Senior Learning Systems Engineer- Salt Lake City, Utah

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families. The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: Grade: Professional 309 Pay Range: $82,700.00 - $124,000.00 Job Description Responsible for designing, building, and scaling AI-powered learning systems that enable high-quality, scalable learning experiences across WGU Academy. This role operates at the intersection of applied AI, learning systems, front-end engineering, and automation to translate learning intent into functional, reusable, and intelligent systems. This role will play a key part in shaping how AI transforms learning at WGU Academy—enabling scalable, personalized education experiences that help students progress efficiently and successfully complete their courses. Combines hands-on development with strategic thinking to define AI-driven workflows, reusable components, and platform-level solutions that improve speed, quality, and scalability across the learning ecosystem.   What You'll Do: Leads the design and development of AI-powered learning systems and workflows for course creation, transformation, and evaluation Builds and integrates AI-driven workflows using large language models and modern AI platforms Designs and implements Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems to ground AI outputs in trusted course content and knowledge sources Leverages orchestration frameworks (e.g., Model Context Protocol or similar) to connect tools, context, and workflows Uses AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Kiro, GitHub Copilot) to rapidly prototype and iterate on solutions Architects reusable AI components, templates, and workflows that scale across products and teams Partners with Learning Product Owners and Multimedia Developers to translate instructional designs into intelligent, user-centered experiences Leads efforts to standardize patterns, reduce redundancy, and increase efficiency across the portfolio Continuously identifies opportunities to improve speed, quality, and cost of production through AI and automation Evaluates emerging AI tools and technologies, recommending adoption based on impact, scalability, and cost Ensures solutions are maintainable, extensible, and aligned with long-term platform strategy Leads testing, debugging, and optimization to ensure reliable and consistent user experiences Identifies and mitigates risks that may impact quality or delivery timelines Mentors team members and promotes best practices in applied AI and learning systems development Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities You'll Need to Be Successful: Strong hands-on experience building applications with large language models (LLMs) Deep understanding of prompt engineering, evaluation techniques, and AI workflows Experience designing and implementing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems Familiarity with orchestration approaches such as Model Context Protocol (MCP) or similar frameworks Strong proficiency in front-end development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) Experience building reusable component systems and scalable front-end architectures Experience working with APIs, integrations, and third-party tools Strong debugging, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills Understanding of learning science and how instructional intent translates into interaction design Ability to balance technical constraints with user experience and learning effectiveness Strong collaboration and communication skills across technical and non-technical teams Ability to operate in ambiguous, fast-evolving environments Systems thinking with the ability to design for scale, reuse, and long-term sustainability What You'll Bring (Minimum Qualifications): Portfolio Requirement: A portfolio or samples of relevant work must be submitted at the time of application to be considered for this position. Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Instructional Technology, or related field, or equivalent experience 5 years of experience in software engineering, applied AI, or learning systems development Experience in EdTech, LMS platforms, or learning systems Hands-on experience building and deploying AI/LLM-based applications Experience designing scalable systems or workflows Experience working on cross-functional teams delivering complex digital products Bonus Point for (Preferred Qualifications): Experience implementing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems in production Experience with AI orchestration frameworks or agent-based systems Familiarity with LLM providers such as Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google Experience with AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Kiro, GitHub Copilot) Experience defining standards, playbooks, or technical strategy Experience mentoring or leading technical initiatives Visa Sponsorship: While we welcome appli