Instructional Designer

Estes Forwarding Worldwide (Efw) - Richmond, VA

Full-time - Mid Level

Richmond, VA

Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods

About the position

Estes Forwarding Worldwide (EFW) is a prominent domestic and international freight forwarder in the United States, specializing in customized logistics and warehousing solutions for clients across various industries. The company, a subsidiary of Estes Express Lines, is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, and benefits from an extensive line haul network that enhances its service offerings. EFW has garnered several industry accolades, including Specialty Carrier of the Year and E-Commerce Delivery Carrier of the Year, and has been recognized by Global Trade Americas as a leading 3PL to watch. The Instructional Designer plays a crucial role in the Learning & Development department, focusing on the administration of the Learning Management System (LMS), instructional design, and the development of training materials. This position involves creating and maintaining eLearning courses, managing course revisions, and ensuring the accuracy and integrity of course data within the LMS. The Instructional Designer collaborates with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to design and develop engaging instructional materials that meet the learning objectives of the organization. In addition to course development, the Instructional Designer is responsible for tracking user activity within the LMS, managing user accounts, and providing technical support to ensure a seamless learning experience. The role requires a proactive approach to problem-solving and the ability to analyze data to recommend improvements in training delivery and performance measurement. The Instructional Designer will also manage the EdVantage monthly course calendar and assist with the registration process, ensuring that all training initiatives align with organizational goals and employee development needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide LMS administration, training, instructional design and development, and technical support for EFW's Learning & Development department.
• Develop and maintain the Learning Management System (LMS) to ensure data accuracy, integrity, course descriptions, and histories.
• Lead LMS administration that assigns, delivers, assesses, records, tracks, and reports eLearning courses and training programs.
• Manage LMS activity to ensure course and curricula development, assignment, implementation, and evaluation processes within given timeframes.
• Create/publish/archive online/instructor-led courses, manage course revisions and histories.
• Create and update training requirements in the LMS.
• Create user logins, assign user permissions, monitor user accounts, and reset passwords as needed, and disable profiles for all offboarded users.
• Develop tracking mechanisms and schema to identify employee training requirements and qualification status.
• Accurately track new, deleted, and revised items in the LMS including course content, procedures, and assessments.
• Maintain instructor course materials as needed and provide support related to document control system requirements.
• Track escalated user problems and inform the user of the status.
• Collaborate with Subject Matter Experts (SME) to document, design, and develop course content, procedures, assessments, and evaluations.
• Partner with SMEs to revise existing e-learning modules and training resources as needed.
• Define and document learning objectives.
• Conduct research and collaborate with subject experts.
• Create instructional material: courses, curriculum, guides or training manuals.
• Design content to optimize learning.
• Generate the layout of the learning supports.
• Redesign content to ensure it matches the learner's needs.
• Create visual, audio, and interactive learning tools.
• Act as an internal consultant by analyzing data and recommending solutions to utilize the LMS to deliver and track training and measure performance to meet organizational objectives.
• Manage EFW's EdVantage monthly course calendar and assist with registration process.
• Responsible for assigned instructional design including, but not limited to, courses and modules in the LMS as well as EdVantage, and efficiently keeping all information collected throughout the process organized, while tracking the progress and completing each project on time.
• Create and manage the overall course structure and set-up course programs based on specifications from management or SME.
• Organize and manage instructional designs in the LMS and track incomplete projects in the department's project management system.
• Utilize company project management system to track all instructional designs.
• Develop interesting, engaging, and interactive e-learning training experiences using current instructional design methods.
• Collaborate with the learners and trainers to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues related to accessing the LMS and course content.
• Evaluate business requirements related to using and configuring LMS applications.
• Provide system maintenance which includes upgrades and updates, configuration, and troubleshooting.
• Analyze, identify, and help communicate system and business requirements to the LMS vendor.
• Investigate and resolve any data or system inconsistencies or discrepancies within the LMS.
• Provide ongoing technical support to the LMS; research and resolve LMS functionality issues.
• Maintain good communication and positive relationships with employees to promote employee satisfaction and retention.
• Comply with company C-TPAT and TSA security procedures.

Requirements

• Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Applied Sciences, Education, Business Administration, or Information Systems.
• 3-5 years of Instructional Design and/or teaching experience.
• Proficient with project management systems, specifically Asana.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, Outlook, Power Point, and Visio.
• Proficiency with eLearning course authoring tools: Adobe Captivate, Articulate.
• Familiarity with Adult Principles and Instructional Systems Design (ISD), Project Management, Change Management, Document Control, and DMS.
• Working knowledge of multiple web design technologies, such as HTML.
• Excellent spelling, grammar, and written/oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently to meet project deadlines set by SMEs and management.
• Ability to self-motivate and use independent judgment to prioritize projects based on business need.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in curriculum development and instructional design methodologies.
• Knowledge of e-commerce and logistics industry practices.
• Familiarity with data analysis and reporting tools.

Benefits

• Paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Short- and long-term disability plans
• Life and accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Job referral bonus program