How to Apply

A cover letter and resume are important submissions for the hiring team to get a sense of your experience. In the cover letter, in two pages or less, please let us know how you will align with your career aspirations and skills. Submit both a cover letter and resume as one file (because of system limitations. 

Who We Are

About the Center for Academic Innovation 

The Center for Academic Innovation is where creativity and the University of Michigan’s aspirations for societal impact combine to reimagine the future of higher education. Through curricular innovation, educational data and research, and educational technology, we position U-M as a global leader in academic innovation to create and inspire change in higher education and to promote an engaged and informed society. 

About Online Learning at CAI 

The Online Learning team within CAI consists of four teams that collaborate with others across the Center and University to design and develop online learning experiences that support the future of education for a global community. We work with faculty and academic unit leaders to envision how they can expand reach and impact, advance innovative teaching, and support greater access and lifelong learning through the design and development of integrated online learning experiences. Our teams focus on the following areas: 

• Strategic sourcing of new opportunities for online learning
• Developing internal and external partnerships that promote engagement with learning experiences
• Providing program management services throughout degree program development and operations
• Supporting end-to-end design and development of online learning experiences, including design management, learning experience design, and iteration of learning experiences after they have launched
• Supporting learners success and engagement in live courses and programs

For more information, please visit our website: Academic Innovation.

Responsibilities*

Supervision (20%)

• Provide supervision and coaching to direct reports by managing workloads, ensuring consistency in processes and communication of organizational policies, providing regular feedback on individual performance, supporting the development of growth goals, and assessing performance through the annual performance review process
• Monitor the workload and project progress of direct reports, helping staff prioritize work, identify challenges, and access appropriate support or resources
• Coach direct reports in learning experience design practice, faculty and partner relationships, project communication, and effective use of established team processes
• Partner with the Learning Experience Design Team Lead to track the progress and challenges of direct reports to inform project planning and career advancement support
• Cultivate service practices with direct reports to ensure optimal faculty and client experience, align diverse perspectives to make progress, and build partner relationships
• Maintain a respectful work environment by setting clear expectations for behavior and leading personal conversations
• Demonstrate organizational leadership by seeking to understand center-wide policies and processes and communicating policies and processes effectively to direct reports

Online Course Design (80%) 

• Lead complex online course design projects that promote engaging, learner-centered instruction; ensure course content, activities, assessments, media, and resources align with course and program outcomes and design goals; and provide feedback on assessment development
• Collaborate with faculty, program leaders, Learning Experience Designers, Project Managers, and Media Designers to design high-quality online and hybrid courses 
• Apply a range of instructional design methods and learning theories to learner-centered course design. Implement inclusive design approaches, considering diverse audiences of learners, and foregrounding issues of equity and accessibility throughout the design process  
• Manage project scope and partnerships, balancing program requirements, academic unit expectations, and project constraints while maintaining course quality
• Guide design for diverse learners, overseeing learner personas and collaborating with academic units and CAI colleagues to create or adapt accessible course materials and media
• Integrate applicable standards into credit-bearing and non-credit offerings, including accessibility compliance, credit hour guidance, and regular and substantive interaction
• Support faculty and course teams with design examples, tools, and guidance that encourage creative solutions and effective course development
• Evaluate and apply educational technologies and emerging approaches, including generative AI, to address pedagogical challenges and advance educational quality and access
• Support continuous course improvement through documented design decisions, effective project handoffs, and research- and evidence-based evaluation and recommendations
• Mentor student fellows and residents, modeling professional practice and guiding their work on internal and external projects

What You’ll Do

The Center for Academic Innovation (CAI) at the University of Michigan is seeking a qualified Learning Experience Designer Senior to support the design and iteration of a growing portfolio of online and hybrid learning initiatives. You will support academic units with the development of both non-credit and for-credit online and hybrid learning experiences, providing direct supervision, coaching, and professional development support to Learning Experience Designers. As a senior practitioner, you will model effective learning design and faculty partnership practices and help direct reports successfully navigate their own project work. You will report to the Learning Experience Design Lead.

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor’s Degree and 3-5 years of experience (or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience) in instructional computing, educational technology, or instructional design 
• 1-2 years of experience in supervising direct reports, including leading course design work, coaching direct reports, and performance management responsibilities
• Working knowledge of standards for online non-credit and for-credit course design, including copyright and accessibility 
• Understanding of integrating learning theories, instructional design methods, and learner-centered design principles into online learning experiences 
• Exhibits a forward-thinking mindset by investigating emerging developments in learning innovation, such as generative AI, evaluating their potential, and identifying strategic opportunities for integration 
• Experience in leveraging the use of instructional technology to most effectively support course goals and learning objectives
• Demonstrated expertise in applying a learner-centered approach to online course design 
• Demonstrated expertise in assessing project outcomes and making recommendations for improvement and iteration 
• Experience working in learning experience design teams in higher education, corporate, and other settings 
• Experience using online education platforms (e.g., Canvas, Coursera, or edX) 
• Demonstrated experience working in a team environment 
• Demonstrated initiative and customer service-oriented attitude

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

Please Note: This is a 5-year term-limited position with the possibility of renewal depending on funding. 

Candidates must have legal authorization to work in the United States. 

The mode of work for this position is Hybrid with a minimum of 4 days in the office per week, Monday through Thursday, with an option of remote work on Fridays. On occasion, you may be required and must be available to work onsite on Fridays if necessitated by our center’s policy and domain leadership or by your job requirements. 

The salary for this position will be based upon the selected candidate’s education and experience. 

We support the creative, responsible, and ethical use of AI tools to enhance our work, in alignment with institutional policies and best practices. 

Excellent benefits are available, for details, see http://benefits.umich.edu/

Salary Information 

The general salary range for this position is 75,000-80,000. You can expect to be paid a great compensation package. Factors used to determine salary include education level and experience for the position and internal equity within the unit. You are encouraged to discuss salary questions to honor agreement and transparency throughout the recruiting process. 

Organizational Statement on Harassment 

We believe all individuals deserve to be treated with respect and dignity and have the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes mutual respect and a safe space for collaboration. Any concerns shared with any staff members and student employees in the Center for Academic Innovation will be reported to the Equity, Civil Rights, & Title IX Office to be reviewed and addressed, and the Center for Academic Innovation encourages reporting of any forms of harassment including sexual and gender-based harassment. 

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third-party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. 

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

Decision Making Process

Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and continue until the position is filled.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.