Position Title:

Learning Designer

Job Category:

Academic Staff

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Profile:

Instructional & Media Designer

Job Duties:

The Instructional & Media Designer plays a critical role in advancing student success by shaping high-quality online learning experiences that are meaningful, inclusive, and academically rigorous. The designer partners with faculty Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to translate disciplinary expertise into thoughtfully designed online courses and programs that support student engagement, persistence, and achievement. 

Grounded in learning theory, this role balances creativity with intentional design—bringing together pedagogical strategy, hands-on course production, and instructional technology support. Working within UWM Online’s established development processes, quality standards, and supported technology tools, the designer supports courses from initial review to program launch, and throughout ongoing refresh cycles. Success in this role requires strong collaboration and communication skills, careful attention to detail, comfort working within defined timelines, and the ability to apply professional judgment, data, and feedback to continuously improve the online learning experience for students.  

Primary Responsibilities 

The Instructional & Media Designer’s responsibilities span five integrated domains that together support high-quality online learning. 

Instructional Design 

• Collaborates with SMEs to design engaging learning experiences that align learning outcomes, assessments, learning activities, and course content. 
• Identifies and curates instructional materials, prioritizing open educational resources (OER) when appropriate, and ensures proper licensing and attribution. 
• Applies Universal Design for Learning (UDL), ADA, and WCAG standards to support accessibility and inclusive course design. 
• Works effectively within structured, multi-course development cycles, using UWM Online’s established processes, structured templates, and quality standards.

Faculty Collaboration 

• Builds faculty capacity by coaching instructors on effective online teaching strategies, student engagement approaches, assessment practices, and workload management. 
• Assists faculty in organizing and refining course materials, including framing language, assignment prompts, and technical instructions. 
• Partners with instructors to implement equitable and inclusive teaching approaches that promote student belonging and success. 
• Maintains confidentiality of course materials and internal communications, adhering to FERPA requirements and demonstrating strong professional judgment. 

Project Coordination 

• Meets regularly with SMEs to provide structured guidance and maintain development momentum. 
• Manages workflow in Teams and Asana, tracking progress, documenting deliverables, and maintaining organized design records. 
• Balances multiple courses simultaneously across development waves and communicates timelines, expectations, and project milestones clearly to SMEs and program partners. 
• Ensures course development deadlines are met, anticipating challenges and escalating risks when needed.

Course Production & Support 

• Builds clear, consistent, and student-centered course materials in Canvas and related platforms. 
• Creates and integrates multimedia and interactive components to support learning goals. 
• Provides proofreading, editing, and consistency checks across all course materials to ensure clarity, accuracy, and alignment with templates. 
• Troubleshoots instructional technologies and supports faculty in resolving technical issues during development and delivery. 

Continuous Improvement 

• Conducts comprehensive online course reviews to evaluate quality standards including outcome alignment, accessibility, student engagement, and regular and substantive interaction (RSI) compliance. 
• Analyzes student performance data (e.g., engagement metrics, assessment trends, navigation patterns) to identify opportunities for improvement. 
• Develops clear, actionable recommendations for course revisions based on retention data, SME experiences, and student feedback. 
• Leads and supports structured course refresh cycles by collaborating with SMEs to implement updates that strengthen instructional quality and learner experience. 

The role requires strong instructional design skills, proficiency with Canvas and instructional technologies, effective communication and collaboration with faculty, and the ability to manage multiple projects with accuracy and attention to detail. Candidates should apply data-informed judgment, ensure consistent and high-quality course materials, and demonstrate solid knowledge of accessibility standards including ADA, WCAG 2.1, and UDL.  

This position is eligible for remote work. Remote work arrangements are subject to supervisor approval and must align with the operational needs of the department. Remote work does not change the performance expectations or conditions of employment. Employee must be available during normal work hours and may be required to attend on-campus meetings or events with reasonable notice. 

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Applies project management principles to course or media design such as defining project scope, establishing milestones, and tracking progress
• Provides pedagogical consultation services for instructors and staff on instructional tools and technologies, best practices for digital instructional content, and institutional initiatives
• Establishes and maintains collaborative relationships with instructors and other academic staff to advance excellence in teaching and learning
• Reviews courses, media, or other learning products for quality using industry standards and accessibility best practices
• Trains and supports instructors and staff to leverage technology and teach implement pedagogy effectively
• Works with campus partners across pre-production, production, and post-production stages of media development for implementation in courses and other campus initiatives
• Creates and maintains documentation on pedagogy, course or media design, templates, instructional technologies, and curates a library of shareable resources
• Designs and develops learning activities and course content using instructional technologies to foster inclusive and equitable student experiences

Department: UWM Online, housed within the Center for Advancing Student Learning (CASL) , is a nationally recognized leader in flexible, high‑quality online education. Offering more than 50 fully online degrees and certificates and nearly 400 online courses, UWM Online provides accessible, engaging learning experiences supported by award‑winning faculty and strong virtual student resources. CASL enhances this work by driving teaching innovation, digital learning strategy, and inclusive, high‑impact instructional practices across the university. 

Compensation: $60,000 – $67,000/annually. Salary will be determined by finalist’s experience, training, education, and equity-based factors.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree  
• Minimum two years of instructional design experience in higher education. 
• Background teaching in higher education, particularly in online or technology-enhanced environments. 
• Experience building courses in Canvas (or similar digital learning environment). 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Curriculum & Instruction, or a related field. 
• Demonstrated skill in developing media-rich and interactive learning content for online courses, including video, multimedia, and interactive activities. 
• Familiarity with student engagement tools that support interaction and active learning, including social annotation platforms. 
• Knowledge of selecting and applying open educational resources (OER), including licensing, attribution, and copyright considerations. 
• Experience applying accessibility standards in online course design. 
• Experience with online course templates, development cycles, and instructional design processes used in higher education 
• Understanding of academic policies, faculty governance structures, and online quality standards within a university or higher education setting 
• Experience with, and ability to, work independently and collaboratively within structured development environments. 

How to Apply:

Applicants will be expected to provide: 

• A cover letter. 
• Please use your cover letter to speak to each of the Required and applicable Preferred Qualifications for this position. For each qualification, describe your relevant experience, using specific examples from your work history to illustrate how your experience satisfies the requirement. 
• A Resume 

Finalist candidate(s) being considered for hire will be required to provide three professional/supervisor references through an external reference checking tool. References will not be contacted prior to candidates being notified. 

Note: Applicants must complete all required fields and attach all required documents prior to submitting the online application to ensure full consideration. Additional documents submitted aside from a cover letter and resume/CV will not be considered.  

In instances where the Search and Screen Committee is unable to ascertain from the candidates’ application materials whether they meet any of the qualifications, they may be evaluated as not meeting such qualifications. 

Additional Information:  

This position does not offer visa sponsorship. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in  the United States at the time of hire. Selected candidates will be required to verify eligibility to work in the United States by completing the required I-9 form upon hire. 

Application Deadline:  3/24/2026

Contact Information:

Emily Jensen

eejensen@uwm.edu

Reasonable Accommodations

Pursuant to university policy, UWM provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or applicants for employment. Employment opportunities will not be denied because of the need to make reasonable accommodations for a qualified individual with a disability. If you need assistance or accommodation in applying because of a disability, please contact uwm-jobs@uwm.edu or 414-229-4463. This job announcement and other material on this site will be made available in alternate formats upon request to an individual with a disability.

Confidentiality of Applicant Materials

UWM is a State agency and subject to Wisconsin’s Open Records Law. UWM will not, however, reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing except as may be required by Wisconsin’s Open Records law. In certain circumstances, the identities of “final candidates” and/or the identity of the appointed applicant must be revealed upon request.

CBC and Reference Check Policy

Employment will require a criminal background check. UWM takes the prevention of sexual misconduct seriously. As such, you and your references will be required to answer questions regarding any past findings of sexual violence and sexual harassment or any pending allegations of sexual violence or sexual harassment.

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (Clery Act)

For the UWM Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports (i.e., Clery Report), which includes statistics about reported crimes and information about campus security policies, see http://www.cleryact.uwm.edu/, or call UWM’s Dean of Students Office, Student Union 345 at (414) 229-4632 for a paper copy.

Employment Authorization

In compliance with federal law, all persons at the time of their start date will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

UW is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other bases protected by applicable federal or State law and UW System policies. We are committed to building a workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.