- Employment Type: Full-time, continuing position
- Remuneration: Level 8 – from $127,351 + 17% superannuation and leave loading
- Location: Kensington, NSW (Hybrid working model – based on-site primarily in Sydney. Remote working not available for this role)
About UNSW
At UNSW, we pride ourselves on being a workplace where the best people come to do their best work. We aspire to be Australia’s global university, improving and transforming lives through excellence in research, outstanding education and a commitment to advancing a just society.
UNSW’s Lifelong Learning Unit (LLL) is a newly created business unit designed to help working professionals, alumni, and organisations upskill and reskill throughout their careers. LLL offers flexible and practical programs aligned with rapidly evolving workforce needs. Led by the inaugural Dean of Lifelong Learning, Professor Nick Wailes, the unit is central to UNSW’s strategy of enabling lifelong employability, driving inclusive access, and strengthening long‑term engagement with graduates and industry partners.
Why your role matters
The Learning Design and Development Team is key to LLL achieving its strategic goals, responsible for designing the unit’s core learning programs. The Senior Learning Designer leads the creation of high-quality courses, ensuring each delivers a unique and engaging learning experience. This position will be highly outcomes-focused, with clear deliverables amongst a team working at speed.
Working closely with academic subject matter experts, they guide the discovery, design, and development phases, applying strong instructional design principles to ensure content is educationally sound. This role reports to the Senior Manager, Learning Design.
About the Role
Accountabilities for this role include:
- Lead and contribute to learning development squads, including learning designers, contractors, and subject matter experts, to design and deliver high-quality lifelong learning (LLL) programs.
- Experience and comfortability working within tight deadlines and frameworks to produce high quality deliverables.
- Collaborate with Project Managers to track course design progress, ensuring deadlines and acceptance criteria are met.
- Manage the end-to-end design and development of program and course architectures, ensuring alignment with documented standards, client requirements, and learner outcomes.
- Provide expert advice on structure, content, and pedagogy to optimise learning impact.
- Facilitate discovery sessions using human-centred design to define learner personas, target skill levels, and program objectives.
- Design and develop assessments and marking rubrics to effectively evaluate learner competency.
- Implement and oversee quality assurance mechanisms to ensure all programs meet required standards.
- Ensure compliance with relevant UNSW and Australian policies and regulations, including copyright, assessment, and academic integrity.
- Provide leadership in course reviews, using data-driven insights to recommend improvements.
- Apply deep pedagogical expertise to develop innovative LLL curriculum, with a focus on adult learning and assessment in a rapidly evolving landscape.
- Identify opportunities to enhance design and development processes, improving efficiency and effectiveness.
- Create comprehensive documentation and resources, such as program maps, course architectures, and learning journeys, to support program development.
- Identify operational risks and challenges, developing mitigation strategies.
About You
- Relevant tertiary or postgraduate qualification with extensive experience, or equivalent competence gained through education, training, and experience.
- Extensive experience in educational design and development for adult learning, with expertise in leading the development of online courses across the full design lifecycle.
- Strong knowledge of contemporary curriculum issues in online learning, including assessment integrity and generative AI.
- Proven ability to manage the planning, development, and review of high-quality academic programs, balancing multiple projects and deadlines under pressure.
- Advanced written and verbal communication skills, including exceptional instructional design capabilities with keen attention to detail.
- Demonstrated success in managing teams to meet outcomes, standards, and deadlines.
- Expertise in adult learning theories and instructional design models, with a track record of successful application in online and blended learning environments.
- Strong proficiency in educational technologies, including web-based learning management systems.
- Proven ability to foster and manage complex relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Experience in problem-solving within a client-focused environment.
For further information on the role & responsibilities, please refer to the Position Description
How to Apply: Applicants are asked to provide a CV and cover letter addressing the pertinent points of the Position Description. The application process will close on Sunday 10 August at 11:55pm.
Please note: Sponsorship is not available for this role, valid Australian working rights are required on application.
UNSW Benefits and Culture: People are at the core of everything we do. We recognise it is the contributions of our staff who make UNSW one of the best universities in Australia and the world. Our benefits include:
- Flexible Working Options (work from home, flexible hours etc)
- Additional 3 days leave during December festive period.
- Career development opportunities
- Up to 50% discount on UNSW courses
- Flexible 17% Superannuation contributions, additional leave-loading payments and salary sacrifice.
- Discounts and entitlements (retail, education, fitness passport)
Job queries contact: Tai James, Talent Acquisition Consultant
E: tai.james@unsw.edu.au (applications to the address cannot be accepted, please apply online)
UNSW is committed to equity diversity and inclusion. Applications from women, people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those living with disabilities, members of the LGBTIQ+ community; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff.
