Sales L&D Instructional Designer

American Equity - West Des Moines, IA

Full-time - Mid Level

West Des Moines, IA

Real Estate

About the position

At American Equity Investment Life Holding Company, we are dedicated to providing leading annuity products that empower our clients to meet their retirement needs. Our success is driven by our commitment to hiring high-energy individuals who embody our unique culture. The Learning & Development (L&D) Instructional Designer for American Equity Sales plays a crucial role in designing, developing, and implementing effective training programs tailored for both internal and external annuity salespeople. This position requires a deep understanding of adult learning principles, instructional design best practices, and technical expertise in learning management systems (LMS) and other training technologies. The incumbent will create engaging, learner-centered training materials aimed at enhancing sales performance and increasing business acumen. The L&D Instructional Designer will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including the design and development of comprehensive training programs for annuity sales representatives. This includes creating e-learning modules, instructor-led training sessions, virtual training, and blended training solutions. Collaboration with subject matter experts (SMEs) is essential to gather content and ensure the accuracy and relevance of training materials. The designer will apply adult learning principles and instructional design methodologies to create effective learning experiences that resonate with adult learners. In addition to developing training content, the role involves utilizing learning management systems and other training technologies to deliver and track training programs. The designer will create various media to support learning, such as visual aids, infographics, interactive exercises, animations, and job aids. Assessments and evaluations will be developed to measure the effectiveness of training programs, allowing for data-driven improvements. Staying current on industry trends, products, and regulatory requirements related to annuities is vital, as this knowledge will be incorporated into training programs. The L&D Instructional Designer will work closely with sales managers and leadership to identify training needs and align training programs with business objectives. They will manage the maintenance and updates of training materials to reflect changes in products, regulations, or industry best practices, ensuring the quality and consistency of course content throughout its lifecycle. The designer will also develop methodologies to gauge knowledge retention post-training and provide timely reinforcement training and feedback to learners based on evaluation criteria. This role requires a proactive approach to identifying opportunities for improvement in processes and training materials through regular monitoring, review, and assessment.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement comprehensive training programs for annuity sales representatives, including e-learning modules, instructor-led training, virtual training, and blended training solutions.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts (SMEs) to gather content and ensure accuracy and relevance of training materials.
• Apply adult learning principles and instructional design methodologies to create engaging and effective learning experiences.
• Utilize learning management systems and other training technologies to deliver and track training programs.
• Create media to support learning, including visual aids, infographics, interactive exercises, animations, and job aids.
• Develop assessments and evaluations to measure the effectiveness of training programs and make data-driven improvements.
• Stay current on industry trends, products, and regulatory requirements related to annuities and incorporate this knowledge into training programs.
• Work closely with sales managers and leadership to identify training needs and align training programs with business objectives.
• Manage the maintenance and updates of training materials to reflect changes in products, regulations, or industry best practices.
• Maintain American Equity Sales knowledge base.
• Identify opportunities for improvement/updates to processes and training materials through regular monitoring, review, and assessment.
• Ensure the quality and consistency of course content throughout a course lifecycle.
• Develop methodology to gauge retention of knowledge after training; provide timely and effective reinforcement training and feedback to learners based on evaluation criteria.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in adult learning or related field of study.
• Three (3) years of relevant experience in training, adult education, and/or multimedia training materials development.
• Two (2) years of experience with a Learning Management System as a developer or administrator.
• Experience with HTML and audio and video editing software preferred.
• Deep understanding of adult learning methodology and instructional design best practices.
• General knowledge of financial services and insurance industry.
• Ability to solve technical problems independently or in teams.
• Excellent follow-up, time management, and organization skills.
• Strong editing, written, and oral communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to coordinate several projects simultaneously.
• Proactive technical troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Technical expertise with software programs such as Articulate, Adobe, Vyond, etc.
• Experience with Digital Adoption Platforms is a plus.
• Knowledge of performance-based learning, simulation-based training, course/user interface design, and digital curriculum development.

Nice-to-haves

• Instructional Designer Certification(s) preferred.
• Articulate Certification(s) preferred.