What Does An Instructional Design Specialist Do?

WHAT DOES AN INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN SPECIALIST DO?

Published: Sep 16, 2025 - The Instructional Design Specialist supports talent development initiatives by designing innovative training solutions and ensuring alignment with organizational goals. This role applies learning theories, manages projects, and evaluates programs to drive measurable improvements in knowledge, skills, and performance. The specialist also collaborates with subject matter experts, maintains instructional design standards, and integrates emerging technologies to deliver impactful and current learning experiences.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Instructional Design Specialist

1. Instructional Design Specialist Duties

Program Development: Responsible for the development of community education offerings and implementing strategies to transition community education participants to credit-bearing coursework.
Course Planning: Responsible for development, planning, scheduling, and offering community education for the college.
Curriculum Training: Serve as a coach and trainer for curriculum development across the college.
Curriculum Compliance: Ensure the curriculum is written to follow all guidelines and expectations.
Customer Service: Portray outstanding customer service by promoting a positive image of the college both internally and externally.
Community Engagement: Work with the community, deans, and faculty to identify appropriate community education offerings.
Event Coordination: Coordinate internal and external locations to deploy offerings within the community.
Course Management: Work with division assistants to ensure courses are available through the registration platform and cataloged for enrollment and attendance within the client management system.
Learner Engagement: Engage with community education course takers.
Enrollment Growth: Develop and implement approaches to grow enrollments in community education offerings.
Needs Assessment: Listen to communities' needs and bring suggestions to the team as to how LTC can meet those needs.
Class Communication: Communicate with community members regarding class cancellations, class changes, and drops/swaps.
Outreach Promotion: Assist in promoting flexible learning options and community outreach classes.

2. Instructional Design Specialist Details

Material Preparation: Assist with preparing and ordering materials for instructors and students.
Roster Processing: Process attendance rosters and course feedback forms.
Certificate Creation: Create class completion certificates.
Customer Service: Provide Five-Star Customer Service throughout every interaction.
Curriculum Training: Assist in the training of quality curriculum development, using the aspects both within the curriculum depository (WIDS) and the learning management system.
Standard Development: Serve on a team of coaches to develop, implement, and revise internal curriculum standards and processes.
Curriculum Compliance: Assist faculty at high and low levels of interaction to ensure consistency and compliance in curriculum development.
Faculty Mentoring: Provide side-by-side mentoring to faculty during curriculum-writing projects.
System Navigation: Assist faculty in navigating the tools and features of WIDS and the learning management system.
Project Review: Review submitted curriculum projects for faculty compensation.
Adjustment Guidance: Guide the faculty to make any adjustments before final submission to the dean for approval.
Meeting Facilitation: Facilitate regularly scheduled curriculum coach meetings.

3. Instructional Design Specialist Responsibilities

ISLC Planning: Follow the Instructional Systems Life Cycle (ISLC) to outline the planning, preparation, and delivery of training.
CBT Development: Develop computer-based training (CBTs) and obtain client approval.
LMS Management: Manage and maintain the Learning Management System (LMS-Inquisiq) including courses, curriculum, materials, user groups, and permissions.
Presentation Design: Develops and/or assists in the development of training session presentations to ensure the delivery of effective and accurate user training.
Schedule Preparation: Assist with the preparation of the user training schedule.
Session Delivery: Participate in and/or conduct user training sessions for the training staff.
Feedback Evaluation: Evaluate feedback from staff on processes for use in training sessions to maintain consistency.
Needs Research: Conduct appropriate research with the operational team to identify training needs, associated processes, and policies related to the topics for which the training session is developed.
Material Accuracy: Assist in comparing training materials with the system panels and change orders to ensure that the training materials accurately reflect the current panels.
Content Updating: Update CBTs and training materials based on changes made to the system.
Material Support: Assist the Provider Relations Field Services team with developing provider training materials.
Registration Management: Check Inquisiq registration and send Outlook meeting invites to registrants.
Account Assignment: Assign user names and passwords to all Inquisiq users.
Report Distribution: Run the Change Order report every week and distribute COs impacting training materials to appropriate trainers based on Functional Area assignments (includes CO and CSR status/dates).

4. Senior Instructional Design Specialist Job Summary

Task Analysis: Conduct in-depth job-task analysis and/or needs assessment to identify learning objectives.
Solution Design: Determine training solutions and other performance enhancement solutions for the analytics department (e.g., management reinforcement, rewards, role clarity, job aids, etc.).
Curriculum Consultation: Consult with managers and various team members to develop training curriculum.
Goal Identification: Identify individual training program goals, overall program objectives, and module objectives.
Performance Planning: Develop curriculum plans to support the development of employee performance over time.
Theory Application: Apply knowledge of instructional design theory to design course content, working with subject matter experts, management, trainers, and e-Learning specialists.
Program Creation: Create new training programs from scratch, working independently, starting with conducting a formal analysis of training needs.
Adult Learning: Apply knowledge of adult learning theory to identify appropriate training media and methodologies based on audience learning styles, course content, audience location, and stage in the learning process.
Method Selection: Select training methodologies such as adaptive learning, group lecture, role play, simulation exercises, self-study, on-the-job training, or computer-based training.
eLearning Development: Work with e-Learning specialists to develop e-Learning programs and applications considered complex in nature.
Program Evaluation: Review program evaluations, test results, and participant and manager feedback on training effectiveness to make recommendations for improvement.
Evaluation Design: Design evaluation strategies and tools to measure program effectiveness.
Outcome Assessment: Determine whether desired learning and performance outcomes are achieved.
Test Development: Assist in developing valid criterion-referenced tests.
Resource Identification: Identify needs for outside resources and source vendors.
Vendor Management: Handle vendor management, including coordination of resources and ensuring the quality of product and service levels delivered.

5. Instructional Design Specialist Accountabilities

Process Co-creation: Co-create Transform’s instructional design process.
Strategy Partnership: Partner with the Director of Strategy and Experience to help standardize and shape the approach to instructional design for maximum customer impact.
Process Improvement: Increase efficiency and effectiveness of current instructional design processes.
Best Practice: Keep current on best practices in instructional design, in both the online and live formats.
Curriculum Audit: Audit the current Transform curriculum, ensuring content meets the latest design standards.
Content Refinement: Analyze, update, and refine existing online and live content.
Resource Refinement: Analyze, update, and refine existing course resources.
Course Creation: Create new Transformational leadership courses to be delivered online and live.
Activity Design: Design learning activities, assignments, and assessments.
Experience Creation: Create learning experiences and environments.
Assessment Design: Create learning measurements and assessments.
SME Collaboration: Collaborate with subject matter experts to develop new course content.
Transcript Editing: Write and edit course transcripts for high-quality video and audio content.

6. Instructional Design Specialist Functions

Theory Application: Apply relevant instructional design and adult learning theory to the course material.
Media Selection: Identify appropriate training media, training formats, and blended courses to accommodate different learning styles and training audiences (onsite and virtual).
Needs Assessment: Assist in conducting in-depth job-task analysis and needs assessment to identify learning objectives and develop a learning strategy.
Design Standards: Apply design strategies and team design standards when developing course materials such as PPT slides, hands-on activities, simulations, facilitator guides, online courses, and job aids.
Partner Consultation: Consult with business partners to determine the focus of training to aid the employee's success on the job.
SME Collaboration: Work with business units, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and other team members to learn about products and processes for designing course materials.
Outcome Assessment: Work as part of an educational team and business partners to assess learning outcomes.
Curriculum Enhancement: Implement courses and curriculum enhancements based on auditing and business unit feedback.
Program Monitoring: Monitor course delivery and program effectiveness to ensure learning outcomes are achieved.
Method Consulting: Consult with team members within L&D and across the firm on the best approaches and methods for creating learning assets for specific topics and issues.
Content Utilization: Use archived audio, video, and written/visual content assets to create short tutorials and full-length courses.
Accreditation Management: Manage course development to meet applicable accreditation requirements for Continuing Professional Education.
Pathway Creation: Create learning experiences and pathways within LCVista and LinkedIn Learning Hub to address and meet specific training needs.
Webinar Support: Provide cross-support for other L&D team functions including live webinar moderation.
Team Participation: Participate actively in L&D team meetings and brainstorming sessions.
Process Improvement: Make and implement recommendations (as directed) for improvements to team processes and systems.

7. Instructional Design Specialist Job Description

Methodology Preparation: Prepare instructional design methodologies within the production department and communicate uses internally and with external clients and suppliers.
Storyboard Creation: Create custom content storyboards for clients.
Design Management: Manage the display of graphics and overall design of the course with contracted media specialists.
Needs Analysis: Perform needs analysis with clients and share the results with the project team.
Status Communication: Communicate project status with clients.
Content Development: Develop content and oversee the implementation of websites.
Effectiveness Monitoring: Monitor and report on the effectiveness of training for clients.
Curriculum Design: Create, design, and execute a full curriculum of training programs for sales teams, both in the classroom and virtual.
Virtual Training: Develop cutting-edge training that can be delivered virtually to allow for flexibility, including videos, gamification, simulations, and narration/audio.
Certification Creation: Create certifications to ensure learners have completed the necessary training.
Gap Identification: Effectively identify gaps in training and prioritize the development of training materials.
Rollout Scheduling: Schedule and design the rollout of the curriculum, and deliver training virtually or in-person.
Best Practice: Stay up-to-date on the industry, product, market, and sales training best practices.

8. Instructional Design Specialist Overview

Continuous Learning: Stay aware of leading-edge best practices, find innovative and accurate answers, and connect resources and solutions.
Detail Orientation: Pay attention to details and excel in formatting documents and presentations.
Content Proofreading: Proofread, spell check documents, and ensure the flow of content is grammatically correct.
Content Adaptation: Adapt instructional content to meet diverse client needs by applying adult instructional design knowledge with client-specific content.
Creative Thinking: Combine knowledge and imagination to generate new ideas and think outside the box.
Inventive Approach: Recognize the need for a new or revised approach that is inventive and resourceful.
Content Sequencing: Select and use a variety of techniques to define and sequence instructional content and strategies.
Material Modification: Select or modify existing instructional materials.
Material Development: Develop instructional materials.
Inclusive Design: Design instruction that reflects an understanding of the diversity of adult learners and groups of learners.
Instruction Evaluation: Evaluate and assess instruction and its impact.
Resource Management: Manage personal time and company/client resources to ensure multiple priorities are managed successfully.
Goal Setting: Set goals and take initiative in implementing ideas, systems, or policies in areas of responsibility.
Time Management: Manage time efficiently and consistently to meet deadlines.
Strategic Formulation: Formulate effective strategies consistent with business and competitive strategy in a global economy.
Policy Analysis: Examine policy issues and strategic planning with a long-term perspective.
Priority Setting: Determine objectives and set priorities.
Risk Anticipation: Anticipate potential threats or opportunities and provide recommendations to mitigate them.

9. Instructional Design Specialist Details and Accountabilities

Faculty Collaboration: Collaborate with faculty in the planning, design, development, and management of online and hybrid course instruction using the college’s online course design guidelines, adult learning theory, and rubrics.
Faculty Training: Develop and provide training opportunities to assist faculty in learning, practicing, and developing pedagogical theory and skills related to web-based instruction and technology.
Reference Creation: Create reference materials (help documents, how-to guides, videos, courses, and other similar items) that prepare faculty, staff, and students to use the college’s Learning Management System and related technologies.
Software Support: Configure, maintain, troubleshoot, and support software provided by third-party vendors and publishers, and others that integrate with the college’s Learning Management System and other tools and systems.
LMS Administration: Serve as a system administrator for the college’s Learning Management System (LMS).
Course Review: Perform online and hybrid course reviews per department guidelines.
Technical Assistance: Provide assistance and technical support to faculty, staff, and students utilizing the college’s Learning Management System and related technologies.
Method Research: Research and improve distance learning delivery methods through a strong commitment to continuous professional growth in areas of educational technologies.
Trend Awareness: Remain current in industry trends and related technology.
Professional Development: Participate in regular professional development opportunities.
Data Reporting: Develop reports and answer information requests from college offices that require data found within the Learning Management System.
Technology Promotion: Recommend, promote, and support appropriate uses of technology for online learning.
Information Communication: Communicate all pertinent information regarding online course reviews, LMS and other software and tools, technical problems, and general concerns to the Director of iCampus.
Relationship Building: Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with other members of the college and community, displaying cultural competence as well as emotional intelligence.

10. Instructional Design Specialist Tasks

Talent Support: Support talent development strategic initiatives in alignment with organizational goals and strategy.
Innovation Coaching: Drive innovation in training solutions by coaching and mentoring Instructional Designers and fellow Specialists.
Team Support: Identify when team members need support and collaborate with the Instructional Design Supervisor to determine the approach.
Project Management: Use sound project management methodologies to track the project plan.
Resource Planning: Determine resources, mitigate risks, ensure deliverables meet customer and end-user requirements, and ensure program milestones and timelines are met.
Needs Analysis: Conduct needs analysis, including analyzing learners, conducting task analysis, performing gap analysis, and establishing measures.
Solution Evaluation: Evaluate the effectiveness of the training solution to measure learners’ knowledge, skills, behaviors, and improved job performance.
Report Monitoring: Monitor reporting to ensure training execution, training completion, and communication of metrics to appropriate business partners.
Standard Maintenance: Assist in creating and maintaining Sheetz instructional design standards and templates to ensure the Instructional Design Team achieves desired performance objectives in alignment with department and organizational goals.
Theory Application: Apply knowledge of learning theories, instructional design models, learning modalities, and emerging technologies to all training solutions.
Solution Implementation: Implement and deliver creative and innovative training solutions utilizing a variety of learning methods and modalities, and integrate training solutions within appropriate curricula and learning systems.
Content Currency: Ensure all training solutions, development programs, and reference materials are current.
Partner Collaboration: Collaborate and promote working relationships with business partners and subject matter experts to establish learning objectives, review content for accuracy, and ensure effective training solutions.
Research Integration: Conduct thorough research of advancements in technology, trends, and best practices in the learning and development industry, and benchmark other retailers to recommend innovations for educational projects.