Edtech.com's Summary

Universities of Wisconsin is hiring an Instructional Designer (Associate or No prefix) to collaborate with senior staff and stakeholders to design, develop, and enhance instructional programs and curricula. The role involves managing curriculum plans, creating courses in the LMS, supporting faculty training, and integrating educational technologies to improve online learning experiences.

Highlights

Assist senior instructional designers with curriculum development and course creation in the LMS.
Collaborate with faculty and subject matter experts to plan and deliver online courses.
Provide professional development and training on best practices and educational technology usage.
Support selection and integration of educational technologies and coordinate media content creation.
Focus on improving accessibility and the overall learning experience for students.
Required skills: Knowledge of learning theory, instructional design models, LMS experience, project management, and strong communication abilities.
Preferred qualifications include a master’s degree in related fields, proficiency in Canvas LMS, and basic programming skills (HTML, XML, JavaScript, etc.).
The position offers a salary range of $49,000 to $66,000 annually, dependent on experience and education.
Works within the Office of Online & Professional Learning Resources serving all 13 Universities of Wisconsin campuses.
Full-time academic staff position with partial remote work and some on-site presence required.

Instructional Designer (Associate or No prefix) Full Description

Instructional Designer (Associate or No prefix)

remote type

Partially Remote

Madison, WI

Full time

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Position Title:Instructional Designer (Associate or No prefix)

Job Category:Academic Staff

Employment Type:Regular

Job Profile:Teach, Learn, & Tech Spec I

Job Duties:

The Instructional Designer (Assoc. or No prefix) will work in close collaboration with senior instructional design staff to assist with or support the design, development, and enhancement of instructional activities, programs, and curricula. The Instructional Designer works in close collaboration with various stakeholders to obtain content, apply learning theories and instructional design models, employ sound project management practices, and appropriately engage internal and external resources to meet learner and organizational needs.

The Instructional Designer is responsible for creating courses in the learning management system (LMS) and ensuring the content of those courses meets high quality standards. Title placement will be dependent on the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Key Job Responsibilities:

Under the supervision of senior instructional design staff, meet with faculty members and/or subject matter experts to create and manage a curriculum development plan for online courses
Build strong, collaborative relationships with constituents through face-to-face and remote interactions (e.g., emails, webinars, conference calls)
Assist with the development of training materials and provide professional development to faculty regarding current research related to best practices for the development and teaching of online courses
Assist with the selection, review, and integration of educational technologies to support pedagogical aims
Provide training to faculty on the use of the learning management system and other associated educational technologies
Coordinate with media staff on the creation of a media plan and associated content
Assist with the identification and communication of opportunities to improve the learning experience for all students, especially those related to accessibility, and collaboratively work with faculty to carry out this work
Aid faculty in locating and evaluating educational resources, and provide guidance on issues related to copyright and fair use guidelines
Maintain a commitment to practitioner scholarship by keeping abreast of emerging theories and practices
Perform other duties as requested

Department:

The Office of Online & Professional Learning Resources is committed to providing service and support to the Universities of Wisconsin Administration and all 13 UW universities in online and continuing education, teaching, learning, and workforce skills training and resources.

OPLR works in partnership with all 13 UW universities to develop and deliver online semester- and competency-based degrees and a broad array of credit and non-credit certificates, courses, and other credentials to help adult and professional learners achieve their academic and professional development goals and to develop the workforce of Wisconsin.

Compensation:

The Instructional Designer (official title: Teaching, Learning, and Technology Specialist I or II) is a full-time, salaried (exempt), academic staff position. Well-qualified candidates can expect a starting annual salary within the range of $49,000 - $66,000 commensurate with the candidate’s education, related experience, and qualifications.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree
Demonstrated knowledge of learning theory and instructional design models
Experience working with learning management systems and related educational technologies
Experience establishing professional relationships with stakeholders/clients to help meet their objectives while providing excellent customer service
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Experience applying project management strategies to meet project goals and deadlines

Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s degree in instructional design, curriculum and instruction, educational technology, adult learning, continuing education, or a related field
Knowledge of current learning/instructional design theories pertaining to online education
Proficiency in the Canvas learning management system
Proficiency in the use of basic programming related to online learning (e.g., HTML, XML, ActionScript, JAVA or JavaScript)
Experience working collaboratively with other instructional designers
Experience working in higher education on instructional design projects for others

Work Location

The business location is 780 Regent St., Madison, WI. Employees are expected to work in the office at least twice a month. However, depending on business needs, there may be occasions when additional in-office presence is requested. Flexible Work agreements are subject to change at any time.

Application Information:

To ensure full consideration, please submit application materials as soon as possible. Applicant screening will begin immediately and be ongoing through 11:59 pm, November 18, 2025. However, applications may be accepted until the position has been filled.

Contact Information:

Questions may be addresses to: Kristina Williston, HR Generalist, at kristina.williston@wisconsin.edu

COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE

Inclusive Excellence is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for Universities of Wisconsin. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the Universities of Wisconsin community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning, research, scholarship, creative activity, community service, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

Universities of Wisconsin fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background – people who serve the State of Wisconsin and the public good.

Special Notes

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request by contacting uwshr@wisconsin.edu.

The Universities of Wisconsin is required to conduct a criminal background and sexual harassment check for the selected finalist prior to employment.

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e., a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of employer sponsorship) on, before, or after the effective date of appointment.

The Universities of Wisconsin will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. §. 19.36(7).

Benefits Information

Universities of Wisconsin employees receive an excellent benefits package. To learn more about the benefits package, review the Faculty, Academic Staff & Limited Appointees or University Staff Please see this link for total compensation information: Universities of Wisconsin Health & Retirement Contributions Estimator to provide you with total compensation information.

Application Instructions

To ensure full consideration, please submit application materials as soon as possible. Applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references. Applicant screening will begin immediately and be ongoing through the closing date. However, applications may be accepted until the position has been filled.

Clery Act information

The Universities of Wisconsin provides statistics on campus crime in its Annual Security Report. For more information on university campus statistics see https://www.wisconsin.edu/compliance/clery/.

UW is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other bases protected by applicable federal or State law and UW System policies. We are committed to building a workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.

Original Job Description