Title: Instructional Designer

Department: SEO Curriculum & Instruction

Report to: Associate Director, Online Learning

Compensation: $70,500 – $83,000

FLSA: Exempt

Location: Hybrid – 3 days/week in office

All candidates must be within commutable distance of SEO’s offices at 55 Exchange Place, New York, NY 10005, upon hire.  

About SEO

Founded in 1963 during the Civil Rights Movement, SEO closes educational and career opportunity gaps for 7,000 ambitious young people annually.  

SEO Scholars is a free, eight-year, academic program that transforms public high school students in New York City, San Francisco, North Carolina, and Miami into college graduates. SEO Scholars successfully educates and mentors students to and through college. 100% of Scholars are accepted into four-year colleges, 85% of Scholars graduate with a Bachelor’s degree, and 80% are first-generation college graduates. All are welcome to apply.

Position Overview

The Instructional Designer provides the curriculum development team with course design support in creating effective and engaging learning environments and materials informed by desired learning outcomes. The role involves consulting with curriculum developers from diverse disciplines to identify course goals and applicable evidence-based instructional strategies. An area of focus will be the integration of innovative online and technology-enhanced course components to enhance learning across different delivery modes. As a member of the curriculum and instruction online team, the Instructional Designer will collaborate with other team members to provide training to curriculum developers and instructors through workshops, webinars, video tutorials, etc., regarding topics related to online teaching, the Brightspace LMS, course design, and integration of instructional technology. The role also involves creating student training materials to prepare them for the technology and platforms used within SEO courses.

Instructional Design 

• Apply instructional design principles to develop learner-centered educational experiences.
• Utilize pedagogical techniques to create meaningful learning pathways that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and skill development.
• Design and produce multimedia content, including HTML pages, videos, interactive presentations, animations, and online modules, to enhance the learning experience.
• Adapt and optimize existing content for digital platforms, ensuring accessibility and user-friendliness.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts and educators to design, develop, and update High School Scholar curriculum materials.
• Provide leadership on the creation of engaging and equitable lesson plans, activities, assessments, and supplementary materials that align with educational standards and objectives.
• Incorporate a variety of teaching methods, technologies, and resources to cater to diverse learning styles.

Collaboration & Communication 

• Work closely with instructors, content/curriculum teams, and stakeholders to gather feedback and incorporate suggestions into instructional materials.
• Communicate complex educational concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Collaborate with the Research and Evaluation team on collection and analysis of programmatic data.

Quality Assurance 

• Ensure course content is accessible and equitable and meets established standards for quality assurance.
• Maintain knowledge of accessibility best practices and leads course reviews to ensure course alignment and standards are met.
• Contribute to the evaluation framework by which the SEO online courses will be evaluated and provides continuous support on quality improvement initiatives.
• Identify and recommend the use of instructional strategies, technologies, and applications to improve the quality of online courses.
• Apply project management strategies that concurrently lead multiple projects at differing stages of course design and development.
• Ensure compliance with national, state, district, and team standards for quality, evaluation, alignment, ADA and legal propriety.

Technology Integration 

• Stay up-to-date with emerging educational technologies and trends, integrating them into the curriculum development process where appropriate.
• Identify and implement digital tools that enhance engagement and interactivity within the learning environment.
• Work collaboratively with members of the Curriculum and Instruction team on the application of instructional technologies, learning and cognition theories, and universal design principles when developing online and hybrid courses.

Delivery of Professional Development 

• Conduct observations of instructors’ current procedures and course management strategy in order to recommend practical and efficient methods to improve student retention and optimize technology usage.
• Provide feedback from observations to content teams and the Teaching and Learning team.
• Design and deliver trainings, webinars and workshops for instructors, staff, and scholars.

Project Assistance

• Coordinate and develop course design and development projects.
• Perform basic project management tasks for hybrid and online courses.
• Utilize project management software to ensure efficient workflows and progress reports.
• Regularly report on project status within the project management framework established by the unit.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Instructional Design, Curriculum Development, or a related field required. Master’s degree preferred.
• Proven experience as an Instructional Designer, preferably in a high school or education-focused setting.
• Quality Matters (QM) and/or Online Learning Consortium (OLC) certification in online course design and/or delivery preferred.
• Experience providing instructional design across modalities (i.e. face-to-face, hybrid and online courses).
• Experience managing and coaching individuals and teams on course design and/or instruction with digital tools.

Competencies & Skills

• Knowledge of User Experience (UX) and Universal Design principles relevant to online education.
• Ability to design differentiated, research-based, culturally responsive, student-centered lessons and materials for a wide range of abilities and identities that promote deep conceptual understanding.
• Deep understanding of curricular frameworks, pedagogy, and quality classroom materials; experience developing and implementing curriculum for high school students.
• Proficiency in using instructional design software and multimedia tools for content creation.
• Familiarity with coding skills in HTML5, CSS, JSON, or Python preferred.
• Familiarity with Google Workspace and Zoom preferred.
• Familiarity with building content with digital tools and platforms (ideally Brightspace, Miro, Nearpod, and Desmos) preferred.
• Passionate about closing the opportunity gap on the high school and college level for first- generation and low-income students.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Exceptional skill in communicating complex systems, structures, and processes with clarity and precision.
• Attention to detail, creativity, and a passion for improving educational experiences for high school students.
• Strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit that translates into successful accomplishment of program departmental goals.
• Highly adaptable and solutions-oriented with an ability to solve complex problems when faced with tight deadlines and resource limitations.

Compensation & Benefits  

SEO offers a competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits plan including low-cost health, vision, and dental options, a generous holiday schedule and PTO policies, disability coverage, fully paid time off for new parents, and employer contributions to health reimbursement and retirement accounts. We are constantly working to improve our benefits each year based on the needs of our employees. We value wellness and strive to put people first and foremost.

The compensation listed in this posting reflects what SEO believes it will pay for this position at the time of this posting. Consistent with applicable law, compensation will be determined based on the skills, qualifications, and experience of the applicant along with the requirements of the position, and SEO reserves the right to modify this pay range at any time.

EEOC Policy

At SEO we are committed to cultivating a team that embodies the backgrounds and experiences of the constituencies we serve and the communities we live in, and a workplace that reflects the impact we make in the world. Candidates from all communities – including people of color, women, members of the LGBTQIA+ Community, veterans, and people with disabilities – are strongly encouraged to apply.

Equal Employment Opportunity is not just the law, it is our commitment.

Sponsors for Educational Opportunity is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer – M/F/D/V. We will consider all qualified applicants for employment regardless of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other legally protected status.

If you need accommodation while applying for a role with SEO, due to a disability, please email SEO Talent.

The Organization

Established in 1963 by Michael Osheowitz, SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity) is an educational non-profit founded on the belief that talent is everywhere; but opportunity is not. Our programs are designed to educate, train, mentor, and amplify the voices of our participants to give them a seat at the table – every table. We propel human potential.

SEO is an innovator in education, mentorship, and creating educational career opportunities that maximize the full potential of our participants. Each year SEO serves 7,000+ participants nationally, and the organization is widely recognized for developing best-in-class programs with exceptional results.

Not every SEO participant is on the same journey, but all are hungry for opportunity and SEO creates an ecosystem of excellence. Learn more about SEO’s programs here: https://www.seo-usa.org/our-programs/.