Assistant Director, Instructional Design

Job Description   Vanderbilt University is seeking an Assistant Director of Instructional Design in the Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education (AdvancED) within the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education (OFAPE).   It is an exciting time at Vanderbilt as the University officially welcomed C. Cybele Raver as its new Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs on July 1, 2021. Under the leadership of Provost Raver, the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education is leading bold new initiatives and strengthening existing programs. The Associate Director reports directly to the Executive Director of the Office of Learning Innovation and serves as a leader of the Instructional Design team.   The Assistant Director of Instructional Design will promote effective teaching as part of the Office of Education Design & Development and the Office of Learning Innovation, which support the development and delivery of digital and lifelong learning programs. The Assistant Director of Instructional Design is responsible for leading the development and implementation of high-quality instructional design strategies and solutions to enhance teaching and learning at Vanderbilt. This role will manage a team of instructional designers who work collaboratively with faculty, staff and other university stakeholders to design engaging, effective, and accessible learning experiences across both online and face-to-face modalities using Vanderbilt’s learning management system and other educational tools.  

The Office of Faculty Affairs and Professional Education (OFAPE) in the Office of the Provost is led by the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professional Education. OFAPE exists to support and champion Vanderbilt faculty at every stage of their career and to promote and advise professional academic programs. Vanderbilt University has over 4,000 full-time faculty across ten schools and colleges. The OFAPE includes the Institute for Advancement of Higher Education, the Office of Academic Program Review, Assessment, & Accreditation, the Office of Educational Design & Development, the Office of Faculty Appointments, the Office of Faculty Development, the Office of Learning Innovation, and the Office of Professional Education. The OFAPE leadership team includes two associate provosts, two assistant provosts, two senior faculty fellows, and six directors.

Created by the University Provost, the new Institute for the Advancement of Higher Education (AdvancED) exists to promote cutting-edge innovations in higher education pedagogy and student experience in order to maximize the impact of new ideas on society. The Institute provides university faculty development and training, optimizes student learning in all environments, drives technological and pedagogical innovation, and charts the course for a best-in-class future. The Institute includes the Office of Education Design (formerly the Center for Teaching) and Development and the Office of Learning Innovation (formerly the Office of Digital Education).
 

Duties and Responsibilities
The Assistant Director of Instructional Design will play a crucial role in establishing and leading a coordinated instructional design function to support the instructional design team in building faculty capacity for teaching across modalities, including online, hybrid and in-person learning environments. They will work closely with faculty and other university instructors to design high engagement learning experiences, and share best practices, research, and resources. A successful candidate will be a collaborative and visionary leader, adept at managing ambiguity to drive significant impact in pedagogical design and implementation.   Key functions include:  

Strategic Initiatives & Instructional Design Oversight

• Establish a coordinated instructional design workstream function through the development of a clear strategic plan, including short- and long-term objectives.
• Lead project scoping and capacity planning for instructional design team.
• Ensure the delivery of exceptional service and solutions to faculty and key stakeholders.
• Manage project timelines and resource allocation to ensure the successful completion of instructional design initiatives. Represent instructional design functions across Vanderbilt’s campus and provide guidance to academic departments, schools and other units on the design and assessment of online programs, as well as the evaluation and adoption of online learning tools.
• Provide support in identifying and addressing the instructional design needs of faculty and instructors across the university.

Instructional Development & Resource Management
 

• Document and disseminate instructional design best practices for onlin