Learning & Development Specialist - Instructional Designer
Protective Life · Birmingham
DesignHuman ResourcesHybridFull Time
Protective Life is hiring a Learning & Development Specialist - Instructional Designer in Birmingham, Alabama (hybrid, full-time). Posted 14 October 2026. Apply directly on Protective Life's own careers site — no account needed.
The work we do has an impact on millions of lives, and you can be a part of it.
We help protect our customers against life’s uncertainties. Regardless of where you work within the company, you’ll be helping provide protection and peace of mind when our customers need it most.
The Training Designer Associate II independently designs, develops, and maintains learning solutions that build employee capability and support business performance. The role partners with business leaders, subject matter experts, HR partners, and project teams to identify learning needs and translate them into effective, engaging, and measurable learning experiences.
The role applies adult learning principles, instructional design methodologies, and learning technologies to create instructor-led, virtual, digital, and blended learning solutions. It independently manages learning projects, advises stakeholders on learning approaches, evaluates effectiveness, and improves learning practices, tools, and resources.
Key Responsibilities
- Partner with business leaders, subject matter experts, HR partners, and project teams to identify performance needs, skill gaps, and desired learning outcomes.
- Conduct learning discovery to define the knowledge, skills, and behaviors required for successful performance.
- Design and develop instructor-led, virtual, digital, and blended learning solutions using instructional design methodologies and adult learning principles.
- Create curricula, facilitator and participant materials, job aids, videos, assessments, communications, and digital learning content.
- Translate complex business, technical, and operational information into clear, engaging, and learner-focused content.
- Independently manage multiple learning projects, coordinating stakeholders, content development, review cycles, implementation, and timelines.
- Advise stakeholders on learning strategies, delivery methods, technologies, and performance support, and partner with facilitators, trainers, and managers to support implementation and adoption.
- Evaluate learning effectiveness using feedback, assessments, business outcomes, and other relevant measures to identify improvements.
- Maintain learning content, including online L&D content in Indigo, to ensure accuracy, consistency, compliance, and alignment with business needs.
- Contribute to the development of learning standards, templates, job aids, and best practices that improve consistency and quality across learning solutions.
- Support the learning platforms and content-authoring tools used to develop, deliver, and manage learning.
- Use approved AI-enabled tools to support learning design, content development, research, reporting, and operational efficiency while protecting confidentiality, ensuring compliance, and reviewing outputs.
- Contribute to learning projects and process improvements that strengthen employee capability and the learner experience.
- Support learning program and platform administration, including assignments, enrollments, reporting, content maintenance, and learner communications.
Knowledge, Skills & Attributes
- Strong knowledge of instructional design, adult learning, curriculum development, and learning evaluation across instructor-led, virtual, digital, and blended formats.
- Demonstrated experience applying instructional design and adult learning principles to create effective learning solutions.
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365, learning platforms, and digital content-authoring tools.
- Working proficiency with approved generative AI and automation tools, including effective prompting, output validation, confidentiality, and responsible use.
- Strong consulting and partnership skills, with the ability to gather requirements and recommend practical learning solutions across functions and organizational levels.
- Strong written, verbal, visual communication, and presentation skills.
- Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines in a changing business environment.
- Ability to analyze complex information and develop practical, learner-focused solutions.
- Commitment to producing accurate, high-quality, learner-centered experiences and materials.
- Demonstrated initiative, creativity, learning agility, attention to detail, and a continuous improvement mindset.
- Ability to build effective working relationships across functions, business units, and organizational levels.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in instructional design, education, human resources, organizational development, communications, business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- 3+ years of relevant experience in instructional design, learning and development, training development, organizational development, or education.
- Experience conducting training needs analysis and developing learning solutions for business or operational audiences.
- Experience designing and developing instructor-led, virtual, digital, or blended learning experiences.
- Experience managing multiple learning projects and working with subject matter experts and business stakeholders.
- Experience using content development tools, learning technologies, or learning management systems.
- Experience supporting financial services, insurance, corporate, operations, contact center, or professional services environments.
- Experience developing onboarding, leadership development, technical training, change adoption, or process training programs.
- Experience utilizing learning analytics, learner feedback, or performance data to evaluate learning effectiveness.
- Experience with Articulate 360 (Rise, Storyline), Vyond, Camtasia, LMS platforms, or similar learning technologies.
- Experience applying generative AI or automation tools to improve learning design, content development, or learning operations.
Minimum Qualifications
Preferred Qualifications
Employee Benefits:
We aim to protect the wellbeing of our employees and their families with a broad benefits offering. In addition to offering comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance, we support emotional wellbeing through mental health benefits and an employee assistance program. Work/life balance is important and Protective offers a variety of paid time away benefits (e.g., paid time off, paid parental leave, short-term disability, and a cultural observance day). The financial health of our employees is just as important as physical and emotional health. Some of the financial wellbeing benefits include contributions to healthcare accounts, a pension plan, and a 401(k) plan with Company matching. All employees are encouraged to protect their overall wellbeing by engaging in ProHealth Rewards, Protective’s platform to improve wellbeing while earning cash rewards.
Eligibility for certain benefits may vary by position in accordance with the terms of the Company’s benefit plans.
Accommodations for Applicants with a Disability:
If you require an accommodation to complete the application and recruitment process due to a disability, please email eric.hess@protective.com. This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application and recruitment process.
Please note that the above email is solely for individuals with disabilities requesting an accommodation. General employment questions should not be sent through this process.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to being inclusive and attracting, retaining, and growing an inclusive workforce.
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