Equity Specialist - Instructional Design

If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families. The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: Grade: Professional 310 Pay Range: $91,000.00 - $136,400.00 Job Description Serves as a subject matter expert (SME) and mentor to instructional designers (IDs), leading the integration of innovative features and practices—with a specialized focus on equity, accessibility, and inclusive design. This role ensures the timely and effective incorporation of emerging instructional technologies and methodologies into course design and content development. This role is also a key point of contact for "how-to" inquiries related to equitable and accessible instructional design and assessment development. This role is critical in bridging the gap between instructional design expertise and the adoption of cutting-edge educational technologies, ensuring instructional designers are well-equipped to create engaging, effective, and forward-thinking learning experiences. This role additionally serves as a cross-team advocate, working laterally across Academic Program Development (APD) to lead the integration of equity strategies into course materials, assessments, and learning experiences. Location This position will be onsite based in our Raleigh, NC office. Primary Responsibilities Coaches instructional designers in APD on course/content development using equitable, accessible design practices. Leads the integration of new instructional design features and approaches; evaluates impact on diverse learner populations. Ensures the timely rollout of new strategies and tools, monitoring effectiveness and learner impact. Mentors and develops instructional designers and contractors, through training, guidance, and scalable resources. Explores and implements emerging technologies (including generative AI); document best practices and innovation standards. Develops and maintains AI-enabled guidance to ensure consistent design practices across instructional design roles. Partners with stakeholders to strengthen instructional strategy and uphold academic quality standards. Contributes to course development to ensure alignment with WGU's mission and academic quality standards. Delivers workshops, training sessions, and just-in-time resources to build team capability. Leads cross-functional projects; recommends and implements process improvements. Coordinates contractor work (approve hours, track timelines) to keep projects on schedule. Designs and champions scalable solutions that advance student equity and next-generation accessibility across APD's course portfolio. Works laterally across APD teams to integrate equity strategies into course materials, learning resources, and assessments. Creates and drives adoption of consistent accessibility, DEI, and inclusive design frameworks across curriculum and content. Applies Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to proactively support diverse learner needs. Conducts needs-analyses; provide training, consultation, and guidance on accessible design, assistive technologies, and data-informed equity gap reduction. Represents APD and serve as a cross-department spokesperson for equity, diversity, and accessibility practices in Program Development. Evaluates AI tools and instructional technologies through an equity lens; identify opportunities and risks for diverse learner populations. Performs other related duties as assigned. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Expertise in instructional design, curriculum development, and learner experience (UX). Advanced knowledge of emerging instructional technologies, including Generative AI applications in education. Ability to integrate innovative instructional strategies into course and program design. Advanced technical writing and documentation skills to codify and scale best practices. Strong mentoring, coaching, and training skills to develop instructional designers. Cross-functional leadership and stakeholder collaboration skills. Demonstrated innovation in instructional design, course/program development, and process enhancement. Problem-solving and analytical skills to assess instructional effectiveness and recommend improvements. Strong organizational and self-management skills; able to manage multiple priorities effectively. Expertise in equity-centered and inclusive instructional design (UDL, accessible design, culturally responsive pedagogy). Working knowledge of ADA, Section 504, Section 508, WCAG, and related accessibility standards for digital learning. Ability to translate equity principles into scalable, practical design solutions across a large instructional design team. Education Master's degree in Education, Instructional Design, User Experience Design, or a related field. Experience 7 years of relevant experience Advanced experience in instructional design and content development for competency-based education. Project leadership in multiple areas (e.g., multiple programs, maintenance, QA). Demonstrated subject matter expertise in job-relevant content or practice area. Strong experience with one or more of the following: learning design for equity, universal design for learning, accessible design for digital learning, or designing learning experiences to reduce equity gaps. Experience in lieu of education Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements. Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as 1 year of experience for 1 year of education and is the discretion of the hiring manager. Preferred Qualifications Doctorate (PhD or EdD) in a related field. Advanced experience with systems and procedures for course and program development. Certification or demonstrated expertise in accessibility (e.g., IAAP CPACC, WAS, or equivalent). Experience conducting accessibility audits of digital learning content. Travel This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements. Accommodations Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at View email address on click.appcast.io. Disclaimer The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It's not all-inclusive. Equal Employment Opportunity All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law. #J-18808-Ljbffr Western Governors University