Instructional Designer

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 San Francisco Bay University is seeking a collaborative and forward-thinking Instructional Designer to support the design, implementation, quality assurance, and continuous improvement of innovative asynchronous and synchronous learning experiences for students around the world. This role sits within SFBU’s Center for Empowerment and Pedagogical Innovation (CEPI) and works closely with faculty, subject matter experts, learning experience designers, AI-development teams, the Chief Learning Officer, and educational technology partners to translate course vision into engaging, accessible, and high-quality student learning experiences. The role operates within an emerging co-intelligent learning ecosystem developed by SFBU in which faculty expertise, instructional design, learning science, human-centered design, network-activated learning, and AI-supported systems work together to create adaptive, relational, and high-quality educational experiences. The Instructional Designer is expected to work thoughtfully and critically within AI-supported workflows while ensuring pedagogical integrity, accessibility, learner engagement, and alignment with SFBU’s educational principles. This is not a traditional content-uploading or course migration role. The ideal candidate understands that strong learning experiences require more than organizing content in a learning management system. They think deeply about learner experience, student engagement, accessibility, feedback, experiential learning, and the relationship between technology and human learning. The Instructional Designer plays a key role in ensuring that SFBU’s learning experiences align with the university’s pedagogical foundations, including personalized, experiential, relational, and student-centered learning practices. Responsibilities include supporting the development and refinement of AI-enhanced learning experiences, conducting pedagogical and accessibility quality assurance, building and reviewing Canvas learning environments, collaborating with faculty and interdisciplinary teams, and helping translate course goals across asynchronous, synchronous, and in-person learning modalities. This is a full-time, 12-month contract position, renewable contingent upon performance review. The hybrid position is located on-campus in Fremont, California, with periodic remote work possible. Responsibilities Collaborate with faculty, subject matter experts, CEPI staff, the Chief Learning Officer, learning experience designers, and external partners to translate course vision into engaging, accessible, and high-quality student learning experiences. Support the development, implementation, and refinement of asynchronous and in-person courses in Business Administration, Computer Science, General Education, Psychology, and future SFBU programs. Build, organize, and refine Canvas course environments that prioritize clarity, accessibility, usability, learner engagement, and alignment with SFBU’s pedagogical principles. Conduct pedagogical, accessibility, and student experience quality assurance reviews of courses, modules, assessments, discussions, multimedia assets, and student-facing learning experiences prior to deployment. Review and refine AI-supported course materials, assessments, activities, and feedback systems to ensure alignment with learning outcomes, accessibility standards, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, and SFBU’s pedagogical frameworks. Support faculty in translating course experiences across asynchronous, synchronous, and in-person modalities while maintaining coherence in student experience and learning outcomes. Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to ensure alignment between course objectives, learning activities, assessments, student engagement strategies, and student-facing deliverables. Apply evidence-based instructional design and learning science principles, including UDL, backward design, active learning, deliberate practice, inclusive teaching practices, and learner-centered course design. Ensure courses and learning materials align with ADA and WCAG accessibility standards and support diverse learners and learning contexts. Contribute to faculty development initiatives related to online learning, AI-enhanced pedagogy, active learning, student engagement, and learning experience design. Participate in iterative course review and continuous improvement processes informed by student feedback, learner analytics, engagement data, faculty reflection, and evolving educational practices. Coordinate project timelines, meetings, documentation, and communication with internal and external stakeholders to support successful course development and delivery. Identify opportunities, tools, and practices that strengthen SFBU’s evolving learning ecosystem and student experience. 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, faculty development, educational technology, or related areas. Demonstrated understanding of pedagogy and student learning in asynchronous higher education environments. Experience collaborating directly with faculty and subject matter experts on course design, curriculum development, or learning experience improvement. Experience designing, building, reviewing, or supporting courses in Canvas or comparable learning management systems. Demonstrated understanding of accessibility, inclusive course design, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Demonstrated ability to work effectively within AI-supported learning and course development environments. Experience using generative AI and related technologies as part of instructional design, learning experience design, content refinement, feedback systems, or educational workflow development. Ability to critically evaluate AI-generated learning materials, activities, assessments, and feedback for pedagogical quality, accessibility, alignment, inclusivity, and student experience. Ability to evaluate learning experiences from both pedagogical and student experience perspectives. Strong communication, collaboration, facilitation, and project coordination skills. Ability to work effectively in iterative, fast-moving, and evolving environments with multiple stakeholders and priorities. Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and student success. Preferred Qualifications Master’s degree in a related field. Experience supporting faculty development or pedagogical training initiatives. Experience with quality assurance review processes for online courses. Experience working within interdisciplinary learning design or educational innovation teams. Familiarity with experiential, relational, personalized, and student-centered learning approaches. Experience working within adaptive learning, AI-supported educational systems, or learning analytics environments. Experience supporting innovative higher education initiatives, online learning ecosystems, or next-generation learning models. Salary Range $75,000–$110,000 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. Contact information for three professional references. 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 [email protected] .