Senior Learning & Development Specialist - Instructional Designer

Venterra Realty; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Venterra Realty is seeking a Senior Learning & Development Specialist to design, develop, and deliver scalable learning experiences across the organization. This role blends instructional design, engaging facilitation, and end-to-end program management to drive leadership development and improve the employee experience.

You will partner with leaders and HRBPs, manage learning programs from concept to rollout, facilitate both virtual and in-person sessions, and measure impact with dashboards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Education, I/O Psychology, HR, or related field.
• 5–7+ years in L&D, instructional design, and live facilitation.
• Experience with enterprise or multi-site environments.
• Proficiency with LMS administration and Excel for analysis.
• Strong project management and ability to manage multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Diagnose performance gaps with leaders and define learning objectives.
• Align programs to competency models and career paths.
• Build end-to-end solutions using ADDIE/SAM and various formats.
• Apply adult learning theories and accessibility best practices.
• Create facilitator guides and practice activities for transfer.
• Establish evaluation plans and analyze data to improve content.
• Manage projects end-to-end including scope, timelines, budgets.
• Administer LMS/LXP catalogs, enrollments, and reporting.
• Use Articulate, Captivate, Qualtrics, Teams/Zoom; explore AI for content.

Skills

Instructional design

Facilitation

Project management

LMS administration

Analytics & data visualization

Education

Bachelor’s in Education/IO Psychology/HR

Master’s degree (advantage)

Certifications: CPTM, CPLP/ATD, Kirkpatrick, Prosci ADKAR

Tools

Articulate 360

Rise/Storyline

Captivate/Camtasia

Qualtrics/Forms

Teams/Zoom

Job description

Description

ROLE: Senior Learning & Development Specialist

REPORTS TO: Sr. Director, HRBP & Talent

LOCATION: Hybrid / Corporate Office in Houston, Texas

The Senior Learning & Development Specialist plays a key role in designing, developing, and delivering learning experiences that build capability across Venterra. This role blends instructional design expertise, engaging facilitation, and end-to-end program management to create impactful development experiences that support business priorities, strengthen leadership, and enhance the employee experience.

Partnering closely with leaders, HR Business Partners, and subject matter experts, the Senior Learning & Development Specialist translates business needs into scalable learning solutions. The role is responsible for managing learning programs from concept through execution, facilitating both virtual and in-person training, developing high-quality instructional content, and measuring program effectiveness to drive continuous improvement.

Success in this role requires a balance of creativity and execution—someone who enjoys designing innovative learning experiences, confidently facilitating engaging sessions, and managing multiple complex initiatives simultaneously. The ideal candidate is highly collaborative, customer-focused, organized, and passionate about helping employees and leaders grow while advancing Venterra's culture and business objectives.

Please note, this position includes up to 25% travelling, including overnight.

Key Job Responsibilities

Learning Strategy & Needs Analysis

• Partner with business leaders to diagnose performance gaps, define learning objectives, and recommend solutions (not just courses).
• Align programs to competency models, compliance needs, and career pathways.

Design & Development

• Build end-to-end solutions using ADDIE/SAM: ILT/VILT, microlearning, eLearning, videos, toolkits, and job aids.
• Apply adult learning theory (e.g., Bloom’s, Kirkpatrick, Kolb) and accessibility best practices (WCAG).
• Integrate simulations, role plays, and scenarios that mirror real work. Traditional classroom chops welcome; modern interactivity expected.

Facilitation & Enablement

• Facilitate high-impact workshops and VILTs; coach leaders/trainers to deliver consistently.
• Create facilitator guides, participant guides, and practice activities that reinforce skill transfer.

Measurement & Continuous Improvement

• Establish success metrics and evaluation plans (Levels 1–4); analyze data to improve content and delivery.
• Track adoption, completion, time-to-competence, and business impact with dashboards.

Program & Stakeholder Management

• Run projects end-to-end—scope, timelines, budgets, and vendor coordination.
• Influence cross-functional partners (HR, Operations, Compliance) and communicate clearly from kickoff to rollout.

Technology & Systems

• Administer content in the LMS/LXP; manage catalogs, enrollments, and reporting.
• Use authoring tools (Articulate 360, Rise/Storyline; Captivate/Camtasia), survey tools (Qualtrics/Forms), and collaboration platforms (Teams/Zoom).
• Experiment thoughtfully with AI for content drafts, knowledge retrieval, and practice—keeping data governance in mind.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

• 5–7+ years in L&D, instructional design, and live facilitation (enterprise or multi‑site preferred).
• Portfolio showcasing blended programs and measurable outcomes.
• Mastery of ADDIE/SAM, adult learning principles, and facilitation techniques.
• Proficiency with LMS administration, authoring tools, and Excel/Sheets for analysis.
• Strong project management skills; comfortable juggling multiple priorities.

Preferred

• Bachelor’s in Education, I/O Psychology, HR, or related field (Master’s a plus).
• Certifications: CPTM, CPLP/ATD, Kirkpatrick, Prosci ADKAR, or similar.
• Experience with performance consulting, change management, and enablement for customer‑facing or operational roles.
• Basic data viz (Power BI/Tableau) and media scripting/storyboarding.

Company Overview

Venterra Realty is a growing developer, owner, and operator of multifamily apartments with 90 mixed‑use and multifamily communities across 22 major U.S. cities. Over 50,000 people and more than 10,000 pets call Venterra “home”! The Venterra Team is focused on achieving excellence in serving its three major stakeholders: residents, employees, and investors. Venterra has enjoyed tremendous growth and financial success over its 24‑year history. This success has been achieved through the exceptional commitment and dedication of Venterra's approximately 950 team members. Find out more about Venterra Realty and its award‑winning company culture at Venterra.com.

We’re thrilled to be recognized as a leading workplace with numerous prestigious awards year after year.

US Awards

• 2025 Best Workplaces in Real Estate™
• 2025 Best Medium Workplaces ™
• Fortune Best Workplaces in Texas™ List

Canada Awards

• 2025 Best Workplaces™ for Professional Development
• 2025 Best Workplaces™ for Inclusion
• 2025 Best Workplaces™ for Mental Wellness 2025
• 2025 Best Workplaces™ in Canada
• 2025 Best Workplaces™ with Most Trusted Executive Team
• 2025 Best Workplaces™ for Young Talent
• 2025 Best Workplaces™ in Real Estate & Property Development 2025

Explore our communities at VenterraLiving.com, and visit Venterra.com to learn more about how we’re out‑caring the competition by staying true to our value proposition: “We care more about renter experiences, which drives superior results.”

Venterra Realty is an equal opportunity employer. Accessibility accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all stages of the selection process.

Work Authorization Requirement: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout employment. The company does not provide visa sponsorship for this role.