The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) is a community of dedicated researchers, consultants, educators, and former practitioners who drive innovation and advancement in courts and justice systems. NCSC’s reputation for trusted leadership allows us to work alongside top judicial officers to examine some of the most complex and significant issues facing society. Our team of experts and court leaders are deeply committed to advancing just, free, and safe communities. To learn more about NCSC, visit NCSC.org
NCSC is seeking an experienced instructional designer to join our Education and Program Development (EPD) team. The Senior Instructional Designer will serve as a strategic and hands-on lead instructional designer to serve as one of the main architects of NCSC’s asynchronous learning ecosystem. This Lead Instructional Designer serves as a key advisor to the Director and head of the EPD instructional design team. This person will own the ADDIE pipeline, establish instructional standards, assess and develop team capabilities, lead LMS evaluation and implementation, and drive course production with a business discipline mindset—treating revenue meeting or exceeding cost for asynchronous courses as a design requirement.
This role will oversee a team of instructional designers and a writer, and will manage all aspects of that team’s performance, workload, and professional development. The ideal candidate is both a strategic leader and a skilled practitioner—capable of aligning learning initiatives with organizational goals while maintaining hands-on involvement in design quality and production.
Strategic Leadership
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Partner with the Director of Education & Professional Development to reform NCSC’s education model and implement a scalable, learner-centered education ecosystem.
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Drive cultural shift toward business discipline—applying product development thinking, budget management, revenue projection, and ROI-based decision-making to course development.
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Identify emerging trends, technologies, and best practices in adult learning, instructional design, and professional development.
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Develop scalable approaches for asynchronous and eLearning offerings that support a diverse national audience of court professionals.
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Establish instructional design standards, style guides, template libraries, workflows, and quality assurance processes across all learning products.
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Support organizational initiatives by aligning learning solutions with strategic priorities and stakeholder needs.
Team Leadership & Management
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Lead, mentor, and manage a team of instructional designers and a writer, serving as the unit’s primary supervisor.
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Assess the team’s technical knowledge, skills, and abilities; identify gaps; define upskilling paths; and inform hiring decisions.
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Oversee workload planning, resource allocation, performance management, and professional development for the instructional design and writing team.
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Foster a collaborative, innovative, and learner-centered team culture.
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Provide coaching and guidance to ensure high-quality instructional design practices and consistent project execution.
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Manage employee timesheets, performance management, and disciplinary actions
Instructional Design & Development
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Lead ADDIE-workflow asynchronous course development, establishing clear roles, ownership, transparency, accountability, and quality assurance across all five phases (analysis, design, development, implementation, evaluation).
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Serve as QA gate for all course deliverables—reviewing and approving storyboards, assessments, multimedia assets, and final content.
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Lead content architecture, design phase, and SME collaboration for new course development, prioritizing NCSC staff as SMEs before engaging third parties.
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Ensure learning experiences are grounded in adult learning theory, instructional design best practices, accessibility standards, and learner engagement strategies.
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Collaborate with subject matter experts, internal stakeholders, and external partners to translate complex content into effective learning experiences.
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Ensure all learning products maintain consistency in quality, branding, and learner experience.
LMS Evaluation & Implementation
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Along with the EPD LMS Administrator/Technology Lead, conduct the evaluation of enterprise LMS platforms against NCSC’s requirements, including SCORM/xAPI compliance, CLE accreditation compatibility, tiered credentialing, and ACGI migration needs.
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Advise the Director on LMS procurement decisions, providing analysis of options, trade-offs, and organizational fit.
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Support LMS implementation and integration with NCSC’s broader education technology infrastructure.
Project & Operational Management
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Manage multiple concurrent learning initiatives, timelines, budgets, and deliverables.
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Establish efficient project management processes and development workflows for the ID and writing team.
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Monitor learning program effectiveness through data, feedback, and evaluation metrics to drive continuous improvement.
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Coordinate with cross-functional teams to support learning technology implementation and operational success.
- Master’s degree in Instructional Design, Education, Learning Technologies, or a related field.
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8+ years of professional instructional design experience in non-academic environments.
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3+ years of management experience leading instructional design or learning development teams.
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3+ years of experience working in certification programs.
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Demonstrated experience developing and managing asynchronous and eLearning programs for adult learners.
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Proficiency in Articulate 360.
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Demonstrated experience evaluating and implementing LMS platforms.
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Strong understanding of adult learning theory, instructional systems design methodologies (including ADDIE), and learning technologies.
Additional Skills & Abilities:
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Strong strategic thinking and leadership capabilities, with ability to operate as both advisor and practitioner.
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Exceptional communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills.
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Ability to lead both strategically and operationally in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
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Strong project management and organizational skills with attention to detail.
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Business acumen, including budget management, revenue modeling, and ROI analysis applied to learning products.
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Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines effectively.
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Demonstrated commitment to innovation, learner engagement, and continuous improvement.
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Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
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Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
Preferred:
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Experience working in professional associations, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, or judicial/court-related environments.
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Experience building or scaling learning and professional development programs from the ground up.
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Familiarity with CLE accreditation requirements and compliance.
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Experience with multimedia production, accessibility standards, and eLearning authoring tools beyond Articulate.
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Experience managing cross-functional learning initiatives and stakeholder relationships.
Benefits
NCSC is proud to provide a comprehensive benefits package for our regular full-time and regular part-time employees, consisting of:
Insurance
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Medical Insurance: PPO, HDHP options (HMO option for VA residents)
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Dental Insurance
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Vision Insurance
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Employer Paid Life Insurance for Employee + Family
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Employer Paid Accidental Death Insurance
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Employer Paid Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
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125 Plan
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Employee Assistance Program
Retirement
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Retirement: Money Purchase Plan Pension account (9% of salary)
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Retirement Option: 403B
Paid Time Off
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All Purpose Leave (APL)
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Paid Holidays (10)
Other Benefits
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Annual Performance Review
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Education Assistance
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Paid Training and Development
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Qualifying Employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness under 501(c)(3)
The annual starting salary for this role is between $100,000 and $140,000. Factors that affect starting pay within this range include education, experience, and other qualifications as they relate to the position.
Join our Team!
This position closes on July 31, 2026. Please submit your resume and cover letter in addition to your completed NCSC application. For reference, include professional references only with at least one previous or current supervisor.
NCSC is an equal opportunity/disability/veteran employer. 