Senior Instructional Designer

UNAVAILABLE; McLean (VA); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Steampunk is seeking a Senior Instructional Designer to lead workforce capability-building for a large federal advisory program, using a hands-on, coaching approach.

You will work with a cross-functional team to design multi-format training, including micro-learning, video, and playbooks, ensuring adoption of new processes and capabilities while maintaining governance and ongoing support.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Instructional Design, Education, or related field.
• 8+ years of instructional design experience, including coaching models.
• Knowledge of ADDIE and Bloom's Taxonomy.
• Experience creating multi-format content (micro-learning, video, playbooks).
• Experience designing and tracking large-scale training programs.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.
• Experience producing WCAG/Section 508 conformant content.
• Proficiency with Articulate, Camtasia, Vyond and MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Deliver and maintain a Workforce Capacity Building Plan.
• Conduct learning needs analyses and develop learner personas.
• Coordinate with SMEs to scope content and learning paths.
• Design and deliver guided-walkthrough training with knowledge checks.
• Produce knowledge-transfer artifacts for self-service use.
• Embed coaching and mentoring into governance, portfolio, and communications work.
• Build train-the-trainer structures and long-term governance plans.
• Support quarterly assessments of workforce capability.

Skills

Facilitation

Adult learning design

Clear communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Instructional Design or related field

Tools

Articulate

Camtasia

Vyond

MS Office

Job description

Overview

Steampunk is seeking a Senior Instructional Designer to lead workforce capability-building for a large federal advisory program, using a “lead by doing” model that transfers skills directly to client staff rather than classroom-only training. You'll work as part of a cross-functional team, engaging stakeholders and end users to build training that drives real adoption of new processes and capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Deliver and maintain a Workforce Capacity Building Plan
• Conduct learning needs analyses and develop learner personas to tailor training to diverse user needs
• Conduct user research and coordinate with subject matter experts to scope learning content and structure learning paths
• Design and deliver guided-walkthrough training for client staff, applying adult-learning design models (e.g., ADDIE, Bloom's Taxonomy), with monthly completion tracking and knowledge checks
• Produce knowledge-transfer artifacts (playbooks, training materials, process guides) in modern formats — micro-learnings, podcasts, video — built for continued self-service use after transition
• Embed coaching and mentoring directly into live governance, portfolio, and communications work rather than confining it to a classroom
• Build train-the-trainer structures and long-term governance plans so client staff can sustain training programs independently after transition
• Support quarterly workforce capability assessments measuring demonstrated staff independence against the program's transition target

Qualifications

• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance
• Bachelor's degree, preferably in Instructional Design, Education, or a related field
• 8+ years of instructional design experience, including hands-on/embedded coaching models (not classroom-only design)
• Working knowledge of instructional design methodologies (e.g., ADDIE, Bloom's Taxonomy)
• Demonstrated experience building multi-format learning content (micro-learning, video, playbooks)
• Experience designing and tracking large-scale training programs
• Experience producing Section 508/WCAG-conformant training content
• Proficiency with MS Office and instructional design/multimedia authoring tools (e.g., Articulate, Camtasia, Vyond)
• Strong facilitation and adult-learning design skills
• Ability to convey complex information clearly in writing and in presentation format
• Experience collaborating within a multidisciplinary delivery team, including design, technical, and change-management specialists
• Local to Baltimore, MD metro area and willing to go on client site at least 2 days a week

Preferred:

• Experience building knowledge-transfer programs intended to reduce long-term contractor dependency
• Federal or large enterprise client experience
• Familiarity with Design Thinking/HCD practices
• Previous experience working as a consultant