Learning Experience Designer

Position Summary

The Learning Experience/Instructional Designer in the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) provides instructional design, pedagogical and learning technology support for undergraduate and graduate courses and programs across all modalities, including online (synchronous and asynchronous), hybrid, HyFlex, and face-to-face. The position partners closely with full-time and adjunct faculty to design engaging, inclusive, accessible and learner-centered experiences that support student engagement and persistence aligned with program outcomes, student success goals, workforce relevance, and institutional priorities. This role supports course and program development across all modalities and contributes to the development of new academic programs through instructional design, course and curriculum development, multimedia and digital learning development, faculty support and the integration of AI into course design and teaching.

About the Role

As part of the Center for Teaching and Learning and in support of LR Online, the Learning Experience Designer will join a new team being set up under the Dean of LR Online and Associate Provost to advance a regionally focused online and hybrid strategy in western North Carolina. Reporting to the Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, the learning experience designer will be expected to provide expert consultative support to the LR faculty community based in Hickory, NC, as well as partner with faculty to develop new online programs, engaging in a regular cadence of course development projects throughout the year.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Course and Learning Experience Design and Development (40%)
  Partner with faculty to design and revise undergraduate and graduate courses across all modalities
  Support the development of new academic programs, including online and hybrid offerings, with attention to applied and workforce-aligned learning outcomes where appropriate
  Guide course development using backward design to align learning outcomes, assessments and instructional activities
  Support the development and integration of multimedia materials, including videos and podcasts, to enhance teaching and learning across all modalities
  Apply Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and accessibility standards in course design
  Conduct internal course quality reviews using Quality Matters or comparable frameworks
  Use learning analytics, student engagement data and course performance indicators to support continuous course and program improvement.

• Project Management for Online Courses & Programs (10%)
  Manage and prioritize multiple concurrent course and program development projects, tracking timelines, resources and deliverables to ensure on-time, quality delivery
  Communicate regularly with the CTL Director and the Dean of LR Online and Associate Provost on project status, priorities and emerging needs.

• Canvas and Digital Learning Environment Support (15%)
  Provide advanced support for Canvas, including course shell setup, gradebook configuration, content organization and troubleshooting
  Design accessible, engaging course content and pages using DesignPLUS or similar tools
  Help ensure compliance with ADA, WCAG, and institutional accessibility standards
  Evaluate, procure and deploy new tools, APIs and LMS features, coordinating with vendors and external teams as needed.

• Faculty Professional Development and Resources (35%)
  Develop synchronous and asynchronous onboarding resources for faculty, including materials for new faculty orientation
  Assist the CTL Director in planning and facilitating faculty development days and new faculty orientation programs
  Develop just-in-time, scalable resources in the areas of pedagogy, instructional technology, and AI
  Assist in developing workshops and learning communities focused on effective teaching practices
  Advise faculty on educational, pedagogical and technology issues
  Support the responsible integration of AI into teaching and learning
  Assist faculty in redesigning assignments to strengthen AI literacy, ethical use and academic integrity
  Help create and maintain an online AI resource hub with guidelines, tools, examples and showcases for faculty, staff, and students
  Evaluate emerging AI-enabled learning technologies and contribute to institutional guidance and best practices for their responsible instructional use.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in Instructional Design, Learning Experience Design, Educational Technology, or related field and a minimum of two years of experience in instructional design or a related field

• Experience supporting undergraduate or graduate online programs through course and learning experience design and development

• Expertise in LMS platforms, preferably Canvas

• Demonstrated expertise with integration of AI tools in course design, assessments, and day-to-day workflows

• Knowledge of UDL, accessibility standards and inclusive teaching

• Demonstrated experience designing application-based assessments to effectively measure progress and mastery

• Strong communication and collaboration skills, including the ability to engage effectively with faculty, academic leadership and cross-functional teams such as IT and instructional technology

• Ability to learn new tools quickly

• Strong attention to detail

• Excellent time-management, organizational and problem-solving skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience collaborating with external educational technology providers, workforce partners or third-party vendors supporting digital learning initiatives

• Experience working with new and adjunct faculty from clinical and industrial backgrounds who have limited teaching experience

• Experience working in startup organizations or new divisions