About VCU Continuing and Professional Education and
LEDstudio–
VCU Continuing and Professional Education (VCU CPE) connects the
expertise and resources of Virginia Commonwealth University with
adult learners, employers, organizations, and communities through
high-quality continuing education, professional development, and
workforce-focused learning. In partnership with VCU’s colleges,
schools, faculty, and other university units, VCU CPE develops and
supports accessible, responsive learning opportunities that extend
beyond traditional degree programs and help learners build
knowledge, skills, and credentials throughout their lives. VCU
CPE’s portfolio includes open-enrollment courses and programs,
customized training for employers and organizations, noncredit
certificates and micro-credentials, and other short-form learning
experiences designed to meet evolving learner and workforce needs.
Through academic, industry, and community partnerships, CPE helps
translate VCU’s expertise into relevant learning opportunities that
advance individuals, organizations, and the communities VCU
serves.
VCU LEDstudio is a leader in providing quality higher education and
lifelong learning opportunities using a number of delivery methods,
including fully online and hybrid. The unit broadly supports
faculty, academic units, and community partners in their efforts to
leverage technology to optimize student learning. Additionally,
LEDstudio provides strategic leadership in developing, expanding,
and enhancing VCU’s learning opportunities, programs, and
supporting the assessment and continuous quality improvement of
current and new technology-mediated courses, programs, and
projects. LEDstudio operates in a fast-paced environment requiring
flexibility, innovation, and an openness to change. Instructional
designers within LEDstudio must be comfortable navigating new
directives, emerging technologies, and evolving institutional
needs.
The position is an
Instructional Designer for
VCU
Continuing and Professional Education (VCU CPE) and is a new
role supporting the continued growth of VCU CPE’s noncredit
portfolio, academic and external partnerships, and
workforce-focused initiatives. VCU CPE is seeking an experienced
instructional designer who will bring established expertise in
instructional and learning experience design to help translate
faculty expertise, academic content, and employer and workforce
needs into high-quality, skills-based learning experiences for
adult and professional learners. As a new dedicated instructional
design role within VCU CPE, this position offers the opportunity to
help shape and advance CPE’s approach to instructional design while
collaborating with faculty, subject matter experts, VCU CPE
colleagues, and instructional design and learning professionals
across the university.
The ideal candidate has experience designing learning for
professional, business, industry, or adult audiences and
understands how to translate complex academic or technical content
into practical, skills-based learning experiences. This position
will work closely with VCU staff, faculty, subject matter experts,
program leaders, industry partners, and internal teams to design
learning experiences that are engaging, accessible,
outcomes-driven, and aligned with learner, employer, and workforce
needs.
This role is especially suited for an experienced instructional
designer or learning experience designer who can move fluidly
between higher education and workforce learning environments,
helping transform credit-bearing or academic content into shorter,
modular, competency-based learning experiences for noncredit
audiences. An instructional designer must be an agile
problem-solver, capable of shifting between multiple projects with
competing deadlines while maintaining a high standard of
quality.
The Instructional Designer for VCU CPE will design and build a
portfolio of credit and noncredit continuing and professional
education offerings, working collaboratively with faculty, industry
partners,and VCU CPE staff to develop high-quality, workforce and
industry-aligned learning experiences for open enrollment and
customized training.
Key responsibilities include:
- Instructional Design and Course Development – Design and
develop engaging, accessible learning experiences for adult and
professional audiences, including courses, workshops, customized
training, micro-credentials, and certificates. Apply adult learning
theory, learner-centered instructional design principles, and
evidence-based practices to develop measurable learning outcomes,
activities, assessments, and instructional materials across online,
hybrid, and in-person formats.
Workforce & Skills-Based Program Design – Translate
academic, technical, and professional content into practical,
skills-based learning experiences aligned with learner, workforce,
and industry needs. Support the development of modular and
stackable learning pathways that connect competencies, assessments,
credentials, and opportunities for continued learning or career
advancement.
Faculty, SME and Industry Collaboration – Partner with
faculty, subject matter experts, staff, program leaders, workforce
partners, and employers to identify learning needs and co-design
effective programs. Facilitate the translation of faculty expertise
and employer-identified skills into applied learning activities,
workplace scenarios, projects, assessments, and other evidence of
competency.
Learning Technology and Course Production – Build,
revise, test, and maintain courses in Canvas, VCU’s learning
management system, ensuring clear navigation, accessibility,
usability, learner engagement, and consistency. Develop and
integrate accessible interactive content, multimedia, and digital
learning resources using tools such as DesignPLUS, Harmonize,
Panopto, Adobe Express, Canva, and other learning
technologies.
Project Management and Quality Assurance – Manage
multiple course and program development projects from initial
scoping through development, review, launch, evaluation, and
revision. Coordinate timelines, documentation, stakeholder
feedback, and deliverables while conducting quality assurance
reviews for instructional alignment, accessibility, functionality,
learner experience, and course readiness.
Continuous Improvement and Innovation – Analyze course
data and learner, instructor, partner, and program feedback to
improve learning experiences and contribute to VCU CPE standards,
templates, workflows, and instructional design practices. Stay
current with emerging learning technologies, including appropriate
uses of artificial intelligence, and evolving practices in adult
learning, workforce education, micro-credentials, and continuing
and professional education.
The Instructional Designer pursues professional development
opportunities and association memberships to advance their
knowledge and expertise and contribute to the scholarship and
professionalism of the unit. Continued professional growth and
engagement in relevant professional associations will be encouraged
and supported by VCU CPE.
This position is eligible for remote work in accordance with VCU’s
flexible work arrangement policies. Regular on-campus and
occasional off-campus presence will be required for meetings,
programs, events, partner engagements, and other activities as
needed or when indicated by leadership. Flexible work arrangements
are subject to university policy, operational needs, and the
strategic direction of the unit and university.
AI should not be used for any part of the application submission or
process.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in instructional design, education, learning
technologies, curriculum and instruction, adult learning,
communications, business, or a related field, or an equivalent
combination of education, training, and experience
- Minimum three (3) years of professional experience designing,
developing, and implementing online, hybrid, and/or
technology-enhanced learning experiences
- Demonstrated experience with learning management systems (LMS),
educational technologies, and emerging technologies that support
teaching and learning
- Demonstrated knowledge of instructional design principles,
adult learning theory, learning outcomes, assessment design, and
evidence-based practices for adult and professional learners
- Demonstrated experience developing learner-centered
instructional materials, activities, assessments, and digital
learning resources of varying length and complexity
- Demonstrated experience collaborating with faculty, subject
matter experts, clients, or other stakeholders to design and
develop effective learning experiences
- Demonstrated ability to translate complex academic, technical,
or professional content into clear, accessible, applied learning
experiences
- Demonstrated experience managing multiple instructional design
or course development projects, including timelines, documentation,
stakeholder feedback, deliverables, and competing priorities.
- Experience applying digital accessibility standards and best
practices, including WCAG, Section 508 principles, Universal Design
for Learning, and inclusive design, to instructional materials,
multimedia, assessments, and course design.
- Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills
- Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in
writing
- Skill with MS Office and Google Workspace and the aptitude to
learn new technology platforms
- Skill in analytical and critical thinking, project management,
problem recognition and resolution skills
- Ability to anticipate issues, identify risks, and solve
problems proactively
- Ability to exhibit creativity, self-direction and the capacity
for independent work, multi-tasking and organization skills
- Ability to commit to the highest ethical standards
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working
relationships with faculty, staff, administrators, clients and
other personnel
- Ability to commit to quality, integrity, responsiveness and
customer service
- Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of
respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty,
staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a
commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU
Preferred Qualifications:
- Advanced degree in a discipline such as Instructional Design,
Learning Technologies, Curriculum and Instruction, Adult Learning,
or a related field
- Five (5) or more years of experience designing learning
experiences for adult, professional, workforce, or nontraditional
learners
- Experience designing learning experiences for business,
industry, community, government, healthcare, nonprofit, or
employer-partner audiences
- Experience developing competency-based or skills-based
assessments, rubrics, performance tasks, projects, portfolios,
simulations, workplace scenarios, or other evidence of
learning
- Experience collaborating with faculty, subject matter experts,
community collaborators, industry partners, or employers to
co-design learning experiences
- Experience facilitating workshops, training sessions, or
professional development opportunities in a higher education
environment
- Experience using e-learning authoring tools, multimedia tools,
AI tools, Adobe products, or other technologies to support online
and blended learning
- Familiarity with digital badges, stackable credentials,
micro-credentials, competency frameworks, or alternative
credentialing models
- Experience conducting quality assurance reviews for online
course design, accessibility, instructional alignment, usability,
and learner experience
Salary Range: $70,000-75,000
Benefits : All full-time university staff are eligible for
VCU’s robust
benefits
package that includes comprehensive health benefits, paid annual
and holiday leave, generous tuition benefits, retirement planning
and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs,
employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities
for career development and advancement, and more.
FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt
Restricted Position: No
ORP Eligible: Yes
Flexible Work Arrangement: Yes
University Job Title: Instructional Design Specialist
AA