About UIS: Located in the state capital, the University of Illinois Springfield is one of three members of the University of Illinois system. The University serves more than 4,000 students in 44 graduate and 56 undergraduate programs. You are encouraged to visit the university web page at http://www.uis.edu.
Application deadline: 8/17/2026
Minimum Starting Salary: $30.25 per hour / 7.5 hour work day
Summary:
The instructional development specialist provides UIS faculty with instructional course design consultation to create effective and accessible distance education environments. This position administers the learning management system and provides system-level troubleshooting and course-level support for faculty. Additional responsibilities include assisting faculty with the development of engaging and compelling course materials and educational media; identifying and resolving technical issues with clear, customer-focused explanations; and designing and delivering professional development opportunities for faculty. This includes authoring content for the unit’s website, creating job aids, and developing other resources that enhance student learning.
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Collaborate with faculty to identify learning needs and provide technical and pedagogical expertise and support in the production, creation, editing, and accessibility of instructional course content and use of online educational technologies.
- Analyze course structures and assessments through the lens of digital accessibility to improve course design, fill instructional gaps, and improve information design of course content.
- Develop and deliver one-on-one support and group faculty development workshops based on emerging educational theory, pedagogical research, and educational technologies to promote best practices for effective distance education.
- Research updates, maintain, administer, and advise on the backend infrastructure of the learning management system.
- Develop informational resources including tutorial videos, job aids, promotional materials, websites, newsletters, and other required reports.
- Provide outreach to the campus community by serving on campus committees and contributing to service projects that promote online experiences for students.
- Research, analyze, and test new and emerging educational technologies that promote student learning.
- Other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in education, educational psychology, or the humanities such as history, political science, literature, journalism, communications, or philosophy AND
- Six (6) months of experience which included any of the following areas professional writing or editing, audiovisual design and/or production, design and/or production of evaluation tools, educational programming, curriculum development, or classroom teaching
OR
- Baccalaureate degree in education, educational psychology, or the humanities AND
- Eighteen (18) months of experience which included any of the following areas professional writing or editing, audiovisual design and/or production, design and/or production of evaluation tools, educational programming, curriculum development, or classroom teaching
Preferred Qualifications:
- Four (4) additional years of experience in instructional design, design of learning assessments, educational programming, curriculum development, or digital accessibility.
- An online education certification (e.g., Quality Matters, Online Learning Consortium, Illinois Online Network)
- Distance education or online teaching experience, preferably in higher education
- Experience administering the Canvas learning management system
- Experience developing training workshops and editing websites
- Experience applying Universal Design for Learning framework and/or creating accessible course content
- Experience planning, prioritizing, and executing multiple projects under tight deadlines
- Demonstrated history of professional service, collaboration, and interactions with staff at all levels
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
- Knowledge of principles of the theory and practice of instructional technology and distance education, methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in project management and the coordination of people and resources
- Knowledge of copyright and intellectual property laws
- Skill in analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Skill in scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
- Skill in oral and written communication
- Ability to adjust actions in relation to others’ actions.
- Ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences
- Ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense
- Ability to develop goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish work
- Ability to work effectively with staff, faculty, students, and outside constituency groups
- Ability to effectively plan, delegate, and supervise the work of students
- Ability to utilize various computer software packages, including word processing, spreadsheets, presentations
- Ability to utilize and administer the Canvas learning management system
- Ability to work independently and exercise judgment in order to be able to analyze and investigate a variety of questions or problems
- Ability to analyze and develop guidelines, procedures and systems
- Ability to apply principles of universal design and accessibility to all aspects of work
Physical Demands:
Sitting : Constantly
Travel Requirements:
10% Possible travel for conferences and/or professional development.
Employment Policies and other information:
Failure to accurately describe work experience, or failure to submit college transcripts may result in an applicant not being admitted to the exam.
The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer dedicated to building a community of excellence, equity, and diversity. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment and we welcome applications from qualified individuals of all backgrounds and identities. The University of Illinois System does not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on their real or perceived race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, order of protection status, genetic information, marital status, disability, sexual orientation including gender identity, unfavorable discharge from the military or status as a protected veteran and will comply with all federal and state nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and affirmative action laws, orders and regulations. Visit University of Illinois Non-Discrimination Statement
The University of Illinois System conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer of employment. Convictions are not a bar to employment. Background checks will be performed in compliance with state and federal law.
The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit Policy on Consideration of Sexual Misconduct in Prior Employment.
As a qualifying federal contractor, the University of Illinois System uses E-Verify to verify employment eligibility.
This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.
UIS employment in this role is not covered by Social Security, and instead, is covered by the State University Retirement System.
- You will not pay Social Security taxes and your earning will not be on your Social Security Record. (Your record will, however, show your Medicare wages.
- Your pension from the State Universities Retirement System may affect the amount of your:
Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted by contacting UIS HR at hremployment@uis.edu or call 217-206-6652.
***Please Note: All postings close at 5:00pm CST on the posting close date.***
