Southwest Tennessee Community College is a comprehensive, multicultural, public, open—access college. Southwest has four campuses/centers from which it offers over 100 programs and over 20 technical certificate programs.

We foster student success, transform lives, and increase the educational level of a growing community in Shelby County. Southwest is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution, accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Title: Instructional Designer

Employee Classification: Other Professionals

Institution: Southwest Tennessee Community College

Department: People & Culture

Campus Location: SWTCC - Union Avenue Campus

Job Summary

The Instructional Designer designs, delivers, and evaluates high-quality professional learning experiences that build employee capability, leadership effectiveness, and organizational capacity across the College.

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for People & Culture, this role supports institution-wide learning initiatives through online, blended, and instructor-led training while ensuring compliance with accessibility, quality, and regulatory standards.

Job Duties

• Design & Development
  • Consult with stakeholders to conduct needs analyses and translate performance gaps into measurable learning objectives.
  • Design and develop instructor‑led, blended, and self‑paced modules (microlearning, interactive e‑learning, job aids, videos, simulations).
  • Build and maintain course shells, templates, and style guides; apply UDL, adult‑learning, and assessment best practices.
  • Prototype quickly; iterate using learner analytics, surveys, and usability testing.
• Digital Learning & Learning Management Systems
  • Design and develop self-paced and blended online learning experiences that scale institutional training and increase access across campuses and modalities.
  • Administer and maintain the professional-development learning management system, including course setup, enrollments, automation, reporting, and data integrity.
  • Convert in-person training and institutional initiatives into scalable online formats.
  • Package, upload, and troubleshoot SCORM and xAPI content and integrate third-party learning tools and open educational resources as appropriate.
  • Develop dashboards and reports to track participation, completion, and learning outcomes.
• Instructor-Led Training & Accessibility Compliance
  • Design and facilitate in-person and synchronous instructor-led training sessions for faculty, staff, and supervisors.
  • Lead accessibility audits and compliance reviews for e-learning and training materials to ensure alignment with WCAG 2.1 AA, Section 508, and institutional standards.
  • Provide guidance and remediation strategies to ensure accessible and inclusive learning across all modalities.
  • Coach facilitators and presenters on inclusive instructional strategies, active learning techniques, and effective delivery practices.
• LMS Administration & Learning Technologies
  • Administer the professional‑development LMS (catalogs, enrollments, groups, automation, reporting, data quality).
  • Package, upload, and troubleshoot SCORM/xAPI content; integrate third‑party tools and OER as appropriate.
  • Create dashboards and standard reports on participation, completion, satisfaction, and learning transfer; surface insights for decision‑making.
  • Ensure data, content, and user experiences meet security, privacy, and accessibility requirements.
• Facilitation, Coaching & Support
  • Facilitate live sessions and webinars; coach facilitators on active learning, inclusive pedagogy, and assessment strategies.
  • Provide just‑in‑time support to learners and managers; document knowledge base articles and quick‑start guides.
  • Coordinate pilots and A/B tests to evaluate modality, sequence, and media effectiveness.
• Quality, Accessibility & Compliance
  • Apply QM‑aligned review checklists and WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards (alt text, headings, transcripts/captions, color contrast, keyboard navigation).
  • Establish version control and content lifecycle processes (review, refresh, archive).
• Collaboration & Project Management
  • Manage multiple projects using defined charters, timelines, and stakeholder maps; communicate risks and status updates.
  • Partner with People & Culture Operations (onboarding, compliance), and divisional teams to align training with workforce and student‑success outcomes.
• Artificial Intelligence
  • Facilitate workshops and learning experiences that build employee confidence in using AI responsibly for instructional, administrative, and leadership tasks.
  • Review AI-assisted learning content to ensure accessibility, accuracy, inclusivity, and alignment with institutional standards and compliance requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Instructional Design/Technology, Education, Organizational Development, or related field.
  
• Three (3) + years of experience designing blended/e‑learning and facilitating training for adult learners.
  
• Experience administering an LMS and building SCORM/xAPI content; demonstrated accessibility‑first design.
  
• Portfolio showcasing learning assets (e‑learning, facilitator guides, job aids, videos, assessments).

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Instructional Design/Technology, Learning Sciences, or related field.
  
• Experience in higher education or public‑sector HR/organizational development environments.
  
• Quality Matters (QM) training/certification; ATD, CPTD, or comparable credentials.
  
• Experience with data integrations, SSO, and HRIS/LMS connections; xAPI/LRS familiarity.
  
• Experience administering an LMS and building SCORM/xAPI content; demonstrated accessibility‑first design.
  
• Any of the following certifications:
  
  • QM
    
  • ATD (APTD/CPTD)
    
  • Accessibility (e.g., IAAP CPACC)
    
  • Project management (CAPM/PMP)
    
  • Coaching/micro‑credentials

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Expert knowledge of instructional design models (ADDIE, SAM) and adult learning theory; strong content writing and storyboarding skills.
  
• Proficiency with e‑learning authoring (Articulate 360, Rise, Storyline; Camtasia or comparable media tools).
  
• Hands‑on LMS administration experience (e.g., Bridge, Canvas, Cornerstone, Absorb, Docebo, or similar).
  
• Data literacy: build reports/dashboards and translate insights into design improvements and recommendations.
  
• Accessibility expertise (WCAG/Section 508); familiarity with UDL and Quality Matters course design standards.
  
• Strong client service orientation; ability to partner, influence, and facilitate across various stakeholder groups.
  
• Excellent organization and time management; able to juggle multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Working knowledge of AI-enabled instructional design tools and responsible-use principles, including ethical considerations, accessibility, and data privacy.

Physical Demands / Working Conditions

Standard office environment with frequent facilitation and occasional evening/weekend sessions to meet operational needs; travel between campuses as required.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representation of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Candidates who are called for an interview must notify Human Resources in writing at least five (5) days in advance of any reasonable accommodation needed prior to the date of the interview.

First consideration will be given to current Southwest Tennessee Community College employees who meet the minimum qualifications for the position.

In order to be considered for the position, the following items must be uploaded:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Unofficial Transcripts

A summary of our benefits can be found below: 

https://www.southwest.tn.edu/hr/benefits-overview.php

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The TBR does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity, or national origin, sex, disability, age, status as a protected veteran or any other class protected by Federal or State laws and regulations and by Tennessee Board of Regents policies with respect to employment, programs, and activities. 

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies:  LeVetta Hudson, Vice President of People & Culture, myhr@southwest.tn.edu, 737 Union Ave, Memphis, TN 38103, 901-333-5000. See the full non-discrimination policy.