Senior Instructional Designer

Excelsior College; United States; Remote; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Excelsior University seeks a Senior Instructional Designer to join its design team. This role involves developing engaging online courses, overseeing instructional design standards, and collaborating with academic staff to ensure alignment with learning outcomes. Candidates should have a Master's degree and extensive experience in a higher education setting.

Benefits

Generous benefits package

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Health insurance

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Instructional Design or Educational Technology.
• 8+ years’ experience in developing online courses in higher education.
• Expertise in instructional design models and adult learning principles.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with SMEs to design and develop engaging online courses.
• Lead program-level instructional design efforts to ensure alignment.
• Review instructional design deliverables for quality and coherence.

Skills

Instructional design

Collaboration

Communication

Organization

Education

Master’s degree in Instructional Design or Educational Technology

Tools

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Job description

The instructional designer will be a member of the design team in the Instructional Design and Development unit at Excelsior University. Our team works closely with subject matter experts and other community and university stakeholders to develop transformative, engaging, high-quality learning experiences for our students. The Senior Instructional Designer plays a critical role in Excelsior University’s centralized course development team, overseeing instructional design at the program level to ensure a cohesive and high-quality student experience. This position is responsible for developing and enforcing course design standards, reviewing course materials for consistency, and mentoring instructional designers. The Senior Instructional Designer also engages directly in course development, applying expert-level instructional design skills to create engaging and effective online learning experiences

Working closely with subject matter experts (SMEs), academic partners, and other members of the Instructional Design and Delivery team (IDD), the Senior Instructional Designer ensures that courses within a program are aligned with institutional learning goals, accreditation requirements, and best practices for adult learners. This role requires a strategic thinker with a deep understanding of instructional design and an appreciation for standardized course development.

This position is based out of the university's home office in Albany, NY with the option of considering remote candidates. Remote employees will have mandatory occasional travel for meetings, conferences, and professional development opportunities. Remote employees are expected to be available during work hours 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Eastern time. The University will supply necessary equipment to perform the essential functions of this job (e.g., Laptop, docking station). Employees are responsible for having a workspace where they can participate in virtual meetings without multiple interruptions and noise.

Essential Duties and Responsibilitiesinclude the following: Other duties may be assigned.

• Collaborate with SMEs to design and develop engaging online courses.
• Apply instructional design principles to structure content and create relevant, engaging learning experiences.
• Guide SMEs in analyzing and assessing the application of appropriate and effective instructional strategies, tools, and assessments to achieve identified learning outcomes.
• Lead program-level instructional design efforts, ensuring consistency and alignment across courses.
• Develop, document, and enforce instructional design standards, templates, and guidelines.
• Provide expert-level instructional design support, including course design, assessment strategies, and outcome alignment.
• Review instructional design deliverables to ensure quality, coherence, and adherence to institutional standards.
• Ensure courses within a program align with institutional and program outcomes.
• Collaborate with instructional designers to maintain a consistent student experience across courses.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of Excelsior’s course development processes and methodologies.

Qualifications:To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able and willing to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Master’s degree in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, or a related field.
• 8+ years’ experience designing and developing online courses in a higher education setting.
• Expertise in instructional design models (e.g., Backward Design, Bloom’s Taxonomy) and adult learning principles.
• Ability to develop and enforce instructional design standards and guidelines.
• Experience ensuring course alignment with program and institutional learning outcomes.
• Strong skills in reviewing and providing constructive feedback on instructional design deliverables.
• Experience working with learning management systems (LMS), preferably Canvas.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to mentor and guide instructional designers.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience overseeing instructional design at a program or institutional level.
• Prior experience working in a centralized course development model.
• Knowledge of accreditation requirements and their impact on course design.
• Expertise in accessibility standards and universal design for learning (UDL).
• Experience using learning analytics to inform instructional design decisions.
• Experience designing courses or programs for competency-based education (CBE).
• Experience developing doctoral-level courses and programs, ensuring appropriate rigor and research integration.

The hiring salary range for this position is $80,000.00 - $90,000.00. The hiring salary range above represents the University's good faith estimate at the time of posting.

Application Information

If you have problems with online submission, please call 518-608-8238 .

Excelsior University offers competitive compensation and a generous benefits package that includes paid time off, retirement, and excellent health insurance. Interested candidates should submit a letter of application, resume, and the names of three professional references. Please submit requested information by clicking the Apply Now button on this page.

AA/EOE/ADA

Excelsior University is an equal opportunity employer committed to ensuring all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to any legally protected characteristic.