[Hiring] Associate Instructional Designer @University of Tennessee

Role Description

The Associate Instructional Designer supports the preparation and delivery of online and hybrid courses at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Working with instructional designers, faculty, and campus partners, this position helps prepare courses for each term, responds to course support needs, and improves the accessibility and usability of course materials. The role follows established processes, documents its work, and brings complex design or technical questions to the appropriate team member.

Responsibilities

• Course term preparation
  • Prepare Canvas course sites for upcoming terms using approved templates and established workflows.
  • Check course navigation, modules, LTI links, dates, assignments, gradebook settings, and student access before courses open.
  • Copy and update reusable course content while identifying items that require faculty review or revision.
  • Track readiness tasks, document issues, and coordinate with instructional designers and faculty to resolve them by launch deadlines.
  • LTI/External tool configurations, configuring Zoom sessions and Yellowdig, VitalSource/VolBooks verifications, and managing parent/child section copies.
  • Utilize structured ticketing and project management systems like TeamDynamix and Asana, to ensure accurate and timely project deliverables and faculty communication standards.
• Course support
  • Respond to routine faculty requests about Canvas course content, organization, and delivery.
  • Help update course materials and troubleshoot common issues during the term.
  • Maintain clear records of requests, changes, and outstanding items; refer issues outside the role's scope to the appropriate specialist.
  • Provide faculty with practical guidance on using approved course templates and tools.
• Accessibility and quality review
  • Review course pages, documents, images, links, and media for common accessibility barriers using approved tools and checklists.
  • Make routine improvements, such as organizing headings, adding descriptive links and alternative text, and improving document structure.
  • Coordinate captioning, document remediation, or other specialized support when needed.
  • Check that course materials are clear, consistent, and usable for students, and document items requiring faculty decisions.
• Professional development and team collaboration
  • Participate in training on Canvas, accessibility, online teaching, and university processes.
  • Share recurring issues and opportunities to improve course preparation and support workflows.

Qualifications

• Required Qualifications
  • Education: Bachelor’s degree in instructional design, education, technology, learning science, or related field.
  • Experience: Experience providing educational technology development services, or formal or informal education, whether in full-time or part-time capacity.
  • Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:
    • Knowledge of basic online course organization and instructional design principles.
    • Knowledge of digital accessibility and inclusive course design practices.
    • Skill in editing and organizing digital course content with attention to detail.
    • Skill in written communication and documenting work clearly.
    • Ability to follow established procedures, manage multiple deadlines, and seek guidance when needed.
    • Ability to work collaboratively with faculty, instructional designers, and support teams.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.
• Preferred Qualifications
  • Education: Bachelor’s Degree
  • Experience: Experience supporting courses in a learning management system, particularly Canvas; experience reviewing or improving the accessibility of digital content; and experience in higher education or faculty support.

Requirements

• Work Location : Remote, operating out of Eastern Time

Benefits

• UT market range: MR10
• Anticipated hiring range: $50-$55k
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here .
• Find more information on UT Benefits here .

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Sample portfolio of your work. The portfolio could include PDFs, hyperlinks, and/or image files. When uploading images or work samples, please include clear labeling that includes your first and last name.