Instructional Technology Specialist

Job Search Category: Other

About University of South Carolina

From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.

Advertised Job Summary

The College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management (HRSM) seeks a skilled and detail-oriented Digital Learning Specialist to support educational technology initiatives with a focus on course development within the Blackboard Learning Management System and digital accessibility remediation.

Working closely with the Instructional Design and Technology Team, the Digital Learning Specialist ensures that course content and digital assets meet established university and federal accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA, Section 508, ADA) as well as best practices in teaching and learning. The Digital Learning Specialist will play a key role in building, remediating, and enhancing digital learning materials to foster robust, engaging, and inclusive educational experiences for all students.

The ideal candidate works well independently, manages multiple projects simultaneously, demonstrates high technical proficiency, and maintains meticulous attention to detail.

Key Responsibilities

• Accessibility Remediation & Compliance: Build and remediate course content to ensure full compliance with digital accessibility guidelines and legal standards (WCAG 2.1 AA, Section 508, ADA).
• Asset & Content Auditing: Audit existing digital course assets—including PDFs, slide presentations, images, instructional videos, and web content—for digital accessibility and copyright compliance.
• Faculty Support & Asset Creation: Assist faculty in creating and formatting accessible, copyright-compliant documents, multimedia content, and interactive digital learning objects.
• Instructional Technology Projects: Collaborate with the Instructional Design and Technology Team on special projects related to educational technology adoption, course quality assurance, and digital learning initiatives.
• Emerging Tech & Generative AI: Utilize Generative AI tools to prototype, streamline, and develop digital learning assets and instructional support materials.
• Continuous Professional Learning: Stay current with accessibility standards, instructional technologies, and best practices in higher education digital learning.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated knowledge of and willingness to learn about digital accessibility principles and standards (WCAG, Section 508, ADA).
• Strong technical problem-solving skills and proficiency with learning management systems (e.g., Blackboard).
• Experience using Microsoft Office 365 applications, particularly Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
• Proven ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and manage multiple projects efficiently.
• Excellent attention to detail, commitment to quality assurance, and diligence in project completion.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Positive, service-oriented attitude and professional demeanor.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior professional experience, or a strong willingness to learn, in instructional design, educational technology, or digital accessibility remediation in a higher education setting.
• Experience with accessibility evaluation tools (e.g., Blackboard Ally).
• Experience with multimedia creation and editing tools (e.g., Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Camtasia, Canva, or similar applications).
• Experience working with Generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Claude) for instructional support, content prototyping, and workflow enhancement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in instructional design, educational technology, information technology, communications, education, or a related field (or an equivalent combination of education, training, and work experience).

Number of Vacancies: 1

Desired Start Date: 10/26/2026

Proposed End Date: 09/15/2027

Job Open Date: 10/14/2026

Open Until Filled: Yes

Special Instructions to Applicant

This position is open until filled. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.

Quicklink for Posting: https://uscjobs.sc.edu/postings/214173

Safety/Security Sensitive or Requires a CDL: No

Hazardous weather category: Non-Essential

Working at University of South Carolina

With more than 200 years of history and tradition, the University of South Carolina is redefining itself for decades to come. There's never been a better time to be at South Carolina, the state's flagship university and one of only 62 public universities to receive the Carnegie Foundation's highest designation for research.

The University is located in the heart of South Carolina in the capital city of Columbia, which is the nexus of government, a thriving arts and culture center, a venue for big-time Southeastern Conference intercollegiate athletics, and a community that is reinventing itself with redevelopment projects citywide. Much of the development is tied to land along the scenic, slow-moving Congaree River. Working with government, business, and community leaders, Carolina has developed a unified plan that will allow the University to expand from its origins on the historic Horseshoe to its future-Innovista, a research and innovation district that will stretch to the banks of the Congaree.

Innovista represents a new vision for research by creating a vibrant, urban community where students and researchers, including those from private firms, will live, work, learn, and play. Innovista will represent the University's four core research areas-hydrogen fuel cells, nanoscience and technology, biomedical and public health, and the environment-but will include other initiatives and business partners that serve the knowledge economy. Innovista's first private tenant, for example, is a leader in software applications for the insurance industry and will create several hundred high-paying jobs.

By attracting similar companies and jobs-and by capitalizing on an attractive location for restaurants and residential and retail space-Innovista will help drive the economy and increase per-capita income in the city and state. Recreational space will include a world-class waterfront park along the Congaree River and a new stadium for the Gamecocks' nationally ranked baseball program. Greenway paths for biking, walking, and running already line much of the river area. Innovista's 8 million square feet will blend seamlessly with the Vista, the city's nearby entertainment district of restaurants, bars, shops, and art galleries.

Chartered in 1801, Carolina began classes in 1805 with nine students and a single building, Rutledge College. As the campus grew and buildings were added during the next 50 years, a horseshoe layout was adopted. Today, the Horseshoe is on the National Register of Historic Places, with 10 of its 11 buildings dating to the 19th century. Those renovated buildings house, among other areas, the South Carolina Honors College and Undergraduate Admissions, representing much of the University's current and future lifeblood.

In fact, incoming freshman classes have never been larger or more competitive. The freshmen from fall 2006 set records for their size (more than 3,700) and SAT scores (1171 average). Freshmen enrolling in the Honors College had average SAT scores of 1398. Members of the University's prestigious scholarship programs, Carolina Scholars for in-state students and McNair Scholars for out-of-state students, had average scores of 1449 and 1477, respectively. Total enrollment at Carolina for undergraduates and graduates is more than 27,300, with some 350 degree programs to choose from. Since 1994, Carolina students have earned more than $9.9 million in prestigious national scholarships such as the Goldwater, Truman, Rhodes, and NSF scholarships and the Fulbright Fellowships.

South Carolina's student body is diverse. In fact, Carolina was recently recognized as the state flagship university with the highest percentage of African-American student enrollment in the nation. Research by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education shows African-American students made up 14.7 percent of enrollment in 2004, the latest year available. The JBHE also ranks Carolina eighth in the nation in percentage of African-American faculty at a state flagship university with 4.3 percent.

The University's faculty garnered a record $173.3 million in federal, state, and private funding for research, outreach, and training programs in 2005-06, and several key hiring plans will introduce more talent and expertise to the faculty ranks. An aggressive campus building master plan and the faculty recruiting initiatives will change the collective face of the University and the faces of many of its key teachers and researchers.

South Carolina is recruiting world-class faculty to be endowed chairs-and change agents-for a series of "research centers of economic excellence" in areas such as nanoelectronics, polymer nanocomposites, brain imaging, regenerative medicine, cancer therapeutics, drug discovery, vision research, hydrogen fuel cells, and travel and tourism technology. These centers, some in collaboration with other state research universities and health and hospital systems, are funded with $30 million annually in state lottery money, as well as private matching money. Carolina is in the midst of a faculty recruitment plan to hire 600 new members. The Faculty Excellence Initiative is recruiting 150 faculty, many in interdisciplinary clusters of emphasis, while the Centenary Plan will recruit 100 elite research faculty to lead the University's core initiatives. Additionally, 350 faculty will be hired across disciplines to replace retirees over the next few years.

The University has forged a number of international collaborations in research, and the University's global connections are also strong in academics, particularly in international business. U.S. News & World Report has consistently ranked the Moore School of Business best in the nation for its undergraduate and graduate programs in international business; the undergraduate program is No. 1 for the 10th consecutive time, while the graduate program is No. 1 among public universities for the 18th consecutive year and No. 2 overall, continuing a streak of 18 years with a top-two overall ranking.