Instructional Designer II

Job Location

Jackson, Michigan (On-Site)

Contract Duration

26 week(s)

We are seeking a highly skilled and detail‑oriented Senior Principal Instruction and Graphic Designer to lead the creation of integrated communications and instructional materials that bring our company playbook/handbook, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and work instructions to life across print, video, digital, and mobile platforms.

This senior‑level role requires mastery in content development, instructional design, visual design, and production management. You will oversee projects from concept through completion—creating design strategy, collaborating with stakeholders and SMEs, writing and editing content, designing and animating visual assets, ensuring brand alignment, and driving an exceptional user experience. Success requires advanced communication skills, high‑level design capability, strong instructional methodology, and the ability to lead complex, fast‑paced production cycles with a calm, solution‑oriented approach.

What You’ll Do

- Design and produce integrated communications (print, video, digital, mobile) supporting the company playbook/handbook, SOPs, work instructions, and learning programs.

- Lead the design and development of instructional materials including lesson plans, slide decks, participant guides, microlearning, assessments, and performance demonstrations.

- Direct end‑to‑end production workflows: establish timelines, manage schedules, coordinate stakeholder discussions, report status to leadership, draft and refine content, and oversee version control.

- Publish, package, and archive deliverables within formal repositories; manage quality checks and issue resolution.

- Refine and optimize content to meet brand, quality, usability, accessibility, and information‑architecture standards.

- Prepare and facilitate stakeholder and user‑testing sessions: develop facilitation materials, gather feedback, and incorporate SME insights into content revisions.

- Write and record narration scripts in a clear, conversational tone appropriate for training audiences.

- Design and animate visuals—including graphics, icons, characters, and infographics—using sophisticated visual hierarchy, UX/UI principles, and brand systems.

- Program advanced PowerPoint interactions including animations, transitions, navigation, and interactive or gamified learning experiences.

- Partner with internal and external stakeholders to define design strategy, clarify requirements, and secure timely feedback and approvals.

- Measure content performance (adoption, completion, user feedback) and recommend ongoing enhancements.

- Synthesize complex process, technology, or continuous improvement concepts into clear, intuitive instructional or visual formats.

- Provide basic troubleshooting for digital learning experiences and production files.

Experience & Expertise

- 5+ years of progressive experience designing, writing, and producing digital, video, and print learning or communication materials.

- Master‑level writing and editing skills with the ability to produce concise, clear, compelling, and grammatically strong content.

- Demonstrated ability to interview SMEs, extract complex information, and translate it into simple, structured content.

- Strong interpersonal communication, with proven success partnering with corporate stakeholders at all levels.

- Project and production management experience (schedules, coordination, risk/issue tracking, milestone management).

- Ability to work independently and collaboratively; consistently maintains a calm, solutions‑focused approach.

- Content and design experience related to Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives (preferred).

- Proven ability to design assets for learning ecosystems, including multimedia, eLearning, and structured content libraries.

- Familiarity with corporate brand governance and experience redesigning large document sets or highly technical libraries.

Information Architecture & Content Structuring

- Expertise reorganizing and simplifying large content libraries or documentation systems.

- Strong understanding of visual hierarchy, UX/UI structure, and content simplification.

- Ability to translate complex workflows into intuitive visual diagrams or structured user pathways.

Print & Digital Production

- Experience preparing print‑ready manuals, booklets, guides, or binders.

- Fluency in both digital and print production standards.

Tools & Technical Skills

- Adobe Creative Cloud: Acrobat Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign

- Microsoft 365: Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, Teams

- eLearning/authoring tools: Articulate, with familiarity in video tools a plus

- Strong understanding of instructional design principles and adult learning theory.

- Skilled in managing multiple concurrent projects in a fast‑paced environment.

- Nice to have:

- Analytics for content performance and adoption

- Experience simplifying complex technical/conceptual information

- UX/UI design methodologies and a modern, clean design portfolio

Education

- Bachelor’s degree in Instructional Design, Communications, Journalism, Media Production, Education, Graphic Design, or related field; or equivalent professional experience.

What to Include with Your Application

- Resume

- Portfolio with at least one writing sample and one design example (preferably showing both instructional and visual design capability)