Director of Learning Design

The Director of Learning Experience Design will lead the design, development, and continuous evolution of learning experiences across one of the nation's premier business schools. This is a strategic leadership position responsible for leading and developing a team of instructional designers & academic technology professionals, leading school wide pedagogy and assessment, and governing learning technology and accessibility. The Director of Learning Experience Design will oversee all online course development and execution in the University's Canvas Learning Management System and other learning technology infrastructure, while also building the instructional capacity of a large and diverse faculty community.

The Carlson School of Management serves approximately 3,600 undergraduate students, 1,200 graduate students, and 150 faculty across both on-campus programs and online programs that enroll 600-700 students. The Director of Learning Experience Design will report to a faculty associate dean (associate dean of academic innovation and operations). The role will lead a team of six instructional design and academic technology professionals, as well as many part‑time student employees.

This role is the right fit for someone who genuinely enjoys working with faculty, including the ones who push back; leads with curiosity, operates with rigor, and communicates with clarity; knows when to build something new and when to protect what is already working; cares about the student learning experience as much as the faculty experience; can move comfortably between strategic conversations with a dean and hands‑on design work with a course team;

and sees AI as something to understand and guide rather than fear or evangelize.

Location and Work Environment:
This is a hybrid position and will require 3 days on campus (potentially more, depending on business need). Any in‑person work will be located on the UMN Twin Cities campus.

• Provide strategic leadership, vision, and operational direction for the instructional design team, establishing priorities, processes, and resource strategies that support Carlson's academic goals.
• Lead long‑term strategic planning for the team, ensuring that instructional design, academic technology, and faculty support initiatives are aligned with the school's evolving academic strategy and institutional priorities.
• Establish clear priorities and frameworks that enable the team to balance day‑to‑day execution with longer‑term innovation, ensuring resources are directed toward the initiatives with the greatest impact on teaching and learning.
• Champion continuous learning opportunities, fostering an environment where staff are supported in exploring and applying emerging education technologies and AI tools.
• Model the same openness to experimentation and iteration you expect from the faculty you support.
• Serve as an executive advocate for the team, establishing overarching priority frameworks and clear scope boundaries with faculty and leadership.
• Have oversight over the instructional design team budget and make strategic budgetary decisions. Advocate for the unit's budget and resource needs in alignment with academic priorities, making strategic financial decisions by partnering with the Director of Carlson IT and the associate dean of academic innovation.
• Maintain a collaborative, strategic partnership with the Director of Carlson IT and the broader Carlson IT team to ensure pedagogical needs and technical infrastructure are aligned.

• Provide strategic leadership for school wide pedagogy and assessment, ensuring that learning design practices are aligned with…