Instructional Design Specialist

Who We Are

The company (CDI) is a non-partisan, non-profit dedicated to equipping the next generation of Americans with the skills to communicate and collaborate across lines of difference. We work with U.S. colleges and universities by providing co-curricular programming for students, professional development for faculty and staff, and strategic guidance to leadership. Our goal is to foster constructive dialogue at every level of the institution and to create the conditions for lasting organizational change. CDI was co-founded by psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the bestselling author of The Righteous Mind and The Anxious Generation .

The Role

The Instructional Design Specialist keeps CDI's growing catalog of learning experiences accurate, accessible, and current. Reporting to the Senior Director of Education, this role independently manages maintenance and version control for Perspectives , our flagship online program, and our established live programs.

You'll work closely with the Education team and serve as a key link to the Live Programs team, turning feedback from facilitators, partners, and learners into clear, tracked content updates. You'll also partner with Product on platform QA and support Senior Curriculum Designers on partner-facing design projects. This is a hands-on role with a clear growth path. It's well suited to someone early to mid-career in instructional design who is exceptionally precise, enjoys building systems as much as applying learning science, and wants their work to help campuses bridge divides.

What You’ll Do

Content Maintenance & Version Control

• Plan and implement approved revisions to established live programs, managing the release schedule in coordination with the Live Programs team.

• Keep supporting materials in sync when source content changes, including facilitator guides, slide decks, participant handouts, and survey items.

• Support version control for Perspectives: including maintaining the changelog, archiving superseded versions, and making sure any cohort's content can be reconstructed on request.

Content Development & Design Support

• Draft and revise module text, discussion prompts, activities, and assessments grounded in CDI's research base and instructional design standards, for review by the Senior Director of Education.

• Support Senior Curriculum Designers on partner-facing design projects, with room to take on more design ownership over time.

Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement

• Run pre-release QA for Perspectives in partnership with Product: proofread, verify links and media, check accessibility (alt text, captions, plain language, WCAG conformance), and test the learner experience end to end before content goes live.

• Own the content feedback backlog, working with the Live Programs team to consolidate input from facilitators, partners, learner surveys, and support tickets into one tracked queue. Categorize requests, flag recurring issues, and recommend fixes.

Who You Are

Required

• 3+ years of professional experience

• At least 1+ years of experience building or maintaining learning content in instructional design, curriculum development, ed tech, or a related role. Graduate assistantships, practicums, and substantial volunteer work count.

• Grounding in instructional design fundamentals , such as backward design, measurable learning objectives, and adult learning principles.

• Hands-on experience with an LMS or course-authoring tool (e.g., Canvas, Moodle, Articulate Rise/Storyline, or similar).

• Working knowledge of digital accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA, Section 508) and the habit of applying them consistently.

• Exceptional attention to detail and strong systems skills , including a repeatable QA process and comfort with version control and documentation.

• Clear, accessible writing that makes complex ideas simple without making them thin.

• Genuine interest in constructive dialogue, viewpoint diversity, and higher education

Preferred

• Higher education experience, such as a center for teaching and learning or online program design

• Experience facilitating for adult learners or designing for sensitive, values-laden topics

What We Offer

• A Mission-Driven Culture — our work culture genuinely reflects our mission, characterized by intellectual humility, continuous improvement, and open-mindedness

• Unlimited PTO — recharge on your own schedule with unlimited paid time off, in addition to 13 company holidays

• Health, Vision & Dental — health, vision, and dental plans, with CDI contributing toward your premiums each month

• 401(k) Match — invest in your future with a 100% match on your contributions, up to 3% of your pay

• Professional Development — a generous annual budget to invest in your growth: build new skills, deepen existing ones, and stay inspired in your work

• Remote Work Support — up to $500 reimbursed for home office equipment and up to $50/month reimbursed for home internet or cell phone expenses

The Details

• Compensation: $75,000-$85,000

• Location: Remote, must be based in the U.S.

• Schedule: Full-time, flexible within U.S. time zones

• Reports to: Senior Director of Education

• Target start date: Jan 1, 2027