Instructional Designer

Albany State University; Albany (GA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Albany State University seeks an Instructional Designer to support the Office of Distance Learning’s mission by collaborating with faculty to design and deliver online and blended courses of exceptional quality. The role emphasizes evidence-based instructional design, OER promotion, and adherence to accreditation standards, RSI, ADA/WCAG accessibility, and Quality Matters frameworks.

Working under department leadership, the designer will foster innovation in online learning, support faculty

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Instructional Design, Instructional Technology, Adult Education, or related field.
• 1–3 years of professional experience in instructional design or course development, focusing on online learning.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with faculty to design online, hybrid, and technology-enhanced courses with RSI integration.
• Ensure alignment with accreditation standards (SACSCOC), ADA/WCAG accessibility, and Quality Matters.
• Deliver professional development on online teaching, instructional design best practices, OER adoption, accessibility, and emerging technologies.
• Promote and support integration of Open Educational Resources (OER) to improve quality, accessibility, and affordability.
• Contribute to university-wide instructional design projects under departmental leadership.
• Update and maintain WCAG compliance for digital content.
• Stay current with research, trends, and innovations in instructional design and educational technology.
• Collect and analyze feedback from faculty and students to inform improvements in design.
• Assume additional responsibilities to support departmental operations.

Skills

Course design

RSI standards

Collaboration

Organizational skills

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Instructional Design/related field

Master's degree in Instructional Design/related field

Tools

LMS

Quality Matters

Job description

Job Summary

The Instructional Designer will support the Office of Distance Learning’s mission to elevate distance education at Albany State University by collaborating with faculty and academic units to design and deliver high-quality online and blended courses. This role will focus on applying evidence-based instructional design practices, promoting the use of Open Educational Resources (OER), and ensuring compliance with accreditation standards, federal regulations, and institutional policies, including SACSCOC requirements, regular and substantive interaction (RSI) standards, ADA/WCAG accessibility, and quality design frameworks such as Quality Matters. Working under the guidance of department leadership, the Instructional Designer will contribute to innovation in online learning, support faculty development, and help ensure that all courses and digital content meet standards of excellence and accessibility.

This is a Title III funded position and is contingent upon the availability of external funding. Employment in this role is for a limited term, and will be reviewed annually based on funding and needs.

Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with faculty to design, redesign, and deliver engaging online, hybrid, and technology-enhanced courses, ensuring regular and substantive interaction (RSI) is integrated into course design.
• Ensure alignment of courses with accreditation requirements (e.g. SACSCOC), federal regulations (ADA/WCAG), and quality assurance standards (e.g. Quality Matters), with attention to RSI compliance.
• Assist with the development and delivery of professional development sessions on online teaching, instructional design best practices, OER adoption, accessibility, and emerging technologies.
• Promote and support the integration of Open Educational Resources (OER) to improve course quality, accessibility, and affordability.
• Contribute to university-wide instructional design projects and initiatives under the direction of departmental leadership.
• Update and maintain compliance with WCAG requirements for digital content related to the Office of Distance Learning.
• Stay current with research, trends, and innovations in instructional design, online teaching and learning, OER, and educational technology.
• Collect and analyze feedback from faculty and students to inform improvements in instructional design practices.
• Assume additional responsibilities as needed to support departmental operations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Instructional Design, Instructional Technology, Adult Education, or a related field.
• Minimum of 1-3 years of professional experience in instructional design or course development, with a focus on online learning environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Instructional Design, Instructional Technology, Adult Education, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in instructional design and development for online or blended learning.
• Experience with accreditation review processes, quality assurance frameworks (e.g. Quality Matters), or OER integration.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Knowledge

• Solid understanding of instructional design theory, online and blended learning models, and adult learning principles.
• Awareness of accreditation standards, including SACSCOC requirements, regulatory compliance for online education, and regular and substantive interaction (RSI).
• Knowledge of ADA/WGAC accessibility standards and digital accessibility practices. 0Knowledge of Open Educational Resources (OER) adoption and integration into course design.
• Proficiency in learning management systems and instructional technologies.
• Familiarity with Quality Matters or similar quality assurance frameworks.

Skills

• Demonstrated ability to design and develop engaging, learning-centered online courses that incorporate RSI standards.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills for working with faculty, staff, and administrators.

Abilities

• Ability to apply instructional design practices that enhance student learning and engagement.
• Ability to ensure online courses meet regular and substantive interaction (RSI) requirements.
• Ability to support faculty in adopting OER and ensuring accessibility compliance.
• Ability to contribute to strategic instructional design initiatives within the Office of Distance Learning.
• Ability to collect and apply feedback to improve design and deliver.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Albany State University is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for living, working, and studying. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, the University prohibits harassment of or discrimination against any person because of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment, pregnancy, and medical conditions related to pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity or national origin, religion, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran or military status by any member of the ASU Community on campus, in connection with a University program or activity, or in a manner that creates a hostile environment for members of the ASU community.

For questions or more detailed information regarding this policy please contact the Albany State University Office of Human Resources at [phone]. For individuals requiring disability-related accommodations for participation in any event or to obtain print materials in an alternative format, please contact the Disability Resource Center at 229-500-3442.

Conditions of Employment

All selected candidates are required to successfully pass a Background Check review prior to starting with Albany State University.

Certain positions may also require the selected candidate to submit to or have:

• a credit check completed for "Positions of Trust" and/or approved departmental purchase card usage
• a motor vehicle report for positions that require driving an Albany State University vehicle
• a successful pre‑employment drug test