The Director of Course Development provides operational oversight and leadership of the instructional designers and technologists within the Instructional Design and Development unit at Excelsior University. The Director is responsible for coordinating the development and maintenance of high-quality learning experiences that meet the needs of our students. In addition, the Director will work closely with the Director of Creative Learning and Media Services and the Executive Director of Instructional Design and Development, to ensure departmental resources and personnel provide effective and appropriate program and course design support services to faculty.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following:

• Coordinate resources, personnel, and processes needed to ensure that instructional design projects and course developments are delivered in a timely manner and meet the agreed upon goals and quality standards.
• Draft and manage course development contracts.
• Supervise and mentor the instructional designers and instructional technologists.
• Coordinate the evaluation and integration of technologies with the University’s learning management system (LMS).
• Design online and hybrid courses.
• In collaboration with other team members, ensure projects are meeting quality standards and deadlines.
• Manage scheduling of projects and course developments based on programmatic needs of the University.
• Ensure a customer-service approach in responding to assigned faculty requests for instructional design support using various communication methods including but not limited to email, videoconferencing, and ticketing systems.
• Evaluate and recommend for purchase the hardware, software, and peripheral needs for the unit.
• Use metrics to evaluate and coach members of the development team toward greater efficiency, quality, and effectiveness.
• Serve on University committees and working groups as needed.
• Work with instructional designers and instructional technologists to develop and deliver workshops for faculty in online teaching, educational technology, and course design.
• In collaboration with the Executive Director of Instructional Design and Development and the Director of Creative Learning and Media Services, determine the unit’s goals and strategies to create state-of-the-art online programs and other learning pathways for students at a national and international level.
• With an eye on continuous improvement, determine key points and methods to evaluate and receive feedback on the course development process.
• Ensure the instructional designers and technologists have an ongoing professional development plan to stay abreast of learning and teaching best practices.
• Remain current with the latest industry technology tools and trends.
• Perform other duties as assigned or required.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able and willing to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor’s degree in instructional design or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead an instructional design or instructional technology team.
• Experience managing multiple, complex projects concurrently.
• Relevant experience in higher education, including online course development and outcomes assessment.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Experience performing needs assessments within processes and teams.
• Ability to apply adult learning theory and online pedagogical best practices to course development.
• Experience creating adaptive learning environments and competency-based learning.
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively manage projects that involve diverse individuals who may be local or at a distance.
• Technical skills appropriate for an instructional design position (e.g., learning management systems, designing for web, authoring tools, basic HTML, Microsoft Office) and willingness to continually learn new applications.
• Ability to troubleshoot basic educational technology issues.
• Documented expertise with learning management systems; Canvas is highly preferred.
• Ability to interpret faculty needs in course maintenance and instructional design.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills.
• Ability to continually adapt and learn new procedures and software programs.
• Desire to continue learning and developing skills.

Supervisory Responsibilities

The Director of Course Development will supervise the instructional designers and instructional technologists within the Instructional Design and Development unit.

Work Environment

This position is based out of the university’s home office in Albany, NY with the option of considering remote candidates. Remote employees will have mandatory occasional travel for meetings, conferences, and professional development opportunities. Remote employees are expected to be available during work hours 8:30am – 5:00pm Eastern time. The University will supply necessary equipment to perform the essential functions of this job (e.g., laptop, docking station). Employees are responsible for having a workspace where they can participate in virtual meetings without multiple interruptions and noise

Education

• Bachelors or better