Instructional Designer

Position Title: Instructional Designer
Location: Austin, TX, Dallas, TX, or Chicago, IL

Your role 
As part of the Global Operations Training team, this role focuses on delivering scalable and impactful training solutions that enhance knowledge retention and simplify complex concepts. Key responsibilities include managing the full lifecycle of training programs, from identifying skill gaps to designing and delivering high-quality instructional materials, such as instructor-led courses, eLearning modules, and multimedia content. 
The role also includes performing administrative duties related to Digital University, such as ensuring compliance, maintaining content relevancy, and effective tracking of training outcomes. Success in this position requires close collaboration with stakeholders at all levels, aligning training initiatives with organizational goals and addressing the diverse needs of a global audience.  

What you’ll do 
Training Needs Analysis
•    Collaborate with departmental managers, HR, and regional/local operations teams to identify training needs and skill gaps.
•    Conduct surveys, interviews, and assessments to gather insights into current and future training requirements.
•    Analyze findings to prioritize skills and knowledge gaps that must be addressed through targeted training initiatives.
Training Program Development
•    Partner with global and regional training teams to design and develop comprehensive programs and materials, such as manuals, online modules, videos, and instructor-led sessions.
•    Work closely with subject matter experts and stakeholders to ensure training content is relevant, effective, and tailored to technical and non-technical roles.
•    Customize training programs as needed to address the specific requirements of different roles within the organization.
Instructional Content Creation
•    Develop engaging and visually appealing instructional materials, including virtual and in-person instructor-led courses, eLearning modules, and multimedia resources.
•    Ensure all content simplifies complex concepts, enhances knowledge retention, and supports effective knowledge transfer.
•    Adhere to industry standards and best practices for instructional design to deliver high-quality, user-friendly training solutions.
Digital University Administration
•    Oversee the daily operations of Digital University, including user support, compliance management, and content updates.
•    Track, monitor, and report on training programs, including participation, completions, certifications, and evaluations.
•    Regularly review and update content, ensuring outdated materials are archived or inactivated to maintain the platform’s relevance and effectiveness.
Collaboration and Communication
•    Partner with stakeholders across all levels and regions to ensure alignment of training initiatives with organizational goals.
•    Build strong, open communication channels with subject matter experts, regional teams, and operational leaders.
•    Foster a collaborative approach to delivering impactful and scalable training solutions globally.

What you’ll need 
•    Education: Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience in Education, Instructional Design, or related field required.
•    Experience: Significant experience building learning and development programs in a technical field.
•    Skills:
o    Understanding of the required elements for different instructor-led training content, point-of-need content, general communications, etc. (High proficiency)
o    Collaboration and interpersonal skills – the role will frequently interact stakeholders and other team members, so collaboration and open communication is essential. (High proficiency)
o    Knowledge of learning theories and instructional design models (e.g. ADDIE). (High proficiency)
o    Written and oral communication skills. (High proficiency)
o    Experience using PowerPoint, Articulate 360, Adobe Creative Suite, Camtasia, or similar design and development software. (PowerPoint, Storyline 360, and Rise 360)
o    Experience publishing eLearning to conform to SCORM standard.
o    Experience editing media. 
o    Experience training in a classroom or virtual environment. 
•    Certifications: Instructional design certifications (ATD, CPLP, etc.) (Preferred)

A bit about us 
Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL®, the company’s global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data meeting place and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx®) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges. Digital Realty gives its customers access to the connected data communities that m