Job Description

Position Term: 2 year term, with a possibility for extension.

Application Deadline: This position will be posted until Wednesday, June 16th.

Relocation: Relocation assistance is available for this position.

Work Authorization: visa support? UCAR/NCAR will sponsor a work visa to fill this position.

Salary Range:

Level I Hiring Range $63,113 - $78,891
Salary Range $63,113 - $78,891 - $102,558

Level II Hiring Range $78,406 - $98,008
Salary Range $78,406 - $98,008 - $127,410

Benefits: UCAR affirms its continuing commitment to developing, providing, and administering its employee benefit programs with due consideration for equal employment opportunity and diversity guidelines. UCAR's rich package of employee benefits includes medical, dental, vision, education assistance, retirement, and life insurance. UCAR offers a variety of programs designed to assist with work-life balance including flexible work alternatives, paid time off and 14 weeks of paid parental leave.

Where You Will Work:

Located in Boulder, Colorado, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) serves and participates in a collaborative community of researchers and educators who are dedicated to understanding the atmosphere -- the air around us -- and the complex processes that make up the Earth system, from the ocean floor to the Sun’s core. UCAR manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) on behalf of the National Science Foundation and the university community.

Where You Will Work:

The COMET® Program is a world-wide leader in support of education and training for the environmental sciences, delivering scientifically relevant and instructionally progressive products and services. More recently, the program has expanded its international capacity development to improve rural and remote communication and collection of meteorological information in developing countries.

What You Will Do:

Serves as instructional designer for developing interactive web-based learning modules for asynchronous-remote (pre-recorded, web-delivered), synchronous-remote (live instructor-led, web-delivered), and in-person learning on scientific topics. Designs asynchronous and synchronous distance learning sessions using a variety of web-based technologies. Coordinates with COMET Production Management Group, other COMET instructional designers and scientists, and subject matter experts. Receives guidance from program leads and project managers on project needs and priorities, and identifies and recommends design solutions to meet client needs and requirements. Collaborates with the COMET team to prototype new design approaches.                                                                                                                                            

Responsibilities:

Instructional Content Design

Specifies the instructional design of a multimedia module including the use of learner interactions, graphics, text, animations, audio, and video sequences.
Writes tutorial scripts; prepares storyboards; creates interface and interaction prototypes; designs graphics, concept maps, and animations.
Ensures that the learning implementation uses interactivity to prompt learner engagement.
Applies current educational psychology research to guide instructional design decisions to help support COMET and sponsor's goals.
Implements new instructional approaches and development processes based on current peer reviewed research in educational psychology and instructional design.
Develops and conducts highly interactive training and professional development facilitated courses, both in person and virtually, for a diversity of audiences.
Creates and delivers virtual and in-person learning sessions that maximize user interaction with the content.
Assists scientists and guest instructors to prepare learning sessions that maximize user interaction with the content.
Improves learning module design through iterative user tests as well as employing pre- and post- tests to determine the effectiveness of the instructional approach and the performance of testing items.

Project Management and Leadership

Prepares project plans that describe how the selected instructional approach will address the instructional needs.  Aligns learning objectives, content, instructional approach and assessments.  Outlines project milestones, risks, and possible mitigation strategies.
Serves as project lead for single or multiple projects, coordinating the assignment and use of project team members to accomplish project tasks and milestones on time and within budget.
Monitors project progress to ensure that tasks are accomplished on time and to COMET production standards.

Evaluation

Creates assessment and evaluation tools that measure whether the learning implementation has led to benefits for the individual and/or organization.
Analyzes question statistics from assessments and surveys and implements changes to instruction based on analysis results.
Prepares evaluation reports that demonstrate course operation, patterns of student learning, and future course development.

Needs Assessment

Conducts performance needs assessment in collaboration with subject-matter experts to determine performance gaps and whether training is likely to produce benefits and/or whether other factors should be targeted for improvement.
Collaborates with clients to determine instructional project requirements and constraints; creates, improves, and blends face-to-face and distance instructional systems to meet their instructional needs.
Conducts analysis of client requirements, learner requirements, and performance requirements to establish the instructional approach for multimedia computer-based modules.

Additional duties for Educational Designer II only

Develops and conducts highly interactive training and professional development courses for a diversity of scientists working or preparing to work in the role of trainers or educators.
Prepares and delivers presentations, task-based workshops, and instructional materials for one-on-one and group sessions on various topics.
Discerns research questions and data sources that demonstrate course operation, student learning, and student patterns in online learning, and uses that information to guide future course development.
Guides groups of experts to define professional performance objectives in order to meet improvement needs.
Leads team discussion and facilitates team decision-making. Maintains effective lines of communication with team members and management throughout the project lifecycle. Solves problems requiring synthesis of approaches to reach collaborative solutions. Builds team consensus and resolve problems.
Internal and external liaison which may include funding agencies. Coordinates communication between project leaders, and with sponsor/client on project needs, status and obstacles.
Assists internal and external clients to create, improve, and blend face-to-face and distance instructional systems to meet their instructional needs.
Implements new instructional approaches and development processes based on up-to-date peer reviewed research in educational psychology and instructional design.

DECISION MAKING & PROBLEM SOLVING

Working in a team environment, identifies and makes recommendations to program leads and senior managers to resolve project problems or client issues. Interacts with clients under general guidance of program leads and/or senior managers.

ED I: Solves routine design and development problems individually and in collaboration with other team members.

ED II: Solves complex design and development problems that require the assessment and allocation of resources among teams. Solves problems involving new applications or innovative concepts with long-term potential impact/consequences.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Required:

ED I: Bachelor's degree in a relevant academic discipline (education, instructional designer STEM field) plus three years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
ED II: Master’s Degree in instructional design, educational psychology, education, or related education field, plus three years of instructional design experience (or Bachelor’s plus eight years) or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience with e-learning authoring tools, media/graphic design, LMS/LCMS.

Desired (but not required):

Degree or significant coursework in a scientific discipline.
Experience creating user friendly e-learning interfaces based on human design theory.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES

Level I Required:

Experience designing and developing self-paced distance learning materials and blended e-learning.  
Experience designing interactive multimedia instruction that uses the strengths of web-based instructional technologies
Experience with web-based applications and conferencing tools for project coordination and delivering distance learning events
Experience moderating virtual environments and facilitating remote interaction

Experience creating and delivering e-learning with tools like Adobe Creative Suite, Articulate Storyline, Google Office Suite, Microsoft Office, Camtasia, Zoom, GotoMeeting, GoogleMeets, PollEverywhere, TurningPoint, etc.

Excellent writing and editing skills for the purpose of developing storyboards and writing scripts for multimedia training materials
Excellent communication skills. Collaborate closely with subject matter experts, multi-media partners, and communicate with diverse and numerous team members

Level II Requirements in addition to Level I:

Experience with the SAM model for instructional development
Experience designing interactive multimedia instruction that uses the strengths of web-based instructional technologies
Experience with web-based applications and conferencing tools for project coordination and delivering distance learning events
Experience with iterative design processes and rapid prototyping

Desired, but not required:

Familiarity with course management systems like Moodle, Desire2Learn, Blackboard, Canvas

Experience designing science education or weather related materials
Familiarity with the use of software for creating simulations and scenario-based learning (Branchtrack, Storyline)

Applicant Notes:

A cover letter is required with the submission of the application.
Please provide an online portfolio (work samples) with the submission of the application. Please highlight a project plan with objectives and assessment approaches; storyboards and work examples that demonstrate how the objectives, design and assessment approaches were implemented.
An Inclusion Statement will be required for all applicants advancing to an in-person interview. If requested, this statement should address past efforts, as well as future vision and plans to advocate for and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the organization and/or field of work.
A pre-employment screening is conducted in conjunction with an offer for employment. This screening may involve verifying or reviewing any of the following relevant information: restricted parties screening, employment verification, performance records of internal candidates, education verification, reference checks, verification of professional licenses, certifications, and Motor Vehicle Records.  UCAR complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Please note that while the position description details both minimum requirements as well as desired skills and experience, we want to remind applicants that you do not need to have all the desired skills and experience to be considered for this role. If you have the passion for the work along with experience in a related field, you are encouraged to apply. We can provide on-the-job training for the rest.