Instructional Designer

About the role

The position is an Instructional Designer for VCU Continuing and Professional Education (VCU CPE) and is a new role supporting the continued growth of VCU CPE’s noncredit portfolio, academic and external partnerships, and workforce-focused initiatives. VCU CPE is seeking an experienced instructional designer who will bring established expertise in instructional and learning experience design to help translate faculty expertise, academic content, and employer and workforce needs into high-quality, skills-based learning experiences for adult and professional learners. As a new dedicated instructional design role within VCU CPE, this position offers the opportunity to help shape and advance CPE’s approach to instructional design while collaborating with faculty, subject matter experts, VCU CPE colleagues, and instructional design and learning professionals across the university. The ideal candidate has experience designing learning for professional, business, industry, or adult audiences and understands how to translate complex academic or technical content into practical, skills-based learning experiences. This position will work closely with VCU staff, faculty, subject matter experts, program leaders, industry partners, and internal teams to design learning experiences that are engaging, accessible, outcomes-driven, and aligned with learner, employer, and workforce needs. This role is especially suited for an experienced instructional designer or learning experience designer who can move fluidly between higher education and workforce learning environments, helping transform credit-bearing or academic content into shorter, modular, competency-based learning experiences for noncredit audiences. An instructional designer must be an agile problem-solver, capable of shifting between multiple projects with competing deadlines while maintaining a high standard of quality. The Instructional Designer for VCU CPE will design and build a portfolio of credit and noncredit continuing and professional education offerings, working collaboratively with faculty, industry partners, and VCU CPE staff to develop high-quality, workforce and industry-aligned learning experiences for open enrollment and customized training.

Responsibilities

• Instructional Design and Course Development – Design and develop engaging, accessible learning experiences for adult and professional audiences, including courses, workshops, customized training, micro-credentials, and certificates. Apply adult learning theory, learner-centered instructional design principles, and evidence-based practices to develop measurable learning outcomes, activities, assessments, and instructional materials across online, hybrid, and in-person formats.
• Workforce & Skills-Based Program Design – Translate academic, technical, and professional content into practical, skills-based learning experiences aligned with learner, workforce, and industry needs. Support the development of modular and stackable learning pathways that connect competencies, assessments, credentials, and opportunities for continued learning or career advancement.
• Faculty, SME and Industry Collaboration – Partner with faculty, subject matter experts, staff, program leaders, workforce partners, and employers to identify learning needs and co-design effective programs. Facilitate the translation of faculty expertise and employer-identified skills into applied learning activities, workplace scenarios, projects, assessments, and other evidence of competency.
• Learning Technology and Course Production – Build, revise, test, and maintain courses in Canvas, VCU’s learning management system, ensuring clear navigation, accessibility, usability, learner engagement, and consistency. Develop and integrate accessible interactive content, multimedia, and digital learning resources using tools such as DesignPLUS, Harmonize, Panopto, Adobe Express, Canva, and other learning technologies.
• Project Management and Quality Assurance – Manage multiple course and program development projects from initial scoping through development, review, launch, evaluation, and revision. Coordinate timelines, documentation, stakeholder feedback, and deliverables while conducting quality assurance reviews for instructional alignment, accessibility, functionality, learner experience, and course readiness.
• Continuous Improvement and Innovation – Analyze course data and learner, instructor, partner, and program feedback to improve learning experiences and contribute to VCU CPE standards, templates, workflows, and instructional design practices. Stay current with emerging learning technologies, including appropriate uses of artificial intelligence, and evolving practices in adult learning, workforce education, micro-credentials, and continuing and professional education. The Instructional Designer pursues professional development opportunities and association memberships to advance their knowledge and expertise and contribute to the scholarship and professionalism of the unit. Continued professional growth and engagement in relevant professional associations will be encouraged and supported by VCU CPE.

Minimum Qualifications

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