[Hiring] Instructional Designer @San Francisco Bay University

Role Description

Imagine helping shape how a new kind of degree program feels to the students who take it. SFBU’s Pro+ programs bring together faculty expertise, AI coaching, and real-world projects, and we are looking for an Instructional Designer to help us build them, starting with MBA Pro+ and growing with each new program we launch.

You will join a small, collaborative team in SFBU’s Center for Empowerment and Pedagogical Innovation (CEPI), working alongside faculty, subject matter experts, fellow instructional designers, the Chief Learning Officer, and the development partners who build our courses in Canvas.

Much of the work is the part of instructional design many of us enjoy most:

• Planning how a course unfolds
• Shaping assignments and rubrics so students know what success looks like
• Ensuring clarity and accessibility on every page
• Testing how AI coaching supports learners

This is a full-time, 12-month contract position, renewable contingent upon performance review. This position is eligible for a remote, hybrid, or on-site work arrangement, subject to University policies and business needs. Candidates must reside in California.

Responsibilities

• Plan Pro+ courses across programs before they are built: module and lesson blueprints that set outcomes, topics, activities, assessments, human touchpoints, and the Canvas pages and assets each lesson needs.
• Map program, course, and module outcomes to activities, resources, assessments, and signature assignment milestones; resolve gaps or misalignment before launch.
• Write and edit learner-facing Canvas content, including overviews, lesson pages, and assignment directions.
• Develop and review assessments, rubrics, quizzes, and formative checks.
• Design scaffolded preparation for major assignments.
• Review courses module by module against the course learning model and blueprint.
• Review courses built by external development partners and give structured feedback.
• Test AI coaching activities from the perspective of both a confident and a struggling learner.
• Maintain the Pro+ Canvas templates, design guide, and QA checklists.
• Build and edit Canvas pages, including flexibility to learn DesignPLUS components.
• Check accessibility before release against ADA and WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
• Review technical and quantitative materials with faculty for accuracy, clarity, and appropriate scaffolding.
• Contribute to student onboarding and faculty development.
• Use learner feedback, course analytics, and assessment results to identify areas for improvement.
• Provide instructional design support for other SFBU courses.
• Coordinate timelines, documentation, and communication with faculty, program leaders, CEPI staff, and external partners.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Instructional Design, Learning Experience Design, Educational Technology, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 3–5 years of experience in higher education instructional design, online learning, or a closely related area.
• Experience designing and reviewing online courses in Canvas or a comparable learning management system.
• Experience mapping outcomes to activities and assessments, and developing rubrics and formative checks.
• Experience applying course-review standards or structured QA processes.
• Working knowledge of Universal Design for Learning, transparent assignment design, and WCAG accessibility.
• Experience using generative AI in instructional design.
• Ability to turn complex technical or quantitative concepts into sequenced activities.
• Experience collaborating with faculty and subject matter experts on course design.
• Clear writing and the ability to give specific, prioritized feedback.
• Experience working effectively on a remote team.
• Ability to manage several connected deliverables in an iterative, fast-moving environment.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and student success.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related field.
• Experience with DesignPLUS or similar Canvas design tools.
• Experience designing courses for business, professional, or graduate programs.
• Experience reviewing or directing work produced by an external vendor or development team.
• Experience supporting faculty development or UDL training.
• Experience with AI-supported, adaptive, or competency-based learning models.
• Experience launching new online programs or scaling a course design model across multiple programs.
• A portfolio that shows course page design, assessment design, or course review work.

Salary Range

$90,000–$115,000 per year, depending on experience. 12-month contract renewable contingent upon performance review.

Application Materials

• A cover letter detailing qualifications for the position and alignment with SFBU’s mission and values.
• Curriculum vitae or resume.
• A portfolio link or two work samples, such as a course page, a rubric, or a course review report.
• Contact information for three professional references.

Equal Opportunity Statement

San Francisco Bay University is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds. SFBU is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer.