"Instructional Design Specialist (AI Focus)"

UNC Overview

Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Western North Carolina, UNC Asheville is the designated public liberal arts campus in the University of North Carolina system. UNC Asheville is nationally known for the quality of our student-centered teaching, mentoring of undergraduates in research, interdisciplinary learning, and striving to be an inclusive campus community.

UNC Asheville is committed to promoting diversity and a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and the ability to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds. The successful candidate is expected to foster an inclusive work culture where uniqueness of beliefs, backgrounds, talents, capabilities and ways of living are respected and welcomed.

Classification Title

Instructional Design Specialist

Department

Center for Teaching and Learning

Full-Time/Part-Time

Full-Time

Months per Year

12 Months

Position Summary

The Instructional Design Specialist (AI Focus) serves the academic mission of the university as a strategic team member within the Center for Teaching and Learning, supporting initiatives that build a future-facing, technology-rich educational experience geared towards student success and career readiness. This role is the first point of contact for instructional design that increases and enhances effective online teaching structures, content, and pedagogies, and takes the lead on supporting faculty and staff on the purposeful integration of artificial intelligence in UNC Asheville's liberal arts and sciences educational practices in order to create an AI-competent workforce prepared to thrive in a digital world.

Reporting to the Director of the CTL, this position will build faculty and staff competencies in the use of Generative AI tools for teaching and learning, informed by AI literacy, human-centered ethical AI use, and creative and public-facing pedagogical applications. The person in this position will serve as an expert in learning theory, instructional design, and emerging educational technologies, acting as a bridge between faculty and new tools. This role also includes creating and facilitating training systems and credentialing for online teaching quality enhancement processes, which may include an online course, training modules, or other mechanisms. Providing resources related to digital accessibility for all learners will be central to this work. The Instructional Design Specialist (AI Focus) will provide faculty and staff with: consultation; training; tutorials in modalities that meet the levels and time availability of our faculty; problem solving; AI literacy; career readiness with AI; educational technology support; support for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning online teaching and/or AI projects; digital and AI accessibility; and creating systems that incentivize faculty and staff participation in building a culture of curiosity and creativity in online teaching and AI integration in our liberal arts and sciences context.

This position will be responsible for partnering with various entities within departments and across the university (Informational Technology Services, Academic Success Center, Career Center, etc.), other UNC system schools, and system office working groups to implement online teaching and AI policies and procedures for instructional use. The position will provide expertise in the creation of an AI-Literacy informed curriculum and pedagogies for faculty and students as one subsection of other AI-related working groups on research, employee use, governance and policies, etc.

Minimum Education/Experience/Skill

This position requires possession of a Master's degree. May consider applicants with a Bachelor's degree plus 3-5 years of equivalent experience.

Preferred Education/Experience/Skill

• Master's degree in Educational Development, Instructional Technology, Online Instructional Design, Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education, Information Technology, or a related field, plus three to five years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience (preferably in a higher education setting) with administering, supporting, and training of online content delivery systems, multimedia, website and LMS development (ie: Canvas, Wordpress, etc.), AI tools, as well as coding, plugins, video recording and editing platforms, and enterprise system integration.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and delivering technical training, workshops, and classes for faculty and staff on the use of AI tools and technology to enhance learning. Working knowledge of PCs and Macs, AI tools, and other relevant apps/software
• Experience in teaching in multiple modalities: in-person, online, and hybrid
• Experience leading or facilitating initiatives, programs, grants, or projects contributing to student success
• Experience in participating in or leading cross-campus working groups and building effective interdisciplinary/cross-unit partnerships
• Evidence of participation in scholarly work related to teaching and learning in higher education