one pedagogy consultation, and brings a coaching mindset that sees potential in colleagues at every career stage. They think programmatically, bringing project management skills to design faculty development initiatives from needs assessment through iterative refinement rather than a single workshop in isolation. Grounded in pedagogy and adult learning theory, they meet faculty as the experienced, self-directed learners they are — approachable, non-evaluative in consultations, and genuinely invested in helping colleagues grow.

Specialized Responsibilities:

• Lead faculty development programming in higher education — workshops, consultations, resource creation, and program design — ideally within a CETL or comparable unit
• Apply principles of instructional design (e.g., backward design, ADDIE, UDL) from individual courses to institutional curricula
• Apply knowledge of pedagogy and adult learning theory/andragogy as it relates to faculty as learners
• Provide strong consultation and facilitation skills across workshops, faculty learning communities, and one-on-one pedagogy consultations

Application Procedures: 

NDNU is committed to providing an educational environment that supports a diverse student population. In your cover letter, please include information about your experiences in working in a diverse environment, and what qualities you would bring to supporting this commitment to inclusive excellence at NDNU. 

EEOC Policy:

The University is an equal opportunity employer and is firmly committed to non-discrimination in its hiring and other employment practices and in the application of its personnel policies. In compliance with all applicable federal and state laws, except where a bona fide occupational qualification exists, employment decisions will be made irrespective of the staff member's race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, national origin, age (except for minors), sex, marital status, citizenship status, military service status, sexual orientation, medical condition (cancer-related or genetic condition), disability and/or any another status protected by law. When necessary, the University will reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities, if the individual is otherwise qualified to safely perform all essential functions of the position and if it will be done without undue hardship to the University.