Remote Instructional Designer — Higher Ed Course Design & LMS

Sonoran Desert Institute; Texas; Remote; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Sonoran Desert Institute is seeking an experienced Instructional Designer to join our curriculum team and help develop engaging online courses for higher education. This remote role is limited to the states listed in the posting.

You will collaborate with subject matter experts, design course shells in Canvas, ensure accessibility, and align materials with learning objectives while supporting continuous improvement and student success. Travel up to 10% may be required.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Curriculum and Instructional Design or equivalent program.
• Certificate or equivalent training in instructional design/eLearning (16-credit hours) if not a related degree.
• Minimum 3 years of professional experience in instructional design.
• At least 1 year of instructional design experience in higher education.
• Strong knowledge of adult learning principles and distance instruction.
• Experience with LMS and course-authoring tools.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with subject matter experts to define objectives and create course documentation.
• Apply instructional design principles and accessibility standards for student-centered content.
• Design and develop online course materials with assessments and interactive activities.
• Develop course shells and modules in Canvas using tools like native Canvas tools, CidiLabs, Design Plus, and Canva.
• Source external media and cite resources properly.
• Support Academic Quality Assurance and continuous improvement efforts.
• Stay current with trends in instructional design and distance education.
• Troubleshoot course access and functionality issues.
• Participate in team meetings and professional development.
• Develop SOPs with Curriculum Staff and collaborate across the department.

Skills

Instructional Design

eLearning

Canvas LMS

Course development

Project management

Communication

Time management

Education

Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instructional Design

Certificate/training in instructional design/eLearning (16 credit hours)

Tools

Canvas

CidiLabs

Design Plus

Canva

Job description

Sonoran Desert Institute is seeking an experienced Instructional Designer to join our curriculum team and help develop engaging online courses for higher education. This remote role is limited to the states listed in the posting.

You will collaborate with subject matter experts, design course shells in Canvas, ensure accessibility, and align materials with learning objectives while supporting continuous improvement and student success. Travel up to 10% may be required.