Fast Facts

Join WGU as a part-time Instructional Designer and play a crucial role in developing innovative and engaging online learning experiences. You will manage course design and collaborate with faculty to ensure effective learning outcomes.

Responsibilities: Oversee the design and development process for courses, ensuring alignment with instructional best practices and learning outcomes; collaborate with teams, evaluate materials, and implement quality assurance processes.

Skills: Strong understanding of instructional design principles, project management, technical writing, and the ability to develop inclusive learning experiences for diverse adult learners.

Qualifications: Master's degree in a relevant field and 5+ years of instructional design experience preferred; experience in higher education and with adult learners strongly desired.

Location: This position is based in Salt Lake City, USA.

Compensation: $35649 - $53500 / Annually

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 506Pay Range: $35,649.99 - $53,500.00

Job Description

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Manages the course design and development process for new and existing courses, ensuring alignment with instructional best practices, scope and sequence, and defined learning outcomes.
• Designs and develops 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 OEX.
• 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.
• Ensures timely completion of course development projects within established timelines and budget parameters.
• Acts as a collaborative partner and mentor, sharing expertise and supporting peers in applying best-practice design principles and solving complex learning design challenges.
• Stays current with trends in learning science, instructional design, digital learning technologies, and learner behavior to inform and enhance design practices.
• 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.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong understanding of instructional design principles, curriculum development, and adult learning theory, emphasizing scope and sequence, real-world application, and measurable learning outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to design and develop engaging, inclusive, and objective-aligned learning experiences for diverse adult learners.
• Experience applying evidence-based design strategies informed by learning science and behavioral research.
• Working knowledge of assessment design, learning resource integration, and alignment to program and course competencies.
• Skilled in project management, risk assessment, and meeting deadlines across multiple concurrent projects.
• Excellent technical writing, editing, and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas into clear, actionable content.
• Adept at working both independently and collaboratively in fast-paced environments with minimal supervision.
• Advanced skills in critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, and problem-solving with a learner-first mindset.
• Ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrates adaptability, resilience, and sound judgment in navigating ambiguity and change.
• Comfortable leveraging technology and digital tools to enhance instructional design and learning delivery.
• Committed to continuous learning and applying innovations that enhance instructional quality and student experience.
• Strong interest in exploring human-centered uses of emerging technologies, including AI, to improve learning experiences.

Education          

• Master's degree in Instructional Design, Learning Sciences, Educational Technology, Curriculum and Instruction, or a related field; related experience may substitute in lieu of education.

Experience

• 5+ years of instructional design experience (higher education strongly preferred)
• Demonstrated experience designing math or quantitative learning content
• Experience working in OEX or similar digital learning platforms
• Strong understanding of adult learning principles and accessibility standards
• Ability to work independently with minimal oversight

Experience in lieu of education

Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements. Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as 1 year of experience for 1 year of education and is the discretion of the hiring manager.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing for adult learners, online learning environments, or competency-based education models.
• Familiarity with learning management systems, digital authoring tools, or UX principles in learning environments.
• Experience working in agile or iterative development processes.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Position & Application Details

Part-time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working less than 30 standard weekly hours): This is a part-time, regular position (classified for less than 30 SWH) that is eligible for vision and mental healthcare; flexible spending account; voluntary life insurance; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and prorated paid holidays and accrued sick time.

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 [email protected].

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.