Instructional Design Manager Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 32 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.6bn in 2025. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

The Technical Instructional Design Specialist is responsible for the design, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of learning programs that support employee development, operational excellence, compliance, and workforce capability building. This role serves as the primary architect of technical and non-technical curricula, qualification frameworks, job-specific learning pathways, and Learning Management System (LMS) content.

Working closely with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), Engineering, Operations, Quality, Safety, Human Resources, and Leadership, the Technical Instructional Design Specialist transforms complex technical information, manufacturing processes, work instructions, policies, and business requirements into engaging, effective learning experiences. The ideal candidate has expertise in instructional design, adult learning principles, curriculum development, learning technologies, and training program management, with the ability to develop both instructor-led and digital learning solutions.

• Lead the end-to-end design, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of technical, operational, compliance, quality, safety, leadership, and professional development training programs.
• Design scalable learning solutions that support employee onboarding, upskilling, and cross-training.
• Partner with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), Engineering, Operations, Quality, Safety, Human Resources, and Leadership to identify training requirements and define learning objectives.
• Conduct job task analyses, training needs assessments, and competency evaluations to identify skill gaps and training opportunities.
• Translate complex technical information, engineering specifications, manufacturing processes, work instructions, policies, procedures, and business requirements into learner-centered training content.
• Design and develop training materials utilizing adult learning principles and instructional design best practices.

Develop and maintain learning content including:

• Instructor-Led Training (ILT)
• Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT)
• eLearning Modules
• Job Aids
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Technical Work Instructions
• Participant Guides and Workbooks
• Knowledge Assessments and Testing Materials
• On-the-Job Training (OJT) Materials
• Train-the-Trainer Programs

• Bachelor's degree in Instructional Design, Education, Organizational Development, Human Resources, Business, Engineering, Technical Communications, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 5+ years of experience in instructional design, curriculum development, learning and development, technical training, or workforce development.
• Demonstrated experience developing technical and non-technical learning programs within a manufacturing, industrial, aerospace, engineering, defense, or similarly complex environment.
• Experience designing learning pathways, qualification programs, competency models, and certification frameworks.
• Experience administering Learning Management Systems (LMS) and digital learning platforms.
• Strong knowledge of instructional design principles, curriculum development methodologies, and adult learning theory.
• Excellent written communication, technical writing, facilitation, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong project management, organizational, and collaboration skills.

• Certification in Instructional Design, Learning & Development, or Adult Learning (ATD, CPTD, Kirkpatrick, or similar).
• Experience with eLearning authoring tools such as Articulate Storyline, Rise, Captivate, Camtasia, or similar platforms.
• Experience developing competency frameworks, career progression programs, and workforce development strategies.
• Experience within aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, or highly regulated industries.
• Knowledge of quality systems, compliance training, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience supporting change management and organizational transformation initiatives.

Salary Range: $103,000.00 - $115,000.00

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further. And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN. We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute. It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’. By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We arethe place where human dreams, plus humanendeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.

Nearest Major Market: Orange County
Nearest Secondary Market: Los Angeles