Learning Designer (Contract)
A remote US contract Learning Designer who builds online courses for higher-education institutions: working with faculty to define outcomes, design activities and assessments, storyboard multimedia, and build courses in LMSs like Canvas while meeting WCAG 2.2 AA and Quality Matters standards. Runs 2-3 courses at a time on 12-16 week cycles, 20-30 hrs/week.
- Compensation
- $35–$70 / hr
- Location
- US
- Work setup
- Remote
- Seniority
- Not specified
- Employment
- Contract
- Experience
- 6+ years
- Category
- Technical writing
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- At least 6 years of instructional/learning design experience, primarily in online higher education
- Portfolio demonstrating end-to-end design and development of online courses
- Experience collaborating directly with faculty and senior academic stakeholders
- Strong knowledge of backward design, learning outcomes alignment, and assessment development
- Working knowledge of Quality Matters, OSCQR, or comparable course quality frameworks
- Practical accessibility expertise (alt text, captions, headings, color contrast, accessible documents)
- Hands-on experience with learning management systems, Canvas strongly preferred
- Excellent writing, editing, and communication skills
- Strong organizational and project management abilities across multiple courses and deadlines
Nice to have
- Master's degree in Instructional Design, Learning Sciences, Educational Technology, or related discipline
- Quality Matters Peer Reviewer or Applying the QM Rubric certification
- Experience incorporating generative AI into course design or student learning activities
- Familiarity with authoring and media tools such as Articulate Rise, H5P, Camtasia, or Figma
- Professional experience in healthcare, business, education, or public policy
Full description
This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Learning Designer (Contract) based in the United States.
As a Learning Designer, you will transform academic expertise and program objectives into engaging, high-quality online learning experiences. Working closely with faculty subject-matter experts and learning design teams, you will shape course content into structured modules, interactive activities, assessments, and multimedia resources. You will guide faculty through the design process, helping them translate complex concepts into effective student-centered learning experiences. From initial storyboarding to final course launch, you will oversee the development process and keep projects on schedule. Your work will support online programs at leading higher education institutions, with a strong focus on accessibility, instructional quality, and meaningful student engagement. This remote contract opportunity offers the chance to contribute to the evolution of digital education.
Accountabilities
You will lead the end-to-end design and development of online courses, collaborating with faculty and internal teams to ensure every learning experience meets academic objectives and established quality standards.
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Course Strategy and Instructional Design
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Translate program goals and course maps into detailed course designs in collaboration with Learning Architects.
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Lead working sessions with faculty to define learning outcomes, organize content, and develop effective learning activities and assessments.
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Apply backward design principles and ensure alignment between learning outcomes, instructional materials, and assessment methods.
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Design interactive and scenario-based learning experiences, including AI-enabled practice activities where appropriate.
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Faculty Collaboration and Content Development
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Guide faculty, including those new to online teaching, through the course design process.
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Provide clear, constructive, and tactful feedback on faculty-created materials and drafts.
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Write and edit course content, instructions, rubrics, and discussion prompts using a consistent, student-centered voice.
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Help subject-matter experts translate their knowledge into accessible and engaging learning materials.
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Multimedia and Course Production
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Develop storyboards for videos and multimedia resources.