Content Specialist (Instructional Designer)

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.

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:

Grade: Faculty 506

Pay Range: $73,500.00 - $110,200.00

Job Description

• This role is the design and build engine behind WGU’s Orientation experience — the role that turns program strategy into the actual modules, assets, and just-in-time supports that students see, click, watch, and learn from. Across both Traditional Orientation and the Career Accelerator program, the this role owns the ongoing maintenance, evolution, and creation of every orientation touchpoint.
• This is a hybrid role at the intersection of learning experience design, content creation, and digital asset development. Working closely with partners in Communications, EdTech, and Program Development, ensures the orientation experience stays current, on-brand, and pedagogically sound — while leading the design and development of just-in-time supports that help students get the right resource at the right moment of need. If the Engagement Specialist brings the student experience to life and the Operations Specialist makes it run on time, the Content Specialist designs and builds the experience itself.

Primary Responsibilities

Learning Experience Design

• •Designs and maintains the end-to-end orientation experience for both Traditional and Career Accelerator students, ensuring the journey is coherent, paced well, and grounded in adult learning principles
• •Translates program goals and student needs into structured learning experiences with clear outcomes and meaningful checkpoints
• •Leads the iteration of existing modules and the creation of new ones in response to data, student feedback, and program changes
• •Partners with Program Development on changes that need to flow through the orientation experience, ensuring content stays accurate and aligned with program intent

Content Creation & Digital Assets

• •Creates and maintains a wide range of digital assets across the orientation experience — videos, scripts, slides, written copy, graphics, interactive elements, and supporting materials
• •Maintains a library of reusable content, templates, and components that keep the experience consistent across populations and easy to update over time
• •Ensures every asset is on-brand, accessible, and aligned with WGU’s voice and values
• •Partners with multimedia and design teams when more complex production is needed; manage external contributors and vendors as required

Just-in-Time Support Design

• •Leads the design and development of just-in-time supports — in-the-moment resources triggered by student behavior, needs, or moments of friction
• •Identifies gaps where students need contextual help, then design, build, and ship solutions that meet them where they are
• •Tests and iterates on JIT content based on usage data, student feedback, and Engagement Specialist input
• •Maintains and grows the JIT library as new student needs emerge and the program evolves

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• •Partners with Communications on messaging, brand consistency, and tone across all orientation content
• •Partners with EdTech on platform capabilities, content delivery, and learning system integrations
• •Coordinates with Engagement Specialists on content needs surfaced through student conversations and community activity
• •Coordinates with the Operations Specialist on engagement and content-performance data that informs design decisions
• •Represents the orientation experience in cross-departmental working groups as needed

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Learning Experience Design

• •Demonstrated experience designing learning experiences for adult learners
• •Familiarity with instructional design models (e.g., ADDIE, SAM) and adult learning principles
• •Ability to translate complex content into clear, structured, learner-friendly experiences
• •Strong sense for pacing, scaffolding, and the moments where students need extra support

Content Creation & Multimedia

• •Strong writing skills with the ability to adapt voice and tone for different audiences and channels
• •Hands-on experience with content creation tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Suite, video editing software, design platforms)
• •Comfort with multimedia production — video scripting, basic editing, screen recordings, narration
• •Visual design sensibility and attention to detail

Project & Program Management

• •Strong project management instincts — able to balance ongoing maintenance, new content creation, and JIT development on parallel timelines
• •Highly organized with the ability to track multiple modules, stakeholders, and deadlines simultaneously
• •Self-directed and reliable; comfortable holding accountability across multiple workstreams

Collaboration & Communication

• •Outstanding collaboration skills — comfortable working across creative, technical, program, and student-facing teams
• •Excellent written and verbal communication skills for translating across disciplines and audiences
• •Diplomatic and trustworthy in cross-team work; earns confidence with internal partners

Data & Iteration

• •Comfort using engagement metrics, completion data, and JIT usage patterns to inform content decisions
• •Open to iteration and feedback; sees content as something that improves over time, not something shipped once

Cultural Competence & Equity

• •Cultural competence and demonstrated experience designing for diverse student populations
• •Commitment to equity, accessibility, and inclusive design in everything created
• •Growth mindset with commitment to continuous professional development

Minimum Qualifications

• •Bachelor’s degree in instructional design, education, communications, multimedia, or related field
• •3+ years of demonstrated experience in content creation, instructional design, learning experience design, or a closely related role
• •Portfolio demonstrating learning design and digital content creation work
• •Hands-on experience with content creation tools (Canva, Adobe Suite, or equivalent) and basic multimedia production
• •Experience working with adult learners or in higher education

Preferred Qualifications

• •Master’s Degree in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Adult Learning, or related discipline
• •Experience designing just-in-time supports, microlearning, or contextual help systems
• •Experience working across multiple stakeholder groups (Communications, EdTech, Program teams)
• •Familiarity with learning management systems and digital content delivery platforms
• •Familiarity with WGU’s academic model, programs, or student success systems

Working Conditions

• •This is an on-site role based at WGU’s Salt Lake City office
• •Standard business hours with occasional flexibility required to support production timelines or program needs
• •Occasional travel of up to 20%, including attendance at company