Instructional Designer- Emerging Technologies Specialist

Socket.dev; Belmont (CA); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Notre Dame de Namur University is seeking an Instructional Designer- Emerging Technologies Specialist to partner with faculty and advance CETL's mission. The role blends pedagogical expertise with Canvas LMS fluency to guide course design from concept to quality improvement.

The successful candidate will champion accessibility, RSI, and regulatory alignment while collaborating across CETL and academic units to shape teaching and learning innovations with AI and emerging tools.

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
• 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
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects independently
• Commitment to inclusive, accessible, and student-centered course design

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 with 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 RSI/credit-hour alignment
• Contribute to CETL programming and instructional design initiatives
• Collaborate with CETL, academic schools, and administrative units to support institutional goals
• Stay current on trends, tools, and best practices in instructional design and higher education pedagogy
• Specialized Focus: explore AI, multimodal content, and emerging tools impacting teaching and learning
• Specialized Responsibilities: act as educational technologist, maintain AI tool knowledge for teaching, apply UDL in design, promote evidence-based online teaching

Skills

Instructional design

Canvas LMS

Educational technology

Communication

Project management

ADA/WCAG compliance

Universal Design for Learning

Education

Master's degree in Instructional Design or related field

Tools

Canvas Administrator certification

Canvas analytics

QM certification

Job description

Title: Instructional Designer- Emerging Technologies Specialist

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

Position Summary:

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

Specialized Focus:

This position sits on the leading edge of teaching and learning, genuinely curious about how AI, multimodal content, and emerging tools can expand what's possible in teaching and learning, within and beyond Canvas. This person pairs enthusiasm for technology with a grounding in Universal Design for Learning and inclusive design, so new technology is filtered through the question of who it helps and who it might leave out, rather than adopted uncritically. Prior teaching experience is ideal, so recommendations come from lived classroom experience rather than theory alone. They are a natural translator of technology, able to make something unfamiliar or intimidating — a new AI tool, an unfamiliar multimodal format — approachable for faculty, while helping shape what meaningful student engagement looks like in a modern, tech-forward assignment or course.

Specialized Responsibilities:

• Serve in a role akin to an educational technologist, integrating emerging technology into teaching practice
• Maintain working expertise in AI tools and applications for teaching and learning
• Apply knowledge of UDL and inclusive instructional design to technology adoption and course design
• Promote and model evidence-based online teaching practices

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.