Senior Learning Experience Designer (Continuous Improvement)

If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country-and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future-consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

Who is WGU Academy?

At WGU Academy, we work collaboratively to dramatically impact college and workforce readiness efforts on a large scale. Our primary mission is to develop and deliver novel solutions for college and career readiness to tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of individuals and propel them to success in whatever domain they choose.

This is a fully benefited position requiring onsite collaboration at least 4 days per week in WGU's Salt Lake City headquarters.

Why consider us?

• Dynamic position where you will make a difference in a mission driven environment.

• Equipment provided: Choice of Mac or PC laptop

• Comprehensive and affordable benefits (including mental health benefits, and unlimited flexible time off) plus 403b matches and contributions where we put money into your retirement account, even if you are not contributing.

• 75% employee tuition discount available at WGU for yourself, and qualifying family members.

• Innovative, fun, and enriching team environment where are you are valued, given credit where it's due, and recognized for your contributions.

• Collaborative and cross functional team, where candor and authenticity are prioritized.

What will you be doing?

WGU Academy uses a scrum-based, design thinking framework to create accessible, transformative experiences that ready learners for success. We are mission-driven, evidence-based, and laser-focused on student success. As a Multimedia Designer on Academy's Product Design and Development Team, you will create engaging, user-facing, mobile-first, media-rich content for WGU's non-degree, online, professional skill-building Certificate programs. This work includes illustrations, interactives, animations, videos, and audio files. You will leverage your innovative thinking, creativity, sophisticated skills, and entrepreneurial spirit to contribute to world-class learning experiences on tight timelines. As part of an agile development team with a Content Design Writer and an Instructional Technologist, you will create best-in-class programs for Rising Talent.

Who will you be helping?

WGU Academy's students are 50% first-generation college students. They are often from minoritized communities, and over 80% are categorized as low-income individuals. They come to WGU Academy to get ready for college and career success. Our approach is holistic. We seek to enhance cognitive, psychological, and emotional resilience through our learning experiences. Your designs will enable us to do so in beautiful, engaging, and highly effective ways. Your work will help us improve the lives of people who have traditionally been underserved by Higher Education.

Who are you?

You are curious, creative, collaborative, and committed to excellence. You are relentless in your pursuit of continuous learning, growth, and improvement. You enjoy working at a fast pace on projects that have clear-cut deadlines and objectives. You are mission-driven and love using your skills for the good of society.

How is success measured?

Success is measured with a mix of inputs. First, quality. Your work will be expected to conform to our Style Guide and Design Manifesto (once you understand these standards inside and out). Second, quantity. Your contributions to the team's sprint velocity (productivity) will be expected to increase over time, as you continuously seek efficiency gains. Third, fidelity. Your work should increasingly reflect a deep understanding of the Rising Talent market, our mission, and the holistic levels of learning we aim to achieve. Along the way, you will enjoy the full support of your teammates, people leaders, and colleagues across Academy. We embrace a learning mindset and are always looking for ways to help one another succeed.

Job Profile Summary:
The Senior Learning Experience Designer (LxD) understands how people learn and designs experiences to help them learn better. The successful candidate is passionate about delighting students while they achieve and demonstrate learning outcomes. The Senior LxD works closely with Research Scientists and other stakeholders to research and applying science-informed learning strategies and practices into their designs. They also push the field's boundaries, seeking new and innovative ways to help students learn. This position will work with a team versed in skills-based professional programs and leading-edge UX/UI practices to guide their designs from inception through launch and evaluation. The Senior LxD exhibits a high level of expertise and knowledge in designing, developing, and advancing quality learning experiences.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Leads projects for cross-functional, agile teams by developing engaging and effective learning experiences that significantly impacts the student experience

• Wireframes actionable learning interactions and iterates designs based on efficacy and usability studies

• Acts as a technical and project advisor by mentoring with peers to apply experience and subject matter knowledge driving best-practice learning experience design and resolution of challenging issues

• Applies experience and subject matter expertise to the highest level of projects or assignments

• Models leadership and professionalism

• Successfully influences organizational level decisions with team and stakeholders to ensure designs are aligned with desired outcomes

• Ensures developed curriculum meets or exceeds expected student outcome metrics and improves the student experience.

• Delivers thorough and beautiful documentation of the resulting product design to guide development decisions that uphold the integrity of the design as well as provide a historical record for decisions that were made.

• Designs and participates in projects that involve cross-functional, agile teams by developing engaging, and effective learning experiences that impact students

• With team members and Research Scientists, conducts user research including interviews, surveys, and usability testing

• Understands adult learners, under-served populations, skills development, job-focused training, and designs experiences accordingly

• Applies best-practice UX and UI design skills to create proof-of-concepts, mockups, and prototypes

• Efficiently produces multiple approaches for usability testing, AB testing and stakeholder presentations

• Contributes collectively with other developers to ensure technical feasibility of designs

• Ensures learning design and course shell development are completed on time and within budget and meets standards of quality

• Works mostly with situational and highly complex projects or assignments

• Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders

• Stays current with trends, learning science and innovations, instructional media, UI/UX and learner behavior.

• Develops working knowledge of the Rising Talent market and the non-degree skills-development landscape.

• Successfully collaborates with stakeholders to ensure designs are aligned with desired outcomes

• Reviews Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and collects qualitative feedback to recommend iterative improvements to all products.

• Participates in research projects to advance learning science and quality improvement for student learning experience

• Promotes the business through professional conferences, product demos, and other outreach activities

• Models leadership and professionalism

• Fulfils other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities:

• Strong portfolio of learning product / app design

• Extensive experience applying design strategies informed by market research, learning and behavioral sciences, instructional design, and interaction/web/eLearning design principles

• Experience in developing and implementing learning experiences / eLearning from ideation through implementation and analysis

• Advanced project management skills and "hands on" tactical management of learning experience product development, agile experience preferred

• Excellent written, oral, presentation, and interpersonal skills

• Proficiency in design tools, such asInvisionand Photoshop, to rapidly create both low- and high-fidelity mockups and wireframes.

• Experience with qualitative and quantitative primary research methods

• High-level ability to analyze and interpret data to drive future design improvements, direction, and to quantify and validate design effectiveness

• High-level understanding of exceptional learning experiences within a student life cycle

• Ability to work collaboratively and creatively in a fast-paced, agile environment

• Conceptual knowledge of web/software development

• Strong attention to detail and a feeling of pride and ownership over the quality of our learning experience

• Uses industry and labor market data to select high value skills and competencies for each course design.

• Defines competencies and mastery levels for assigned courses or modules as well as the strategies for instruction and for assessing competency.

Competencies:

Organizational Impact:

• Works to achieveoperational targetswithin job areas impactingdepartment, function, oroffice results.

• Work is performedindependently onmoderately complexprojects and assignmentswith some guidancerequired for directionand complex tasks.

• Setsobjectives for oneself to meet the goalsof projects orassignments.

Problem Solving & Decision Making:

• Responsible foremploying adjustmentsor recommendedenhancements tosystems and processes tosolve problems orimprove the job area's effectiveness while leveraginga systems-thinkingapproach.

• Problems faced mayrequire an understanding ofa broader set of issuesand job areas.

Communication & Influence:

• Collaborates with contacts typically within the job area to obtain or provide information requiring some explanation or interpretation.

Leadership & Talent Management

• May provide guidanceand assistance to entry-level professionalsand or supportemployees.

• Demonstrates the WGUleadership principles inall aspects of service tostudents, employees, andpartners of WGU.

Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and 5 years of experience in product design content following a user-centered design process.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree or higher in relevant field with 2 years of experience in product design content following a user-centered design process.

• May have broad knowledge of project management.

Working Conditions:
5-10% Travel

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Disclaimer: This Job Description has been designed to indicate the general nature, essential duties, and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this classification. It does not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications that are required of the employee to do this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. This Job Description does not constitute a contract of employment and the University may exercise its employment-at-will rights at any time.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

How to apply: apply online

Full-time Regular Positions(FT classification, standard working hours = 40)

This is a full-time, regular position that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

The University is an equal opportunity employer.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.