Learning Experience Design Manager Jobs in Illinois

Job Description:

The Global Instructional Design Manager (Growth Learning) leads the design and delivery of high-impact programs that build business development, sales effectiveness, and client relationship capabilities across the firm. This role partners closely with business leaders, growth teams, and subject matter experts to translate revenue priorities into practical, skill-based learning experiences that drive measurable outcomes.

In this global role, the Instructional Design Manager establishes scalable design approaches while tailoring content to regional market realities-ensuring programs are relevant, actionable, and aligned to growth strategy.

The ideal candidate will be:

• A business-minded professional with strong understanding of sales, client development, and revenue growth drivers and progressive instructional design experience in the area of sales and business development.

• Highly collaborative and action-oriented, capable of building productive relationships across a matrixed, global organization.

• Skilled in designing applied, practice-based learning (e.g., role plays, simulations, deal labs, coaching) that builds real-world business development capability.

• A strategic, data-driven designer who uses pipeline, win rate, and client engagement metrics to shape and evaluate learning impact.

• Highly consultative; able to challenge and influence business leaders to align learning solutions to growth priorities.

• Comfortable working with senior leaders, including partners and client-facing professionals.

• Adept at prioritization, delegation, and managing multiple projects and stakeholder needs simultaneously across regions.

• Culturally agile, comfortable working across countries, cultures, and time zones, and able to adjust communication and design approaches accordingly.

• An effective coach and mentor with an approachable style and proven ability to guide project teams and junior designers.

• Confident in ambiguity; able to navigate global alignment with local adaptation needs with initiative and creativity.

The Ideal Candidate Will Possess:

• Bachelor's degree; advanced training or certification in instructional design, adult learning, or learning technologies preferred.

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive success in instructional design, learning development, or related project/learning management roles, ideally within a professional services environment.

• Experience designing programs for mid- to senior-level professionals focused on business development, sales strategy, or client relationship management.

• Demonstrated experience designing blended, virtual, in-person, self-study, and experiential learning solutions across geographies.

• Strong consultative skills with the ability to translate business needs into targeted instructional solutions.

• Experience working with global and offshore vendors, managing timelines, quality standards, and deliverables.

• Strong verbal, written, and visual communication skills with the ability to convey complex ideas in clear, learner-friendly ways.

• Solid PC skills with expert proficiency in MS Office 365.

• Knowledge of compliance requirements for CPE/CPD and regulatory learning standards.

• Ability to travel as needed.

Core Responsibilities:

Growth learning:

• Partner with growth leaders to identify capability gaps impacting revenue (e.g., pipeline development, storytelling, pricing, relationship building).

• Monitor emerging learning trends and tools and assess the viability of incorporating them into new and existing global growth curriculum.

• Translate firm growth strategy into clear, actionable learning experiences tied to client lifecycle moments. 

• Establish content development plans and lead build/buy/partner decisions; oversee vendor selection and management.

• Design and deliver programs that build practical business development skills, including opportunity identification, pursuit strategy, and client conversations, and incorporate real client scenarios, deal simulations, and live opportunity work into learning design.

• Align programs to key industry, business and organizational metrics such as pipeline growth, win rates, and cross-selling behaviors to create a program evaluation strategy that measures effectiveness and ROI.

• Reinforce learning through on-the-job sales coaching, application, and feedback loops.

Overall:

• Demonstrate transparency, build things once and share them, seek advice, feedback, openly and proactively share feedback with others in the moment and across time.

• Manage complex learning design projects to meet timelines, budgets, and stakeholder expectations.

• Ensure learning solutions comply with global quality standards, regulatory requirements (CPE/CPD), and firmwide design practices.

• Leverage analytics to evaluate learning impact and inform continuous improvement.

• Coach junior designers and contribute to a collaborative, feedback-rich team culture.

• Build an inclusive and collaborative team culture across global and regional teams. 

• Recognize and articulate the value of one's own contribution and the contributions of others regularly with appreciation.

Global Teaming & Cross Cultural Expectations 

• Work effectively with team members and stakeholders located across multiple countries and time zones.

• Demonstrate cultural awareness, curiosity, and adaptability when supporting global learners, faculty, and leaders.

• Adjust communication and working styles to accommodate the needs of global teammates and diverse participant populations.

• Flex schedules occasionally to support global rhythms (e.g., early morning or evening meetings when required).

• Foster inclusive collaboration to ensure global alignment while respecting regional differences.

The base salary range for this position is between $104,000 and $156,000. Placement within the pay range is at Grant Thornton's discretion, and it is based on multiple factors, including but not limited to, job -related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, progression within the role, geographic location, and internal equity. At Grant Thornton, compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.

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