Director of Learning Design & Innovation

Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU); Fort Collins (CO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Colorado State University seeks a Director of Learning Design to lead the Division of Learning Innovation, driving strategic learning design across online, hybrid, and in-person offerings. You will guide a 30+ person team and translate CSU’s strategy into scalable, high-quality practices.

You will build partnerships with colleges, IT, and faculty to advance learning innovation, oversee projects, and manage the budget for educational technologies, ensuring impact and measurable outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; 8+ years in instructional design, educational technology, or related field.
• 3+ years managing teams and/or managers.
• Demonstrated ability to lead strategic initiatives with cross-functional or institutional impact.
• Experience translating strategy into operations with measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead and operationalize the strategic vision for learning design across the Division of Learning Innovation, aligning with CSU’s Strategic Roadmap and growth goals.
• Direct and develop a team of managers and learning design professionals, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Establish and implement standards for course design, accessibility, and quality assurance across all learning modalities.
• Translate emerging trends in pedagogy, learning science, and educational technology into actionable design practices and scalable solutions.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with academic colleges, IT, faculty, and external stakeholders to advance learning innovation.
• Oversee planning, prioritization, and execution of learning design projects to ensure alignment with divisional goals and timelines.
• Manage budget, staffing strategy, and investment in educational technologies to support sustainable growth and impact.
• Represent Learning Innovation in campus-wide and external forums, contributing to institutional strategy and national conversations on teaching and learning.

Skills

Instructional design

Educational technology

Leadership

Strategic planning

Change management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Job description

Colorado State University seeks a Director of Learning Design to lead the Division of Learning Innovation, driving strategic learning design across online, hybrid, and in-person offerings. You will guide a 30+ person team and translate CSU’s strategy into scalable, high-quality practices.

You will build partnerships with colleges, IT, and faculty to advance learning innovation, oversee projects, and manage the budget for educational technologies, ensuring impact and measurable outcomes.