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Initial Review Date (IRD)
UC Santa Cruz jobs are posted until filled. All application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring team for consideration. NOTE: Applicants who miss the IRD are still encouraged to apply; their materials will still be forwarded for consideration if requested by the hiring team. Application materials cannot be accepted outside of the jobs portal. Applications cannot be edited on an applicant’s behalf. For more information about the IRD and the applicant review process, view this link.
The IRD for this job is: 7/6/2026
About UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It’s known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus’s DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.
Department Overview
UC Scout is a division of the UC Santa Cruz Extension. While UC Scout’s home campus is located at 3175 Bowers Avenue in Santa Clara, the UC Scout team is a full-remote team, with individuals making occasional visits to the campus as needed. UC Scout serves high school students, providing online high school courses for students and curricula for educators.
UC Scout’s growing team comprises six departments: instructional design, media, academics, support, outreach, and business intelligence. The team consists of approximately 55 full-time staff and 75 part-time employees. UC Scout works closely with UCSC Extension support staff, including IT, finance, and the office of the Dean to support UC Scout’s goals.
We are actively evolving the way we work by integrating AI tools into our daily workflows. We expect all team members to engage curiously and confidently with emerging technologies – exploring how AI can make their work smarter, faster, and more impactful. This is not a team where AI is optional or treated with apprehension; it is a team that sees it as a professional advantage and a core part of how we operate.
More information can be found at https://www.ucscout.org/
Job Summary
This position works under the supervision of the Instructional Design Supervisor and in collaboration with the Instructional Design team, the Media team, and the Academic department. The Instructional Designer manages timelines and deliverables for a diversified portfolio of asynchronous and hybrid online-courses using established tools and workflows, tracking progress, anticipating potential obstacles, and communicating proactively to ensure timely delivery.
The work requires the incumbent to apply a strong working knowledge of Canvas, ADA accessibility standards, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), HTML, visual and media design principles, and educational technologies to create, test, and publish engaging, well-structured, navigable, and compliant course materials.
Appointment Information
Budgeted Salary: $33.52 – $41.90/hour. Salary commensurate with skills, qualifications and experience.
Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount.
Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits
Schedule Information:
- Full-time, Fixed
- Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week
- Days of the Week: Mon-Fri
- Shift Includes: Day
Employee Classification: Career appointment
Job End Date: None
Work Location: Remote
Union Representation: TX Union
Job Code Classification: 006149 (INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER 2)
Travel: Never or Rarely
Job Duties
45% – Course Design & Development
- Designs, develops, and maintains asynchronous and hybrid online middle/high school courses by applying sound instructional design principles.
- Aligns learning objectives, assessments, content, and activities to support defined academic goals.
- Selects and applies appropriate educational technologies to create engaging, standards-aligned learning experiences.
20% – Collaboration and Project Management
- Collaborates with the instructional design team, subject matter experts, and cross-functional partners to determine effective delivery methods, promote learner engagement, and ensure alignment with established procedures and timelines.
- Manages assigned course development deliverables using defined tools and workflows, tracking progress, addressing obstacles, and communicating proactively to ensure timely and high-quality outcomes.
- Participates in project planning and content review meetings and efforts.
15% – Accessibility & Technical QA
- Tests instructional content and tools to ensure compliance with ADA/WCAG accessibility standards.
- Deploys, monitors, and troubleshoots course materials built into, embedded within, or linked through Canvas, as well as integrated e-learning platforms and educational technology tools (e.g., H5P, Kaltura, DesignPLUS, Google Workspace) to ensure functionality, accessibility, well-structured design, and a consistent user experience.
15% – Course Maintenance and Process Improvement
- Operates under supervision to carry out ongoing course maintenance, revision, and development tasks, receiving detailed guidance for new or complex projects.
- Contributes to team productivity by collaboratively prioritizing assignments, analyzing needs or bottlenecks, and developing practical recommendations that support departmental goals and instructional design operations.
- Identifies, initiates, and otherwise participates in continuous improvement efforts to enhance instructional quality and student experience catalog-wide.
5% – Professional Development
- Regularly engages in professional development, including self-directed as well as guided learning, to build instructional design expertise. Participates in planning activities such as curriculum mapping, instructional sequencing, and job task analyses under the mentorship of senior staff.
- Expands knowledge of instructional strategy, accessibility standards, educational technologies, and cross-functional collaboration to support increasing independence and contribution to team goals.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
- Sound knowledge of instructional design principles and learning strategies, including needs analysis, backward design, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), learning outcomes and assessment alignment, and instructional approaches suited for the online environment. Understands how work within one course may impact adjacent courses, shared assets, or programmatic goals.
- Demonstrated attention to detail, analytical thinking skills, and the ability to organize, conduct, and synthesize analysis to inform decisions and develop recommendations. Strong problem-solving and organizational skills.
- Proficiency in verbal, written, and interpersonal communication; ability to collaborate effectively across teams and negotiate shared solutions when needed.
- Working knowledge of learning management systems (e.g., Canvas), video and multimedia tools (e.g., Kaltura), course design tools (e.g., DesignPLUS, HTML), and productivity and project management software (e.g., Asana, Google Workspace). Demonstrates awareness of trends in educational technology and its role in delivering engaging, media-rich online learning experiences.
- Working knowledge of copyright law, ADA/WCAG accessibility standards in digital environments, and related regulations and guidelines for online course development and distribution.
- Working knowledge of learning theories relevant to high school education, student needs, and instructional practices for online learners.
- Demonstrates a growth mindset toward emerging technologies, with experience or willingness to explore and adopt AI-powered tools to enhance productivity, support data-driven decision-making, and drive continuous improvement in workflows and outcomes.
- Teaching Credential, ID degree and/or certification, or other/equivalent experience or training.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in instructional design, educational technology, curriculum and instruction, learning design and technology, or a closely related field.
- Familiarity with institutional policies and procedures that impact online course development, including academic integrity, accessibility, quality assurance frameworks, and instructional quality standards.
Special Conditions Of Employment
- Selected candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment criminal history background check.
- Selected candidate must pass the employment misconduct disclosure process.
- Must live within the state of California or willing to relocate to California.
- Ability to work long periods of time at a computer with or without accommodation.
- This is a fully remote position, and the selected candidate must be able to work successfully from a home/remote office and be able to fulfill the requirements of the UCSC telecommuting agreement.
- This position works remotely, requiring a telecommuting agreement and adherence to the UCSC Telecommuting/Remote Work Guidelines. The employee shall be available in a full-time capacity during assigned telecommuting work hours (specific hours to be discussed with the supervisor). While telecommuting/remote working, the employee is responsible for ensuring a worksite environment suitable for accomplishing their regular job duties during scheduled hours of work and, if applicable, arranging for dependent care just as they would if they were working at the regular UCSC worksite.
- Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as directed.
- Ability to occasionally work overtime with little or no advance notice.
- Ability to travel nationally.
- Ability to maintain appearance and conduct suitable for working in a professional setting.
- Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training.
- The University of California has implemented a Vaccination Policy covering all employees. Employees, including new hires, are required to comply with any applicable policies relating to the University of California vaccine program.
Misconduct Disclosure Requirement
As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.
- “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC’s policies addressing some forms of misconduct:
Safety Statement
All UCSC employees must understand and follow job safety procedures, attend required health and safety training, proactively promote safety at work, and promptly report actual and potential accidents and injuries.
Notice Of Availability
In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (the Clery Act), the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (ASFSR) is available at: https://chancellor.ucsc.edu/annual-security-reports/.
This report is published by October 1st of each year and includes current institutional policies and procedures concerning campus safety and security; fire safety and evacuation policies; sexual misconduct and relationship violence reporting and response protocols; and crime and fire statistics for the three previous calendar years. A paper copy of the ASFSR is available upon request by contacting the UCSC Police Department at 114 Carriage House Rd., Santa Cruz, CA 95064, or by calling 831-459-2231 Ext. 1.
EEO/AA
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.
It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.
