Instructional Designer & Technologist

Position Overview:

Southwestern University has an immediate opening for a Instructional Designer & Technologist. This position will report to the Dean of the Faculty. The incumbent plays a central role in supporting faculty in the design and delivery of high-quality, inclusive, and effective teaching and learning. The position combines expertise in instructional design, inclusive pedagogy, educational technology, and comprehensive Learning Management System (LMS) administration. Reporting to the Dean of the Faculty, this role is critical to advancing Southwestern’s commitment to innovative teaching within a liberal arts context. This is a full-time exempt position eligible for our comprehensive benefits program.

Essential Duties:

• Instructional Design and Faculty Support (50%)
  • Collaborate with faculty to design and develop face-to-face, hybrid, and online courses grounded in evidence-based teaching strategies, backward design, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.
  • Provide individual consultations and group workshops on course design, inclusive pedagogy, active learning, and effective integration of digital tools into teaching.
  • Develop and maintain faculty development resources, guides, and toolkits on instructional design, course alignment, and learning technologies.
  • Support faculty in incorporating emerging technologies, including generative AI tools, to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.
  • Partner with departments and programs to build faculty capacity in using Moodle (or future LMS platforms), digital assessment tools, and instructional technology platforms.
  • Maintain a Sponsored Programs web-site.
• Learning Management System Administration and Support (40%)
  • Serve as the primary administrator for the university’s Learning Management System (currently Moodle, with potential migration to Canvas), including configuration, integrations, user management, training, and troubleshooting.
  • Provide support to faculty, staff, and students, ensuring efficient LMS operations and timely resolution of technical issues.
  • Lead ongoing system evaluation, feature adoption, and continuous improvement of LMS functionality to support evolving pedagogical needs.
  • Collaborate with IT, academic departments, and external vendors to manage LMS updates, integrations, data reporting, and technical enhancements.
  • Develop and maintain training materials, user guides, and on-demand resources for LMS users.
• Educational Technology and Digital Learning Innovation (10%)
  • Evaluate emerging educational technologies and instructional design tools to recommend adoption aligned with institutional goals.
  • Provide consultation on educational technology tools such as video creation platforms, interactive content development, and AI-powered learning supports.
  • Support digital accessibility compliance in course design and technology adoption.

Additional Duties:

• Perform other duties as assigned by the director.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in instructional design, educational technology, learning sciences, higher education, or related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in instructional design and/or LMS administration, preferably in a higher education environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in instructional design frameworks (e.g., backward design, UDL, inclusive pedagogy, adult learning theory).
• Significant experience administering Learning Management Systems (Moodle strongly preferred; Canvas, Blackboard, or D2L experience acceptable).
• Strong project management, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate technical concepts into user-friendly guidance.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with faculty across diverse disciplines.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and continuous improvement in teaching and learning.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD in an academic discipline represented within the liberal arts and sciences.
• Demonstrated record of scholarship and publishing.
• Experience managing LMS transitions or system migrations.
• Familiarity with data analytics tools for learning analytics, student success monitoring, and course evaluation.
• Proficiency in educational technology tools, including video creation, multimedia content development, and interactive learning applications.
• Experience supporting generative AI applications for teaching and learning.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG, Section 508), LTI integrations, and compliance in digital learning environments.
• Supervisory experience with student workers or academic support staff.

Starting annual salary: $70,000. The final offer for the successful candidate will be commensurate with experience and may exceed the starting salary.