This study investigates the instructional designers (IDs) competencies essential for the context of online higher education, and has selected an instruction design unit in a research university as a case of investigation. To identify and compare IDs competencies at organizational and individual levels, this study employed a mixed method to collect and analyze data based on a validated IDs competency model by the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance and Instruction (ibstpi) as a framework. Throughout the study, IDs’ expected jobs/tasks and currently performed jobs/tasks were systematically analyzed, and the applicability of the ibstpi model in this specific context of online higher education was verified. Based on the empirical findings, this study proposed a refined competency model to improve IDs performance in human resources development and management practice.