Associate Director of Instructional Design

Rowan University, a public institution and statewide leader in online education, invites applications for the role of Associate Director of Instructional Design. This key leadership position reports to the Director of Instructional Design within the Online Learning Department in the Rowan Online Division. The role is responsible for the course build portion of the online course development life-cycle, overseeing the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of online courses focused on specific programs. It involves leading a team of instructional designers by providing mentorship and support to ensure high standards of quality, compliance, and academic rigor across online courses and programs. This position will collaborate closely with the academic stakeholders to design engaging, effective, and accessible learning experiences that align with best practices in online education.

The Associate Director must have a student-first approach as their work aims to create dynamic, inclusive, and effective online learning experiences for students. The ideal candidate will possess a comprehensive understanding of instructional design in higher education, and will work collaboratively with various teams to continually improve online learning. Goals for this position include on-time delivery of high quality and compliant online course builds and successful management of subject matter experts (SMEs) assigned to develop course content.

Rowan Online offers a collaborative, fast-paced environment focused on innovation and academic excellence. A hybrid work arrangement may be available depending on institutional policy.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership:
  • Lead and manage a team of internal and external instructional designers responsible for the design and development of approximately 50% of online courses in the Rowan Online portfolio.
  • Mentor the team on instructional design standards, best practices, and on the use of academic online technologies.
  • Foster a collaborative team environment that encourages innovation, knowledge sharing, and the adoption of best practices in instructional design.
  • Drive operational improvements to increase efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance faculty satisfaction.
  • Ensure scalability of operations by managing staffing, timelines, and workload distribution.
  • Stay current with national trends in online learning and educational technology in an effort to bring innovation and competitiveness to Rowan Online’s operations.
    
    
• Instructional Design and Development Management:
  • Collaborate with academic stakeholders to ensure the development of high-quality online courses.
  • Manage quality assurance for the online course development process, ensuring compliance with institutional and regulatory requirements.
  • Ensure content accuracy, currency, and alignment with learning outcomes and accessibility standards.
  • Manage course development projects to ensure timely delivery of the final course product.
  • Align goals, objectives, and assessments across programs and courses in partnership with instructional design leadership and academic stakeholders.
  • Drive project success through the use of project management tools and management methodologies.
  • Leverage course feedback, analytics, and design reviews to drive improvements and inform training.
    
    
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
  • Collaborate regularly with teams in Rowan Online Division to ensure project alignment and timely progress.
  • Represent Rowan Online when collaborating with external stakeholders and leadership, including SMEs, Academic Program Coordinators, Deans, and other academic stakeholders.
• Documentation and Resource Management:
  • Maintain clear, accessible documentation related to Instructional Design.
  • Develop and maintain comprehensive training materials for SMEs engaged in online course development.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Education, Instructional Design, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in instructional design and online learning, including team leadership or project management responsibilities.
• Proven experience in online program development and instructional design, with a strong understanding of learning theories and instructional design models.
• Experience with common educational technologies used for online courses in academic settings, including the Canvas Learning Management System (or equivalent).
• Strong understanding of instructional design models, learning theories, and online teaching best practices.
• Proven experience managing instructional design projects, from concept through to completion.
• Demonstrated success lea