Instructional Designer (Remote, Hybrid, or On-Site)

About San Francisco Bay University

San Francisco Bay University (SFBU), a nonprofit, WASC-accredited university located in the heart of Silicon Valley in Fremont, California, seeks an innovative and collaborative Instructional Designer. SFBU’s mission is to offer inclusive, innovative, and inspirational education for lifelong careers, and our vision is to set the standard as a national model of higher education in service of the common good.

At SFBU, students come first. We prioritize students’ needs by fostering meaningful engagement among students, faculty, and staff. We are committed to affordable, high-quality education with a deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and social justice.

We encourage you to learn more about SFBU by reviewing our strategic plan at: https://www.sfbu.edu/about/strategic-plan

Position Overview

Imagine helping shape how a new kind of degree program feels to the students who take it. SFBU’s Pro+ programs bring together faculty expertise, AI coaching, and real-world projects, and we are looking for an Instructional Designer to help us build them, starting with MBA Pro+ and growing with each new program we launch.

You will join a small, collaborative team in SFBU’s Center for Empowerment and Pedagogical Innovation (CEPI), working alongside faculty, subject matter experts, fellow instructional designers, the Chief Learning Officer, and the development partners who build our courses in Canvas. You will not be starting from a blank page: Pro+ courses follow a shared course model and a set of Canvas templates, and the team will help you learn them.

Much of the work is the part of instructional design many of us enjoy most: planning how a course unfolds, shaping assignments and rubrics so students know what success looks like, making sure every page is clear and accessible, and testing how AI coaching supports learners along the way. As new Pro+ programs launch, you will help adapt the model so each one feels connected and easy to follow.

We value curiosity and care for students as much as any single skill. If you think about how students experience a course, enjoy turning feedback into concrete improvements, and are interested in how AI can support learning, we would love to hear from you, even if you have not yet used every tool listed below.

Most of your time will go to Pro+ program development. The rest supports instructional design across SFBU, such as course reviews, faculty consultations, Canvas course setup, and accessibility fixes.

This is a full-time, 12-month contract position, renewable contingent upon performance review. This position is eligible for a remote, hybrid, or on-site work arrangement, subject to University policies and business needs. Candidates must reside in California. The role requires regular availability during Pacific Time business hours for meetings and collaboration with faculty, the CEPI team, and development partners.

Responsibilities

• Plan Pro+ courses across programs before they are built: module and lesson blueprints that set outcomes, topics, activities, assessments, human touchpoints, and the Canvas pages and assets each lesson needs.

• Map program, course, and module outcomes to activities, resources, assessments, and signature assignment milestones; resolve gaps or misalignment before launch.

• Write and edit learner-facing Canvas content, including overviews, lesson pages, and assignment directions, using transparent assignment design so each page states its purpose, task, and success criteria.

• Develop and review assessments, rubrics, quizzes, and formative checks, and confirm that every requirement in an assignment’s directions is assessed by its rubric.

• Design scaffolded preparation for major assignments so that early work feeds later deliverables.

• Review courses module by module against the course learning model and blueprint. Record findings with the exact Canvas location, priority, and a specific recommendation, and keep curriculum alignment issues separate from learner-experience improvements.

• Review courses built by external development partners, give structured and prioritized feedback, and confirm fixes before release.

• Test AI coaching activities from the perspective of both a confident and a struggling learner; distinguish one-off issues from patterns confirmed across activities before recommending course-wide changes.

• Maintain the Pro+ Canvas templates, design guide, and QA checklists, and adapt them for each new Pro+ program so courses remain consistent across programs.

• Build and edit Canvas pages, including flexibility to learn DesignPLUS components, and test course packages in sandbox courses and the Canvas Student app.

• Check accessibility before release, including color contrast, heading structure, text size, captions, and mobile layout, against ADA and WCAG 2.1 AA standards.

• Review technical and quantitative materials with faculty for accuracy, clarity, and appropriate scaffolding.

• Contribute to student onboarding and to faculty development, including short UDL and AI-pedagogy trainings that lead to a course-ready change.

• Use learner feedback, course analytics, and assessment results to identify where students struggle and recommend targeted improvements.

• Provide instructional design support for other SFBU courses, including course reviews, faculty consultations, Canvas course setup, and accessibility fixes.

• Coordinate timelines, documentation, and communication with faculty, program leaders, CEPI staff, and external partners across multiple program launches.

• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Instructional Design, Learning Experience Design, Educational Technology, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

• 3–5 years of experience in higher education instructional design, online learning, or a closely related area.

• Experience designing and reviewing online courses in Canvas or a comparable learning management system, including writing learner-facing content and build specifications.

• Experience mapping outcomes to activities and assessments, and developing rubrics and formative checks aligned to those outcomes.

• Experience applying course-review standards or structured QA processes (for example, Quality Matters, OSCQR, or an institutional rubric) to evaluate alignment, accessibility, and usability.

• Working knowledge of Universal Design for Learning, transparent assignment design, and WCAG accessibility, including the ability to check a page for contrast, heading structure, and mobile use.

• Experience using generative AI in instructional design, and the ability to critically evaluate AI-generated materials and AI coaching for quality, accuracy, and student experience.

• Ability to turn complex technical or quantitative concepts (for example, finance, data analysis, or programming) into sequenced activities and worked examples.

• Experience collaborating with faculty and subject matter experts on course design.

• Clear writing, and the ability to give specific, prioritized feedback to colleagues and external partners.

• Experience working effectively on a remote team, including managing your own schedule and deliverables and keeping colleagues informed through shared trackers and clear written updates.

• Ability to manage several connected deliverables and parallel course builds in an iterative, fast-moving environment.

• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and student success.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related field.

• Experience with DesignPLUS or similar Canvas design tools.

• Experience designing courses for business, professional, or graduate programs.

• Experience reviewing or directing work produced by an external vendor or development team.

• Experience supporting faculty development or UDL training.

• Experience with AI-supported, adaptive, or competency-based learning models.

• Experience launching new online programs or scaling a course design model across multiple programs.

• A portfolio that shows course page design, assessment design, or course review work.

Salary Range

$90,000–$115,000 per year, depending on experience.

12-month contract renewable contingent upon performance review.

Additional Information

This position description is not intended to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time, with or without notice.

Application Materials

Interested candidates must submit the following application materials:

• A cover letter detailing qualifications for the position and alignment with SFBU’s mission and values.

• Curriculum vitae or resume.

• A portfolio link or two work samples, such as a course page, a rubric, or a course review report.

• Contact information for three professional references.

Finalists will be asked to complete a short course-review exercise. Applications will be reviewed immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Equal Opportunity Statement

San Francisco Bay University is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We encourage candidates who will contribute to our mission of fostering an inclusive educational environment to apply.

SFBU is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. SFBU is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law.

In accordance with federal and state disability laws, San Francisco Bay University provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you require assistance during the application or interview process, please contact SFBU Human Resources at hrmgr@sfbu.edu.