Education Specialist; Instructional Designer

Job Summary

Under general direction and reporting to the Executive Director, the Education Specialist serves as a instructional and pedagogical expert within the UC Davis Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE), providing advanced leadership in accessible and inclusive teaching practices, online and hybrid pedagogies, and faculty pedagogical development. The incumbent applies substantial subject‑matter expertise and independent judgment to design, implement, and evaluate high‑impact faculty development initiatives that advance teaching excellence, equity, and student success.

The Education Specialist consults with faculty, academic units, and campus partners on complex instructional challenges, including course and curriculum redesign, assessment alignment, and the application of evidence‑based teaching practices. The position functions as a campus resource for instructional accessibility, supporting compliance‑informed and learner‑centered approaches to course design while promoting institution‑wide adoption of Universal Design for Learning principles.

The role operates with a high degree of autonomy and discretion, contributing to scalable and sustainable teaching and learning initiatives with programmatic and campus‑wide impact, without direct managerial responsibility.

March 11, 2026 at 11:59pm

• Master's degree, or the equivalent combination of education, instructional design, learning sciences, educational technology, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• Experience working in or supporting a research‑intensive (R1) university environment and understanding the instructional needs of faculty, graduate instructors, and teaching assistants.
• Two years of teaching as the instructor of record in a postsecondary educational setting, preferably in teaching synchronous and asynchronous courses.
• Experience designing, facilitating, and evaluating educational development programs that advance equitable and inclusive teaching and learning, such as workshops, institutes, colloquia, and learning communities, and other teaching activities for faculty and/or graduate students.
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing hybrid and/or online educational development initiatives, programs, and/or projects.
• Knowledge of best practices in instructional design for post‑secondary institutions, project management skills, including the ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines consistently.
• Advanced interpersonal communication skills across modalities (e.g., written, verbal, web‑based).

• Doctoral degree in a STEM field. Doctoral candidates with a timely established defense date will be considered.
• Three + years of experience in teaching synchronous and asynchronous online courses in a post‑secondary educational setting.
• Experience working within a teaching and learning center or equivalent. This includes a STEM teaching and learning center or STEM education organizations.
• Knowledge of ADA compliance, evaluation protocols for user experience, accessibility, and impact to guide project development.

• 30% - Faculty Consultation and Pedagogical Development
• 20% - Accessibility & Inclusive Teaching Leadership
• 20% - Faculty Development Programming
• 20% - Online & Hybrid Pedagogy Innovation
• 10% - Collaboration & Strategic Contribution

Located in the Office of Undergraduate Education, the Center for Educational Effectiveness (CEE) works collaboratively and creatively with instructors and university academic administrators to foster, build, implement, and institutionalize evidence‑based and equitable instructional practices at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). This work is in direct alignment with Goal 1 and Goal 3 of the UC Davis To Boldly Go Strategic Plan ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).).

CEE seeks an Education Specialist with exposure to hybrid/online pedagogies, and accessibility. CEE invites candidates who can contribute to a culture of equity‑mindedness and a strengths‑based outlook both to student learning and the teaching…