Instructional Designer (Temp)

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

Posted Job Title

Instructional Designer (Temp)

Job Profile Title

Temporary Employee - Non-Exempt

Job Description Summary

This role will be a member of the Learning Design and Technology team and must be a talented instructional designer who can collaborate with our accomplished faculty to create unique and powerful learning experiences that leverage the latest in learning science and advances in technology to foster engagement and rigorous learning.

The Instructional Designer will work with faculty and the Associate Director to plan highly engaging, scalable online courses, driving the learning design process by guiding faculty through key decisions about how to transform their courses for online students. They will then collaborate with faculty to execute the planned approach, assisting with various types of content development, and providing project management to ensure work adheres to timelines and budgets. In partnership with other Learning Design and Technology staff, they will build each course in the platforms (primarily Canvas) and run comprehensive QA on them to prepare for successful launches. Post-launch, this individual will coordinate corrections to course materials and revisions for future iterations of courses.

The Instructional Designer will work with faculty and Associate Director to plan highly engaging, scalable online courses, driving the learning design process by guiding faculty through key decisions about how to transform their courses for online students. They will then collaborate with faculty to execute the planned approach, assisting with various types of content development, and provide project management to ensure work adheres to timelines and budgets. In partnership with other Penn Engineering Online Learning staff, they will build each course in the platform (Canvas) and run comprehensive QA on them to prepare for successful launches. Post launch, this individual will coordinate corrections to course materials, and revisions for future iterations of courses.

Job Description

Responsibilities include:

• Work with faculty to design highly engaging, scalable online courses that meet Penn Engineering course standards. Manage the development or revisions of an average of 2-3 courses at a time at various stages in process. Drive the learning design process by guiding faculty through key decisions about how to transform their courses for online students and manage timelines and deliverables. 

• Lead development of learning design deliverables, including learning objectives, assessments, content plans, activity types, and student interactions. 

• Work with faculty and teaching assistants as subject matter experts and content producers to generate rigorous and engaging learning assets that highlight Penn and our faculty. 

• Build Canvas course shells and author relevant assets; document and manage asset records.

• Design with course accessibility at the forefront, audit existing course materials for accessibility, write alt-text, and update PDFs where appropriate.

• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree with 1-2 years of experience designing full online courses or equivalent combination of education and experience. 

• Strong collaborator and communicator capable of working closely with colleagues to achieve project objectives in a fast-paced environment

• Demonstrated ability to work autonomously and deliver on precise deadlines

• Passion for learning and remaining on the cutting edge of current thinking in the field and an ability to articulate a perspective on these topics

• Experience working in a higher ed institution, collaborating directly with faculty to diplomatically guide them toward effective outcomes

• Familiarity with a variety of web and interactive technologies and how they support effective learning (i.e. Canvas and Panopto)

• Basic understanding of front-end design and development (UX principles, HTML, etc.)

• Knowledge of best practices, processes, and current developments in online education and learning science

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Pay Range

$7.25 - $35.00 Hourly Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
A background check may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health and Life: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

Please note that benefit eligibility is determined/based on ACA guidelines.