Instructional Designer Job Champaign Illinois USA,Education / Teaching

Position: Instructional Designer I

Salary Range: The salary range for this position is $51,200-$70,000, with an expected starting salary between $51,200-$62,000, based on experience and qualifications.

Human Kinetics is headquartered in Champaign, IL. This position is eligible for on-site, hybrid, or fully remote work. Remoteworkers may not reside in the following locations: CA, CO, Washington, D.C., HI, MA, Montgomery County, MD, MN, NJ, NM, NY, RI, & WA.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Applicants are not obligated to disclose expunged juvenile records of adjudication, arrest, or conviction as part of the application process.

* Learn more about our perks and benefits here:

Human Kinetics is committed to building a more diverse workforce. We welcome BIPOC candidates and others who identify with underrepresented groups to apply.

Human Kinetics is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Human Kinetics will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact

Human Kinetics Compensation & Benefits Information

Our compensation philosophy is to value the contributions of all HK employees and to reward exceptional performance exceptionally. To do that, we provide a standard increase to all HK staff, and we award merit increases and bonuses to people who make extraordinary contributions to the work we do.

Job Summary

As a member of the E-Learning and Assessment Department, the Instructional Designer I is the Prod Dev expert responsible for applying learning science and other related disciplines to the design and development of learning products. These products may include comprehensive ancillary suites supporting textbooks as well as standalone digital courses and other instructional offerings that provide high-quality learning experiences for instructors, students, and professionals seeking information about physical activity and sport.

Working collaboratively with authors, subject matter experts, editorial staff, and publication services partners, the Instructional Designer I leads the instructional design of these products.

Essential Functions

Lead the instructional design and development of assigned learning products, including standalone digital courses and instructional offerings to support textbooks. Act as primary contact person for authors, acquisitions editors, editorial staff, and other HK staff on assigned projects.

During the acquisitions or writing stages, collaborate with acquisitions staff, editorial staff, authors, and other stakeholders to conceptualize projects. Provide acquisitions staff with accurate guidance about the time and cost required to implement project objectives. Develop prototypes or proofs of concept when appropriate and provide examples from inside or outside of HK to show possible approaches to meeting project objectives.

Develop clear and effective author or subject matter expert writing instructions for instructor- and student-facing ancillary materials, taking into account the agreed upon scope and timeline for the project.

Analyze textbook content, learning activities, assessment materials, and descriptions of media across assigned learning products in each assigned suite, and thoughtfully articulate recommendations that improve engagement, effectiveness, accessibility, and instructional alignment within established timelines and budget parameters. Ensure assigned ancillary or course projects demonstrate sound instructional structure and organization, tone and content appropriate for the intended audience (students and instructors), and clear alignment between learning objectives, instructional activities, and assessment strategies.

Ensure all components are pedagogically sound, coherent across formats, and consistent with established HK standards and templates. Provide instructional feedback to authors and subject matter experts when needed to ensure pedagogical effectiveness, diversity and inclusiveness, accessibility compliance, and adherence to HK quality standards.

Collaborate with editorial staff (Development Editors, Managing Editors, Production Editors) to ensure ancillary cross-references are integrated within the book and accurately reflect the ancillary content. Review marketing promotional copy as requested to ensure descriptions of ancillaries are accurate.

Collaborate with ELAD Project Lead and editorial staff as needed to ensure milestone dates for ancillary projects align appropriately with textbook schedules.

Identify items that need permission in assigned materials, obtain source information from the author or subject matter expert, and collaborate with Production Editor or Permissions Manager to ensure timely resolution according to established procedures. If needed, work with authors or subject…