Specialist, Instructional Designer - LEARN at International Medical Corps

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

• The Local Engagement and Response Network (LEARN): Strengthening Localized Multi-sectoral Readiness and Response to Infectious Disease Outbreaks in Humanitarian Settings (LEARN) project, is a capacity building project of LNNGOs, to improve the capacity of local first responders, by establishing and supporting networks of representative of all sectors; and working to contextualize, localize, and strengthen their capacity to respond to infectious diseases outbreak and emergencies. The project aims to (i) support LNNGOs as they engage and coordinate with critical ID coordination platforms and public health institutions; (ii) improve LNNGO readiness and multi-sectoral response to ID outbreaks; and (iii) improve LNNGO ability to ensure the capacity of community-based structures and workforces are strengthened, so that there will be an overall improvement in the timeliness, reach, and coverage of readiness and multi-sectoral responses to ID outbreaks of epidemic or pandemic potential in humanitarian settings. The project will target 80 L/NNGOs across 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and MENA.

JOB SUMMARY  

• The Instructional Designer will be responsible to provide support and project management in the adaptation, design, development, and production of live, digital, and blended learning activities for the LEARN project. The Instructional Designer will work with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), project partners, and country teams to adapt, communicate, and deliver learning resources related to multi-sectoral response to infectious disease outbreaks. The learning resources are designed to help local/national non-governmental organizations (L/NNGOs) to support in addressing potential threats, crises, and vulnerabilities faced by local communities. The ideal candidate should have excellent communication and instructional design skills, a deep understanding of the humanitarian system, and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function with or without reasonable accommodation.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• The Instructional Designer provides leadership and project management in the design, development, and production of live, digital, and blended learning activities for the LEARN project stakeholders. The Instructional Designer will work with SMEs, project partners, country teams to review, adapt, advise on and design instructional learning activities fit for purpose in the areas of emergency risk management and multi-sectoral infectious disease preparedness and response. The incumbent will leverage technology to design accessible, innovative learning resources and experiences that meet the needs of the learners and country specific goals. 
• It is preferred that the incumbent will have a demonstrated track record working on U.S. Government-supported programs. Prior experience or understanding of infectious disease, health systems and community engagement is highly valuable. Experience with learning management systems, proven expertise in instructional design methodologies, adult learning principles, and curriculum development tailored to low-resources settings is desired. The incumbent will also have experience working effectively as a part of diverse staff teams, and contributing to successful collaborations with donors, host-country ministries of health, and civil society.
• Curriculum Development & Learning Resource Design (55%)
• Support the STS, Epidemiologist, and consortium members in the development of capacity building tools for ID emergency response and contextualizing process of target country. 
• Lead curriculum development efforts for the LEARN project ensuring curriculum aligns with competency-based standards, utilises tools which support offline first, and accessibility principles.
• Apply relevant instructional theories (experiential learning, social learning, connectivism, adult learning, etc) to design of curriculum. 
• Lead the design of in person, online, virtual and hybrid open-source learning resources related to project goals and objectives for emergency risk management and infectious disease outbreaks.
• Provide remote and in person supportive supervision for L/NNGOs in risk communication and learning resource adaption. 
• Ensure that learning resources are adapted, translated, and designed for use by local stakeholders (Local First Responders (LFRs) across MENA and Africa, and local communities).
• Ensure all learning resources align with learning objectives provided by SMEs, Schools of Public Health, and LEARN partners.
• Develop high-quality, evidence-based training materials, learning resources inclusive of videos, tool-specific app-based micro-videos, animations, micro-learnings, job aids, audio files, simulations, to support outcomes-based instructional delivery and assessment strategies. 
• Support Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) training efforts for L/NNGOs.
• Contribute to the co-design of instructional strategies that cater to diverse learning styles and audiences, ensuring effective knowledge sharing in low resource settings.
• Integrate best practices in adult learning theory, instructional design, and risk public health communication into learning resource content development.
• Integrate best practices in ‘offline first’ and ‘mobile first’ into learning resource content development.
• Incorporate active learning strategies, case studies, real-world examples, and practical exercises to enhance participant engagement and skill application.
• Prepare and deliver training sessions across the LEARN project consortium to educate employees and stakeholders on risk communication best practices. 
• Apply creative communication strategies to simplify complex public health concepts and make them accessible to a wide range of learners. 
• Create accessible content according to standards such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG); and
• Create engaging accessible, multimedia content, including necessary graphics, written materials, presentations, videos, interactive modules.

Community of Practice and Digital Hub (10%)

• Co-design and provide on-going support to virtual knowledge sharing community platform to networks of Local First Responders (LFRs). 
• Create and maintain digital archives of all project learning resources.
• Provide insight to inform the design and utilization of virtual platforms and technologies to facilitate secure, interactive, and engaging learning experiences. 
• Design and maintains training calendar for all online and f2f trainings.

Coordination with Partners, Subject Matter Experts, and others: (25%)

• Support in all matters related to Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) workstream working with LEARN consortium partners. 
• Engage with SMEs who will provides specific guidance on adapting training or other learning resources to ensure products build on global standards and tools previously developed.
• Co-design assessments related to learning resources with SMEs.
• Respond to input from partner organizations and SMEs regarding accessibility design, interactivity, content and/or other design components of learning resources.
• Conduct sessions with L/NNGOs, partners, SMEs, or others as relevant of learning resource content, pedagogical approaches, and technology usage; and
• Collaborate with Monitoring and Learning (M&E) team to ensure learning resources are designed for evaluation.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement: (5%)

• Stay current with advancements in learning technologies and instructional design methodologies, incorporating innovative approaches.  
• Complete pre-release reviews and identify updates that are needed before release to ensure quality of the final learning resources. 
• Obtain approval for the final learning resources product to indicate that it meets our internal writing and instructional design standards. 
• Contribute to process improvement with a focus on streamlining processes and meeting rapidly changing needs; and
• Regularly assess the effectiveness of training materials, seeking feedback from participants, SMEs, and stakeholders, and making iterative improvements.

Reporting and Documentation: (5%)

• Contribute to routine M&E reporting for LEARN project.
• Maintain accurate records of learning resource development, evaluation plans, and certifications. 
• Support CLA activities, including creating and documenting lessons learned across the LEARN project to foster peer-to-peer learning and knowledge sharing; and
• Support participants in retrieving learning records.
• Perform other duties as assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed in this document are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and not necessarily all inclusive.

Job Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in communication is required; master’s degree in communication, instructional design is preferred (or its international equivalent).
• At least five years applied experience in instructional design developing training and communication products for humanitarian or development context; NGO or non-profit experience preferred.
• At least three years’ experience in designing CLA materials and/or similar engagement capturing community stories, adapting, and contextualizing materials for use in a variety of settings.
• Demonstrated experience designing multimedia and interactive resources (e-learning, animations, simulations, videos, etc).
• At least two years’ experience with working with work focused on infectious disease or global health preferred.
• At least three years working on US Government-supported programs or another similar large-scale donor-funded project, (USAID project preferred).
• Advanced knowledge of instructional design best practices, including knowledge of accessibility standards, and emerging innovations for different audience types.
• Demonstrated experience with designing and delivering training, including strategies and/or delivery of online and offline resources for low-resource settings and the humanitarian context.
• Demonstrated experience supporting virtual networks, implementing partners, Communities of Practice, etc.
• Strong technical knowledge of communication design across a variety of channels required including technical knowledge related to CLA.
• Highly organized, reliable, with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong research and analytical skills.
• Ability to quickly assess priorities and effectively balance a variety of activities at a time while paying appropriate attention to detail.
• Good writing and editing skills, including the ability to effectively write and edit communications briefs.
• Competency in MS Office, e-learning authoring tools (e.g., Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, Moodle) graphical and multimedia authoring software, Learning Management System, Sharepoint, is essential; skills in graphic design software (Adobe InDesign, Canvas) and other technologies (e.g., Wordpress, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, AI) is an advantage.
• Ability to relate to and motivate local staff effectively.
•  Creativity and the ability to work with limited resources; and
• Fluency in written and spoken English; Proficiency in Arabic is not required but is considered valuable.