Instructional Designer

Stukent Overview

Stukent is an edtech company dedicated to providing innovative, high-quality learning experiences that prepare students for real-world success. Our courseware and Simternships integrate experiential learning, and we are committed to fostering student engagement through dynamic, interactive instructional materials.

Role Overview

Stukent’s learning products are built to help learners do — not just know. Our Simternships and courseware are grounded in evidence-based instructional design and experiential learning principles, giving students repeated opportunities to practice decision-making in authentic contexts. The Instructional Designer plays a critical role in shaping these experiences, ensuring alignment to the E3 Learning Experience (E3LX) framework while partnering with subject matter experts and product teams to translate learning science into meaningful, job-relevant outcomes.

The Instructional Designer will play a critical role in ensuring Stukent's learning products align with the ELX framework and instructional best practices. This position focuses primarily on Simternship design and learning objective development, working closely with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and cross-functional teams to create engaging, effective educational experiences that bridge content and comprehension with job readiness. The role will also encompass courseware content development and internal support activities.

This is a junior-to-mid-level position with meaningful opportunity for growth within the instructional design function. We're seeking someone who wants to deepen their craft and expand their impact over time. The right candidate will find room to develop expertise in simulation-based learning, shape emerging practices, and grow their influence as Stukent's products and processes mature.

Primary Focus Areas

• Simternship Alignment to E3LX (60%): Collaborate with Portfolio and Product teams to ensure Simternship design, assessment, and feedback mechanisms align with E3LX principles and provide authentic, meaningful learning experiences; partner with SMEs to establish authenticity and develop learning objectives for Simternship activities
• Alignment of Courseware Content and Design to E3LX (25%): Work with Content, Product, UX, and other teams to ensure courseware aligns with instructional design principles and E3LX framework; collaborate with SMEs on learning objective development for courseware materials
• Internal Support and Process Development (15%): Support internal training initiatives and contribute to process documentation and collaboration efforts under established instructional design standards

Key Responsibilities

• Facilitate backwards design sessions with SMEs to develop clear simulation design structure and measurable learning objectives
• Support Simternship design brainstorms to guide alignment with E3LX instructional model and learning best practices
• Collaborate on assessment development and feedback mechanisms that support formative and summative learning
• Review content and AI-generated materials for alignment with learning objectives and E3LX standards, escalating complex or ambiguous design decisions as needed
• Contribute to the evolution of Stukent's ecosystem of assignments and assessments
• Contribute to rubric and scoring strategy development in alignment with learning objectives, under established assessment frameworks
• Participate in cross-functional collaboration model for product development

Additional Responsibilities 

• Support authors in curriculum design and content development aligned with E3LX principles
• Provide instructional design expertise to Customer Success Managers for customer implementation and support
• Collaborate with Sales team to articulate learning science and pedagogical benefits to prospects
• Assist with training materials and demos that showcase instructional design value proposition
• Support internal training initiatives and process documentation
• Perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in Instructional Design, Educational Technology, Curriculum & Instruction, or related field OR an equivalent combination of education plus experience
• Knowledge of ADDIE or similar instructional design frameworks
• Understanding of learning taxonomies (Bloom's, etc.) and their practical application
• Strong foundation in Cognitive Learning Theory and Mayer's Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning
• Understanding of experiential learning theory and its application to simulation-based environments
• Proficiency with backwards design methodology
• Experience collaborating with SMEs to develop learning objectives and content strategies within established strategic frameworks
• Demonstrated experience in corporate, agency, or cross-functional team environments 
• Ability to prioritize effectively when navigating competing stakeholder demands
• AI-augmented workflow fluency: ability to execute complex, multi-prompt AI systems, navigate revision cycles effectively, correct AI outputs appropriately, and troubleshoot when systems don't perform as expected
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, including the ability to provide constructive feedback that maintains instructional integrity while supporting productive working relationships
• Capacity to absorb and apply the Stukent E3LX framework quickly, understanding both its evidence-based foundations and commercial application

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in EdTech publishing or higher education environments
• Experience with simulation-based learning or experiential learning environments
• Background in content creation and writing
• Project management experience as it pertains to instructional design
• Familiarity with UX/UI principles as they relate to learning experiences
• Experience building AI-augmented content systems or workflow tools