Instructional Designer 3

Blackstone Talent Group, an award-winning technology consulting and talent agency, is seeking an Instructional Designer 3 to join our Client's team.

Position Summary

The instructional designer is part of the UC’s Systemwide Procurement Team’s Change Management and Communications team who develop and implement trainings to ensure operational consistency across procurement. The position’s 6-month contract will be focused on developing content and online, asynchronous, modular trainings on proper procurement practices, ethics, policy compliance and risk mitigation within a learning management system (SumTotal or Canvas) for procurement professionals and campus-level departmental buyers.

• Collaborates with content owners and subject matter experts to elicit requirements, develop learning objectives and create online training programs. Partners with identified stakeholders as needed to ensure the university’s requirements are met.
• Partners with subject matter experts and leads content development for digital training(s).
• Develops learning objectives and embeds methodologies to ensure learning objectives are met through the training(s).
• Contributes to the go-to-market strategy and plan to ensure all key audiences have access to and awareness of the training(s).
• Ability to effectively identify and engage with stakeholder groups to ensure adoption of training(s).
• Works with little direction to develop, enhance, and maintain a variety of high-visibility digital properties with and for a broad audience.
• Researches, develops, and produces content and design, ensuring they are accessible to all, including individuals with disabilities, and meet the university's adopted standards. This includes training courses, resource documents and alternate format accommodations.
• Uses technical skills in computer applications for eLearning development, web production, image handling, publishing and design, illustration, presentation preparation, animation, video, web interaction, and/or other state-of-the-art web communication capabilities.
• Works independently to develop, enhance, and maintain a variety of high-visibility digital properties with and for a broad audience.
• Consults with management and other professionals to develop strategic communication plans, programs or projects, to ensure that products meet the organization's needs and effectively deliver the desired outcomes.
• Maintains up-to-date understanding of current and emerging technologies, and recommends or implements actions.
• Utilizes learning management system to upload courses for testing and validation.

Key Responsibilities

• 60% Apply professional instructional design and technology skills to consult with subject matter experts, map learning objectives /outcomes, and create/update accessible and complex online courses that achieve intended results.
• 20% Develop a project design and go-to-market/implementation plan, provide program management, and liaise with Change and Communications team leaders to ensure effective communication and deadline adherence.
• 10% Test products, including one’s own, for functionality, user experience and accessibility. Document results of testing and validate changes made based on testing results.
• 5% Lead or manage creation of the concepts, storyboards, artwork and layout for sites and other online projects based on discovery meetings and input from stakeholders. Adhere to brand guidelines and translate to designs. Design and produce web-friendly graphics as needed.
• 5% Quickly create mockup web interfaces, graphics and web controls to demonstrate direction or support recommendations. Provide ongoing recommendations for site design and user experience improvements.

Experience

Required Qualifications

Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience

Skills and Abilities

Required Qualifications

• Ability to conduct analysis and develop recommendations, demonstrating organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Strong analytical, verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills, collaboration and negotiation skills. Ability to communicate with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to apply organizational policies and requirements, including policies that impact online course development, to the development or consultation of projects.
• Thorough knowledge of instructional design principles and learning strategies, including needs analysis, learning outcomes and assessment design, and instructional approaches.
• Thorough knowledge of the software and content creation tools required to achieve the delivery of engaging and media-rich online content, and of trends in the use and effectiveness of learning technology, particularly SumTotal and/or Canvas LMS.
• Thorough knowledge of adult learning theories and education methodologies and the ability to apply them in creative ways.
• Thorough knowledge to conduct appropriate job and task analyses in the context of instructional design for technical or specialized training.
• Ability to successfully adapt to changing requirements or standards that may occur mid-project.
• Thorough skills in application of planning, resourcing and monitoring of effective design life cycles of training and other learning and performance solutions to support the organization.
• Skills in planning, resourcing and monitoring of effective design life cycles of training and other learning and performance solutions to support the organization.

Experienced in creating engaging and memorable trainings on technical topics, including policy and compliance for public higher education or governmental organizations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with and ability to apply and evaluate the application of accessibility principles, up to and including WCAG 2.1 AA, for digital and online content, particularly eCourses delivered as SCORM content through an enterprise Learning Management System (LMS). Ability to speak cogently about application of accessibility standards to others.
• Familiarity with HTML/CSS.
• Experience with instructional design authoring tools such as Articulate Storyline and Rise.
• Experience with video editing tools like Camtasia, Adobe Premiere, Vyond and/or comparable software.
• Experience with audio editing tools like Audacity and/or Audition.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Familiarity with NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver or other screen reader software, and with other forms of assistive technologies.

Education

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

Travel Requirements

5% Occasional travel to conferences or meetings

Blackstone Talent Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of Blackstone Technology Group, a global IT services and software firm that implements technological solutions across commercial industry verticals and the US Federal Government. Blackstone's global talent augmentation practice was founded in 1998. Blackstone Talent Group has offices in San Francisco, Denver, Houston, Colorado Springs, and Washington, DC. We specialize in providing clients the best talent across a variety of industries and sectors.

EOE of Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabilities