Senior Instructional Designer

We are seeking aSenior Instructional Designer. The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth is a nonprofit dedicated to identifying and developing the talents of academically advanced K-12 students around the world. We provide todays brightest students with fun, challenging courses; a community of engaged learners; and a strong foundation for future success in college and their careers. Want to join our team? We are looking for mission-driven problem-solvers who can thrive in CTYs diverse, collaborative, fast-paced, and results-driven work environment. We value innovation, creativity, integrity, and a shared commitment to the bright young people we serve. In return, we offer employees the opportunity to be part of the Johns Hopkins community and to take advantage of our generous benefits package, which includes affordable health-care options and tuition assistance for employees and their families.

General Purpose/Summary

• Working in a matrixed environment with CTYs curriculum and instructional design team and subject matter experts from the CTY online and in-person experiences teams, lead the analysis, design, development and implementation of courses that align to CTYs vision of a unified curriculum for advanced K-12 learners across all modalities online, in-person, hybrid.
• Lead the development of courses that deliver the shared characteristics of the CTY model regardless of modality: provision of advanced material in age-appropriate context, integration of acceleration and enrichment, novelty in topic and/or approach, instructor as expert fellow learner, emphasis on facilitated learning over primary instruction.
• Working with CTYs research and evaluation teams, facilitate the continual evaluation and evolution of the model in response to evidence (internal and external) and in service of testing new approaches that will advance our understanding of advanced learners and effective practices to support them.
• Identify relevant third-party standards for CTY courses (National Association for Gifted Children standards, WCAG 2.1 AA standards, Quality Matters, CCSS, Next Generation Science Standards, ACTFL, AP Standards, etc.). Document CTYs alignment to such standards as appropriate.
• Collaborate with program directors and teams of writers and subject matter experts to ensure instructional integrity of CTY courses through a method of systematic design and clear course standards and outcomes, including alignment of educational objectives with content, activities and assessment, application of UDL guidelines and other applicable evidence-based practices.
• Provide recommendations for sequencing of instruction, interactive activities, assessment, and, where appropriate, interface design.
• Ensure design consistency and accessibility. Assist program directors and other relevant staff with setting and implementing style consistency standards.
• Provide guidance on international design components for cultural correctness and norms, time zone differences, and language/translation issues.
• Manage multiple complex design projects concurrently. Create project plans and deliver timely results.
• Conduct necessary project analysis. Make recommendations for departmental project management process.
• Collaborate with program directors to build a robust faculty and professional learning program that supports delivery of the CTY model and facilitates individual faculty creativity and capacity for innovation. This could include observing classes in session, holding listening sessions with faculty, and developing and conducting workshops and seminars to educate faculty and Subject Matter Experts on best practices and new developments in student engagement, teaching methods, and systems use.
• May participate in organizing professional learning series or large symposia for external as well as internal audiences.
• Research and evaluate new and emerging technologies, instructional design theories, and approaches and policies for potential application to instructional opportunities

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Serve as Project Lead for courses, services, and projects.
  
• Serve as project lead on course development, directing teams of subject matter experts, and, where applicable, technical trainers, instructional technologists, web developers and multimedia specialists.
• Develop appropriate templates and rubrics to guide the course development process.
• Collaborate and consult with CTY stakeholders on the effective use of instructional design strategies, web-based resources, multimedia technologies, and instructional software and systems to support course delivery and continual evolution of the CTY model.
• Research and evaluate new and emerging technologies, instructional design theories, and policies for potential application to the CTY context.
• Provide recommendations on the strategic, tactical, and operational issues associated with the adoption of instructional technologies and instructional design processes.
• Work with CTYs evaluation team and program directors to develop and implement tools and schedules for regularly assessing courses and instructor and student needs.
• Assist with developing budget projections and grant proposals.

Conduct Necessary Project Analysis

• Evaluate the instructional effectiveness of instructional design processes.

Design & Develop Instructional Projects

• Guide and support subject matter experts in developing design documents and/or storyboards outlining instructional objectives, methods, and assessment plans.
• Conduct needs analysis and performance analysis to ensure learner-centered experiences.
• Advise faculty and staff on effective use of instructional resources for specific projects.
• Collaborate with CTY staff in writing instructional design criteria.
• Serve as primary Instructional Designer on course development projects as needed.
• May mentor or direct other instructional designers, content specialists, web developers, graphic designers, faculty and staff, and/or external partners as needed in complex projects.
• Utilize effective communication skills to communicate frequently and effectively with various project collaborators.
• Manage project timelines and coordinate with team members and partners to meet project deliverables.
• Plan, develop, and deliver professional learning sessions for internal and/or external audiences on best practices and new developments in student engagement and teaching methods related to the CTY model, such as how to use web-based resources and tools and multimedia technologies in the service of facilitated learning.
• Develop project management plans or work with project management leads to ensure that quality deliverables are produced to meet project timelines.
• Working in collaboration with CTYs evaluation team and other stakeholders, develop and conduct formative and summative evaluation of instructional content and outcomes.
• Evaluate the instructional effectiveness of programs and courses.
• Conduct usability and learnability analysis of learning prototypes and environments.
• Provide expertise and support to ensure to track compliance with federal 508 disability regulations. (Section 508 is a part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires that electronic and information technology developed, procured, maintained or used by the Federal government be accessible to people with disabilities.)
• Supervise full time or casual Instructional Designers and course authors. The number of staff supervised may fluctuate depending on the scale of course development activity and funding.