Remote New

Senior Instructional Designer, Equity

Western Governors University
life insurance, flexible benefit account, parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, sick time
United States, North Carolina, Durham
Jul 08, 2025
If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country-and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future-consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families. The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: Grade: Faculty 507 Pay Range: $78,300.00 - $117,500.00 Job Description Summary Serves as the faculty learning design expert who develops high-quality, engaging educational experiences that align with program outcomes, instructional best practices, and each course's intended scope and sequence. Works closely with key stakeholders to improve the course and program quality, adheres to and improve processes at both the program level and course level, and promotes collaboration within and across departmental teams. Works closely with Development Managers and Integration Solution roles to promote training and mentoring for new and existing instructional design staff. This role evaluates curricular materials, providing expertise in instructional design, equity considerations and learning science. Incorporates proven and emerging learning strategies into curriculum design and consistently applies equity and quality standards across projects. As a passionate partner about learner success, collaborates across teams to research, align, design, and refine impactful learning experiences. Manages multiple concurrent projects, assesses risk, tracks progress, and communicates effectively with stakeholders to promote consistency, accountability and continuous improvement. Additionally, plays a pivotal role in developing, documenting, and continuously improving the standards of practice for the organization's competency-based online learning experiences to ensure equitable access across the learning experience and be the recognized leader in this area for the department. Serves as a cross-departmental spokesperson for the Program Development team's diversity, equity, and accessibility practices as well as participating on the university-wide Accessibility Council Work Location While this position will begin as remote/work-from-home, it is expected to transition to an in-office role in Raleigh, North Carolina, once a dedicated office space is established (anticipated by April 2026) Primary Responsibilities Leads the course design and development process for new and existing courses, ensuring alignment with instructional best practices, scope and sequence, and defined learning outcomes. Creates and drives adoption of consistent strategies for accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion across all assessment, curriculum, and content across colleges. Determines standards of excellence for accessibility in compliance with ADA, Section 504, and Section 508 legislation; accessibility guidelines, including WCAG, ATAG, UAAG, and WAI-ARIA; and UDL principles, always with an eye to improving the student experience. Drives design and develop engaging, contextually rich, and objective-driven learning experiences that reflect real-world application and support diverse learner needs. Applies evidence-based instructional and learning experience design strategies, including best practices in UX/UI and accessibility, to create high-quality educational experiences. Conducts needs-analyses and proactively leads and advocates for regular training, consultation, and guidance team members and partners on accessibility compliance, assistive technologies and tools, and data-driven, evidence-based practices in accessibility Proactively establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with leaders across the university to promote the improvement and advancement of the organization's strategy, policies, and procedures related to accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion in assessment, curriculum, and content Leads the university, teams, and external industry partners as a subject matter expert in equity, broadly defined Advises and collaborates with faculty, internal teams, and external stakeholders to ensure instructional alignment, technical feasibility, and consistency in course design. Evaluates, develops, and revises curricular materials, learning resources, and assessments to ensure alignment with program objectives and learner competencies. Conducts quality assurance reviews and implement continuous improvement processes to maintain high standards of academic and instructional quality. Identifies and maps learning resources to a course or program objectives and competencies in collaboration with university partners. Develops and revises curricular materials, including competency statements, learning objectives, and other relevant documentation. Mentors and coaches junior and career-level instructional designers, sharing expertise and supporting peers in applying best-practice design principles and solving complex learning design challenges. Ensures timely completion of course development projects within established timelines and budget parameters. Stays at the forefront of learning science research, digital learning trends, and emerging instructional technologies, and actively apply this knowledge to enhance course design and delivery. Leverages system capabilities and emerging tools to enhance the overall learning experience and contribute to innovation in design and delivery. Performs other related duties as assigned. This job description includes a general representation of job requirements rather than a comprehensive inventory of all required responsibilities or work activities. The contents of this document or related job requirements may change at any time with or without notice. Qualifications Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Must have demonstrated subject matter expertise and skills in job-relevant content or practice area. Must have proven course design and development, and program development skills and experience. Education Advanced degree and all applicable licenses or certifications. Experience Strong experience with one or more of the following: learning design, universal design for learning, or designing learning to increase equity, ADA and Section 504, and Section 508 legislation. 2 years highly successful practice, based on student outcomes, in the role area/practice. 3 years of relevant professional experience. Preferred Qualifications Terminal degree and all applicable licenses or certifications. Advanced experience with systems and procedures for the course and program development. Physical Requirements: Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer. Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times. #LI-SA1 Position & Application Details Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave. How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday. Additional Information Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It's not all-inclusive. Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@wgu.edu. Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.