Senior Teaching & Learning Design Specialist

University of North Texas System; Denton (TX); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of North Texas System seeks a Senior Teaching & Learning Design Specialist to partner with educators across the university. You will bring deep expertise in instructional design, pedagogy, and learning science to support faculty development and complex projects.

Lead program design, mentor colleagues, and help shape the unit’s strategic direction. You will collaborate with graduate instructors, adjunct faculty, staff educators, and senior faculty, guiding design, evaluation, and

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in instructional design, education, curriculum and instruction, learning sciences, higher education, or related field required; doctoral degree preferred.
• Three years of experience in higher education with faculty or instructors on course design or educator development is strongly preferred.
• Experience leading programming and mentoring in teaching and learning is valued.

Responsibilities

• Provides individualized consultation to educators on course design, outcomes, assessment, and teaching growth.
• Leads senior-level design and delivery of faculty development programs and workshops.
• Mentors junior staff and supports Communities of Practice focused on course design.
• Guides large-scale curriculum mapping and instructional material development across disciplines.
• Advises on instructional strategies and delivery technologies to meet learning objectives.
• Maintains engagement with current scholarship in teaching and learner development and presents at conferences.
• Contributes to unit planning, assessment of programming, and campus teaching initiatives.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Instructional design

Pedagogy

Learning science

ADDIE

Backward Design

UDL

LMS

Educational technology

Accessibility

Communication

Project management

Education

Master’s degree in instructional design / education

Tools

Learning management systems

Instructional technology tools

Job description

Title: Senior Teaching & Learning Design Specialist

Employee Classification: Sr Instructional Design Cnslt

Campus: University of North Texas

Division: UNT-Provost

SubDivision-Department: UNT-Provost-Gen

Department: UNT-CLEAR-110220

Job Location: Denton

Salary: Salary commensurate with experience

FTE: 1.000000

Retirement Eligibility: TRS Eligible

About Us - Values Overview

Welcome to the University of North Texas System. The UNT System includes the University of North Texas in Denton and Frisco, the University of North Texas at Dallas and UNT Dallas College of Law, and University of North Texas Health Fort Worth. We are the only university system based exclusively in the robust Dallas-Fort Worth region. We are growing with the North Texas region, employing more than 14,000 employees, educating a record 49,000+ students across our system, and awarding nearly 12,000 degrees each year.

We are one team comprised of individuals who are committed to excellence, curiosity and innovation. We are transforming lives and creating economic opportunity through education. We champion a people-first values-based culture where We Care about each other and those we serve. We believe that we are Better Together because we foster an environment of respect, belonging, and access for all. We demonstrate Courageous Integrity through setting exceptional standards and acting in the best interest of our communities. We are encouraged to Be Curious about opportunities for learning, creating, discovering, and innovating, and are encouraged to learn from failure. Show Your Fire by joining our team and exhibiting your passion and pride in your work as part of our UNT System team.

Learn more about the UNT System and how we live our values at www.UNTSystem.edu.

Department Summary

The Learning Ecosystem for Empowering Futures (LEEF) serves as a networked support system to improve teaching and learning at UNT. LEEF brings together three related areas of work that are often disparate in higher education systems: curricular alignment, learning research, and educator development. Importantly, LEEF does not function as three siloed areas, but instead as a coordinated body that works with and for all members of the university. We aim to enact meaningful and lasting improvements that significantly enhance students' college experiences and trajectories after graduation, as well educators' wellbeing and growth within the system. Ultimately, LEEF envisions a thriving university community that is empowered, agentic, and nimble in the face of changing educational and societal landscapes.

Position Overview

The Senior Teaching and Learning Design Specialist serves as a lead expert partner and consultant to educators across the university — including graduate student instructors, adjunct faculty, staff educators, and experienced faculty at all career stages. In this role, faculty and instructors are the lead designers of their own teaching; the Senior Specialist brings deep and practiced expertise in instructional design, pedagogy, and learning science to walk alongside them and support their development as educators. The Senior Specialist’s advanced expertise will also allow them to take on more complex projects, serve as leaders of programmatic initiatives, mentor colleagues within the team, and contribute to the unit’s strategic direction. The Senior Specialist works as a member of an integrated team whose collective expertise spans the full spectrum from instructional design to educator identity and growth.

Minimum Qualifications

Master’s degree in instructional design, education, curriculum and instruction, learning sciences, higher education, or a closely related field required; doctoral degree preferred. A minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience working directly with faculty or instructors in a higher education setting on course design, faculty development, or educator formation; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience. Demonstrated experience leading programming, mentoring colleagues, or contributing to scholarly work in teaching and learning is strongly preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Advanced and practiced knowledge of instructional design frameworks (e.g., ADDIE, Backward Design, UDL) and the ability to apply them flexibly and with independent judgment across disciplines, modalities, and educator career stages.
• Deep grounding in the scholarship of teaching and learning, adult learning theory, reflective practice, and educator identity development, with the ability to translate scholarly frameworks into practical guidance for faculty partners.
• Demonstrated ability to work consultatively alongside educators as partners in complex and high-stakes contexts, adapting expertise to individual needs, disciplinary cultures, and institutional priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to design, lead, and evaluate significant faculty development programming, including major workshop series, communities of practice, and individualized consultations.
• Experience mentoring colleagues or junior staff, modeling consultative practice and contributing to a culture of professional growth within the team.
• Capacity to contribute substantively to or lead scholarly work in teaching, learning, or educator development, including publication, conference presentations, or applied research.
• Proficiency with learning management systems and instructional technology tools; familiarity with emerging educational technologies and capacity to advise on their pedagogical implications.
• Knowledge of Fair Use, copyright, and accessibility standards as applied to instructional content across delivery modalities.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with educators at all stages of their careers and to represent the unit to external audiences.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple complex concurrent partnerships, projects, and initiatives with a high degree of independence.
• Commitment to a collaborative, mission-driven culture dedicated to educator growth and student learning outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

N/A

Required License/Registration/Certifications

N/A

Job Duties

• Provides individualized consultation to educators at all career stages on course design, pedagogical strategies, learning outcomes, assessment, and teaching identity and growth — with particular depth in complex, high-stakes, or multidisciplinary engagements requiring advanced expertise.
• Leads the design and delivery of significant faculty and educator development programming — including major workshop series, speaker series, and structured learning experiences — with responsibility for conceptual framing, facilitation, and evaluation of outcomes.
• Provides senior-level support and intellectual leadership to faculty-led Communities of Practice focused on meaningful course and pedagogical design challenges.
• Takes the lead on complex or large-scale course design and curriculum mapping projects, guiding the development of instructional materials across disciplines, modalities, and program levels.
• Mentors Teaching and Learning Design Specialists and graduate assistants, providing guidance on consultative practice, instructional design, and professional development.
• Advises on appropriate instructional strategies, delivery technologies, and assessment approaches to meet course and program learning objectives, with capacity to address novel or particularly complex cases.
• Maintains active engagement and contributes substantively to current scholarship in teaching, learning, and educator development; leads related scholarly work and represents the unit at relevant professional conferences.
• Contributes to unit strategic planning, assessment of programming effectiveness, and the development of new initiatives and services; participates in campus-wide teaching and learning initiatives and coordination with on- and off-campus partners.
• Completes other duties as assigned.

Physical Requirements

Communicating with others to exchange information.

Environmental Hazards

No adverse environmental conditions expected.

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday, 8:00 - 5:00

Driving University Vehicle

No

Security Sensitive

This is a Security Sensitive Position.

EEO Statement

The University of North Texas System is firmly committed to equal opportunity and does not permit –and takes actions to prevent – discrimination, harassment (including sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking), and retaliation on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in its application, employment practices, and facilities; nor permits race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or sex discrimination and harassment in its admissions processes, and educational programs and activities. UNT System Administration promptly investigates complaints of discrimination, harassment, and related retaliation and takes remedial action when appropriate. System Administration also takes actions to prevent retaliation against individuals who oppose any form of harassment or discriminatory practice, file a charge or report, or testify, assist, or participate in a related investigation or proceeding.