Learning Designer

Job Description

The Teaching and Learning Lab within Teaching and Learning at the Harvard Graduate School of Education is seeking a Learning Designer to lead the design and development of online courses. Under the direction of the Associate Director of Learning Design, the Learning Designer is a creative thinker who is able to envision technological solutions to instructional problems. The Learning Designer will be embedded in teaching teams as they work collaboratively to design and develop digital learning assets - from standalone learning units through fully online courses. The position involves close attention to detail, commitment to a rapid development mindset, and willingness to pitch in to move a project toward completion.

The Learning Designer will also lead projects from discovery through delivery, managing timelines, milestones, and stakeholder expectations to ensure high-quality learning solutions are delivered on schedule. This role coordinates cross-functional teams, tracks progress against project plans, and proactively identifies and mitigates risks. The Learning Designer is responsible for documenting requirements, organizing reviews and feedback cycles, and maintaining clear communication with sponsors and subject matter experts throughout the project lifecycle.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Learning Design (30%)

• Analyze specific learning and teaching challenges with faculty, teaching fellows (TFs), departments, and executive education and advise on approaches to address these challenges
• Coach others on the process of learning design and best practices for online communication / collaboration and learning asset / digital content development
• Craft / coach the design of training materials and documentation for courses, departments, and executive education.

Project Management and Technical Expertise (50%)

• Manage complex projects by coordinating cross-functional teams, including online learning fellows, learning designers, and technology and media staff, while delegating tasks to ensure efficient execution.
• Oversee project workflows and quality control processes while meeting project milestones and delivering final outputs on schedule.
• Keep abreast of new developments in the area of responsibility, always with a focus on how that can enhance the HGSE environment.
• Work with the Associate Director of Learning Design to maintain the design portfolio of the team. Work to keep projects on task and on budget; elevate problem areas to senior leadership when required.
• Provide project leadership on digital asset creation projects, identify partners both inside and outside of the group, and maintain clear communication channels with all stakeholders.

Digital Asset Creation (20%)

• Develop / revise digital assets using HGSE-support authoring tools
• Build online / blended courses on multiple platforms.
• Develop training resources for teaching teams and online facilitators
• Liaise with learning technologists to explore integrations of 3rd-party or custom applications.