Deputy Director for Instructional Design job

Saylor Academy is committed to driving the cost of higher education down to zero by creating courses and degrees composed of high-quality open educational resources (OER). Saylor Academy provides a zero-cost option to those who lack the resources or ability to access traditional education and serves hundreds of thousands of students around the world with our free courses and certificates.

Overview

Reporting to the Director of Academic Affairs, the Deputy Director of Instructional Design and Quality Assurance leads the workflow of Saylor Academy’s online course development cycle to ensure the highest quality learning experience for its global student body. The Deputy Director of Instructional Design and Quality Assurance manages a team of academic and instructional design personnel, including faculty subject matter experts, multimedia specialists, and project managers, to effectively apply instructional technologies. The Deputy Director of Instructional Design and Quality Assurance is responsible for the development of transformational, dynamic, and engaging online digital content for students, faculty, and other Saylor Academy stakeholders. This position serves Saylor Academy as a leader for instructional design, digital media creation, and educational technology integration in service of an optimal student learning experience.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Leadership of educational project managers, instructional design staff, quality assurance, faculty subject matter experts, and third party e-learning service providers in order to create transformational, fully accessible digital content;
• Researching, evaluating, and formulating recommendations to improve the use of learning technologies for continually improving teaching and learning excellence;
• Serving as the institutional advisor and expert on current and emerging learning technologies that constitute the Saylor Academy learning environment;
• Assisting the Learning Management System (LMS) Administrator, multimedia specialists, faculty subject matter experts, and other stakeholders with the technical and aesthetic integration of digital media and learning technologies in the teaching and learning experience;
• Applying WCAG, ADA, Section 508, and UDL standards and best practices across digital platforms;
• Ensuring compliance with licensing, intellectual property, and copyright requirements.
• Participating in reviews of online courses and other instructional materials and activities, regardless to recommend revisions that are in accordance with best practices and standards;
• Providing leadership and direction for innovative teaching and learning projects.
• Partnering with faculty and academic leadership to clearly articulate and develop learning objectives and assessment;
• Planning and designing innovative online learning experiences from ideation to launch, aligning content presentation and technical strategy with course and program outcomes;
• Develop and execute vision for digital curriculum development to meet time sensitive deliverables;
• Reviewing contracts for scope of work and terms for new and existing technologies; and
• Assisting with the development and review of policies and procedures as they relate to the appropriate and compliant use of technology.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Doctorate degree in Instructional Design, Education, Curriculum and Instruction, or a related discipline is required.
• Five or more years of documented experience leading instructional design, multimedia integration, and digitization for higher education online learning environments;
• Experience and certifications with Quality Matters, OLC, or equivalent quality design measures;
• Higher education teaching experience is required.
• The ability to organize and lead multiple projects under tight deadlines;
• Demonstrated experience in utilizing common industry software applications including eLearning authoring tools;
• An ability to code HTML5 and programming language experience is preferred;
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills;
• Self-motivated; ability to work with minimal supervision; and
• Deep commitment to Saylor Academy’s free education mission.

Additional information:

Employment Type: Full-time, exempt position. Benefits will be provided.

Reports To: Director of Academic Affairs

Salary: Negotiable, depending on experience and alignment with our nonprofit mission.

Location: The successful candidate may work remotely in the United States, depending on state of residence. Priority will be given to candidates in the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Baltimore-Washington, DC metro areas.

Equal Opportunity Employer