Instruction Design Program Manager

Our vision for the future is based on the idea that transforming financial lives starts by giving our people the freedom to transform their own. We have a flexible work environment, and fluid career paths. We not only encourage but celebrate internal mobility. We also recognize the importance of purpose, well-being, and work-life balance. Within Empower and our communities, we work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, and our associates dedicate thousands of hours to volunteering for causes that matter most to them.

Chart your own path and grow your career while helping more customers achieve financial freedom. Empower Yourself.

The Instructional Designer Program Manager is responsible for leading the end-to-end execution of complex learning design and development programs. This role partners with business stakeholders, subject matter experts (SMEs), instructional designers, and people leaders to ensure learning solutions are delivered on time, meet quality standards, and align with organizational objectives.

This position combines instructional design expertise with program management, Agile delivery, quality assurance, and process improvement to drive scalable, learner-centered solutions across instructor-led, virtual instructor-led, and self-paced learning experiences.

This role will lead Call Center training development efforts.

What You Will Do

• Manage large, complex learning programs from initiation through completion, coordinating timelines, dependencies, deliverables, risks, and course sequencing across multiple contributors.

• Serve as Scrum Master for learning programs by managing work backlogs, assigning work, monitoring daily progress, escalating issues, and ensuring quality standards are met.

• Partner with stakeholders and SMEs to define program scope, manage expectations, and align learning solutions with business objectives.

• Conduct quality assurance reviews of instructional content and provide detailed, actionable feedback to instructional designers.

• Ensure consistency, effectiveness, and adherence to established instructional design standards across all learning deliverables.

• Identify trends, gaps, and opportunities to improve learning design, development processes, and program execution.

• Design, document, and maintain scalable processes, templates, standards, and documentation that improve efficiency and consistency across the instructional design team.

• Research, evaluate, and pilot new tools, technologies, and methodologies that enhance learning effectiveness and team productivity.

• Serve as a thought partner on operational excellence, process improvement, and instructional design best practices.

• Design and develop instructor-led, virtual instructor-led, and self-paced eLearning solutions supporting leadership development, onboarding, and other people-related learning initiatives.

• Apply adult learning theory, instructional systems design (ISD) methodologies, and cognitive learning principles to develop engaging, learner-centered learning experiences.

• Develop learning content using Articulate Rise, Articulate Storyline, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Captivate, Camtasia, and related technologies.

• Design assessment strategies, evaluate learning effectiveness, and recommend improvements to maximize business impact and learning outcomes.

What You Will Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Instructional Design, or a related field, or equivalent business experience.

• Minimum of 8 years of instructional design experience supporting both instructor-led and eLearning solutions, or equivalent business experience.

• Demonstrated expertise managing large, complex learning programs involving multiple stakeholders and contributors.

• Strong analytical, written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Experience conducting quality assurance reviews and providing developmental feedback on instructional content.

• Experience leading work across multiple contributors, managing work backlogs, and coordinating project execution against deadlines.

• Strong knowledge of instructional design methodologies, adult learning theory, and learning science principles.

• Working knowledge of project management methodologies, process improvement practices, and change implementation.

• Experience creating templates, standards, and documentation that improve quality, consistency, and scalability.

• Strong technical writing and computer proficiency.

• Demonstrated technical aptitude and ability to learn new technologies quickly.

• Ability to work independently and collaborati