Location: Atlanta, GA preferred; remote U.S. considered for highly qualified candidates.

Travel: Approximately 25% travel. Team members are expected to work from their nearest Cox office 1-2 days per month.

About the Role

The Senior Manager, Instructional Design leads a team of instructional design professionals responsible for developing innovative learning strategies and solutions that enable business performance across Cox Automotive. This leader partners closely with business stakeholders to identify capability gaps, prioritize learning investments, and deliver scalable learning experiences that support operational excellence, customer experience, and business transformation.

The ideal candidate is a strategic people leader with deep expertise in instructional design, consulting, stakeholder management, and curriculum development. They are passionate about developing talent, driving continuous improvement, and leveraging emerging learning technologies, including AI-enabled solutions, to improve learner outcomes and business results.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of instructional design professionals, fostering engagement, accountability, and career growth.

• Partner with business leaders to assess learning needs and align learning strategies to organizational goals and priorities.

• Drive the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of instructor-led, virtual, digital, and blended learning solutions.

• Oversee learning portfolios, project prioritization, resource allocation, and delivery execution across multiple business initiatives.

• Serve as a trusted consultant to stakeholders, recommending learning and performance solutions that address business challenges.

• Champion innovation and continuous improvement, leveraging learning technologies and AI-enabled development practices to enhance effectiveness and efficiency.

• Establish and monitor success metrics to evaluate program effectiveness and business impact.

• Ensure learning solutions meet quality standards, support operational objectives, and deliver measurable results.

• Build a high-performing team culture focused on collaboration, customer service, creativity, and continuous learning.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in a related field and 8 years of experience in Learning & Development, Instructional Design, Curriculum Development, or a related discipline. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a masters degree and 6 years of experience; a Ph.D. and 3 years of experience; or 12 years of related experience.

• 3+ years of people leadership experience.

• Experience leading complex learning initiatives across multiple stakeholder groups.

• Strong consulting, coaching, communication, project management, and relationship-building skills.

• Experience managing competing priorities and influencing decision-making across all levels of the organization.

Preferred

• Masters degree in a related field.

• Experience supporting operational, technical, field, or customer-facing organizations.

• Experience leading instructional design teams within a large, matrixed organization.

• Experience with learning technologies, vendor management, and AI-enabled learning development practices.

• PMP, Agile, Lean Six Sigma, ATD, or other relevant professional certifications.