Instructional Design Manager 

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Instructional Design Manager

Company: Citi

Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full time

Category: Learning & Development Operations / Talent Management

Date Posted: 2026-07-31

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (Estimated 5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead a team of Instructional Designers to develop high-impact, compliant, and scalable digital learning solutions, focusing on performance-based outcomes.

• Champion the strategic integration of generative AI and modern learning technologies to enhance efficiency and impact within a regulated environment.

• Oversee resource planning, capacity management, and risk mitigation for a high volume of enterprise learning design requests.

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, psychological safety, and Agile mindset within the instructional design team.

• Act as a key liaison for stakeholders, ensuring learning solutions align with business objectives and governance standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role, while titled "Instructional Design Manager," has significant operational components. The emphasis on "operations management," "capacity planning," "risk management," "audit-readiness," and managing a "high volume of enterprise design requests" positions it strongly within the operational aspects of L&D, requiring a blend of people leadership and process efficiency. The mention of "functional excellence for Citi's Independent Compliance Risk Management (ICRM) organization" indicates a critical, compliance-driven operational focus.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of Instructional Designers, assessing capabilities, identifying skill gaps, and providing targeted coaching for enhanced performance.

• Drive the design and development of diverse digital learning assets, including web-based training, adaptive learning modules, simulations, and job aids.

• Provide technical oversight and hands-on development support for eLearning and digital solutions, leveraging standard authoring tools (dominKnow, Area9 Rhapsode) and generative AI.

• Ensure the quality, consistency, accessibility, and governance of all learning solutions, aligning with Citi's established learning design standards.

• Manage the intake, scoping, and resource allocation process for design requests, employing a tiered service model and monitoring team KPIs.

• Proactively identify and address risks, bottlenecks, and audit-readiness gaps within the design and development workflow.

• Cultivate strong working relationships with Citi Learning, ICRM stakeholders, and Digital Learning Governance to align learning strategies with business goals.

• Champion the adoption of industry-recognized capability standards and best practices for instructional design and learning technology.

• Conduct performance reviews, recruit, interview, and hire new design and development talent to build and maintain a high-performing team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on people management (coaching, performance reviews, recruitment) and operational execution (resource planning, KPI monitoring, risk management, workflow oversight). The requirement to "oversee intake, scoping, and resource planning across a high volume of enterprise design requests using a tiered service model" is a direct indicator of operational management duties.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's/University degree or equivalent experience. Formal education in instructional design, learning technology, or adult education is preferred.

Experience:

• Proven experience working in Learning and Development (L&D) or Instructional Design.

• Direct experience in instructional design, content design, and development, applying adult learning theory across various modalities.

• Experience managing, coaching, and leading a team of learning professionals is strongly preferred. Required Skills:

• Instructional Design Expertise: Deep understanding of adult learning theory, learning technologies, and design philosophies.

• People Management: Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop a team of learning professionals.

• Performance Management: Experience in setting performance standards, conducting reviews, and driving team performance.

• Operations Management: Demonstrated ability to manage workflows, resources, and capacity planning for design projects.

• Agile Methodologies: Experience working with Agile and/or Waterfall project management frameworks for learning initiatives.

• Risk Management & Governance: Solid understanding of risk management, learning governance, compliance, and audit-readiness practices within a regulated environment.

• Digital Learning Solutions: Expertise in designing scalable digital learning solutions using cloud-based authoring tools (Area9 Rhapsode, dominKnow, or similar).

• Stakeholder Management: Ability to build and maintain strong relationships and influence across diverse business units and management levels.

Preferred Skills:

• Generative AI: Championing the purposeful use of generative AI tools to increase efficiency and impact in learning design.

• Learning Technology Stack: Experience with Learning Management Systems (e.g., Docebo, Workday), content repositories, and learning reporting & analytics tools.

• Process Improvement: Demonstrated ability to identify and implement process enhancements for greater efficiency and effectiveness.

• Strategic Thinking: Capacity for strategic, critical, and creative thinking to develop innovative learning solutions.

• Cross-cultural Collaboration: Ability to work effectively in a virtual team environment across multiple time zones and countries.

📝 Enhancement Note: The prompt explicitly lists "Operations management" and "Capacity planning" as proven experience areas, strongly aligning this role with operational responsibilities beyond traditional instructional design leadership. The emphasis on "risk management, learning governance, compliance, and audit-readiness practices" also points to a critical operational component within a highly regulated financial institution.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies of Scalable Digital Learning Solutions: Showcase examples of web-based training, adaptive learning modules, or simulations that were successfully deployed across a large audience. Highlight the design process, technology used (mentioning Area9 Rhapsode or dominKnow if applicable), and scalability achieved.

• Process Improvement Initiatives: Include documentation or descriptions of how you or your team identified and implemented process improvements within a learning design workflow, leading to measurable gains in efficiency, turnaround time, or quality.

• Team Performance & Development Examples: Provide evidence of how you've assessed team capabilities, identified skill gaps, and implemented coaching or development plans that led to improved team performance and individual growth.

• Risk Mitigation & Governance Examples: Demonstrate experience in managing learning design within a regulated framework, including examples of ensuring compliance, audit-readiness, and adherence to governance standards.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience in designing, documenting, and optimizing end-to-end learning development workflows, from intake to deployment.

• Agile/Hybrid Development Methodologies: Be ready to articulate how your team has adopted and executed learning development projects using Agile principles or hybrid approaches, including sprint planning, backlog management, and stakeholder feedback loops.

• Quality Assurance & Governance Processes: Detail your approach to implementing robust quality assurance checks, ensuring adherence to accessibility standards, and maintaining governance throughout the learning solution lifecycle.

• Performance Metrics & Reporting: Be prepared to discuss how you track, report on, and use Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as turnaround times, efficiency metrics, and solution impact to manage team performance and identify areas for improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role's emphasis on "high volume of enterprise design requests," "tiered service model," "monitoring team KPIs (turnaround times, efficiency metrics)," and "proactively addressing risk, bottlenecks, and audit-readiness gaps" necessitates a portfolio that demonstrates strong process management and operational execution capabilities, not just creative design skills.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Instructional Design Managers in the UK, with specific consideration for a financial institution like Citi and the required experience level (estimated 5-10 years), a competitive annual salary range would likely be between £60,000 and £85,000. This estimate accounts for the managerial responsibilities, specialized skills in regulated environments, and the cost of living in Belfast.

Benefits:

• Generous Holiday Allowance: Starting at 27 days plus bank holidays, increasing with tenure, offering excellent work-life balance.

• Discretionary Annual Performance Bonus: An opportunity for additional compensation based on individual and company performance.

• Private Medical Insurance: Comprehensive packages tailored to personal circumstances, ensuring access to quality healthcare.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential support services for personal and professional well-being.

• Pension Plan: A structured retirement savings plan to support long-term financial security.

• Paid Parental Leave: Support for new parents, promoting family well-being.

• Employee Discounts: Special offers for employees, family, and friends across various services and products.

• Learning and Development Resources: Access to extensive resources for continuous professional growth and skill enhancement.

Working Hours: Full-time employment with a hybrid working model, typically involving 3 days in the office and up to 2 days working from home per week. Standard working hours are likely around 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected to meet project demands.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on publicly available data for Instructional Design Manager roles in the United Kingdom, adjusted for Belfast's cost of living and the specific industry (financial services). This range reflects the seniority and operational scope of the role.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (Banking & Financial Technology). Citi operates within a highly regulated global financial sector, demanding rigorous adherence to compliance, security, and operational excellence. This environment shapes a culture that values control, precision, and robust governance.

Company Size: Citi is a global financial services corporation with hundreds of thousands of employees worldwide, operating across numerous countries and business lines. This scale implies complex organizational structures, extensive resources, and a need for standardized processes and communication.

Founded: Citi traces its origins back to 1812, representing a long history of financial innovation and global presence. This legacy suggests a culture that balances tradition and stability with a drive for continuous adaptation and modernization, particularly in its technology and learning functions.

Team Structure:

• The Instructional Design Manager leads a specialized team within the broader Citi Learning organization.

• This team likely operates with a degree of autonomy in design execution but is integrated with Learning Advisors and Digital Learning Governance for strategic alignment and oversight.

• Collaboration is expected with various business units, particularly the Independent Compliance Risk Management (ICRM) organization, requiring strong cross-functional partnership.

• The structure emphasizes a "tiered service model" for design requests, indicating a managed, scalable approach to service delivery. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Learning solutions are expected to be performance-based and data-informed, with emphasis on measuring impact and ROI.

• Agile & Iterative Design: The team is encouraged to embrace an Agile mindset, facilitating flexibility, rapid iteration, and continuous improvement in learning development.

• Process Optimization: A core focus is on streamlining workflows, leveraging technology (including generative AI), and ensuring efficiency and audit-readiness in all operational aspects of learning design.

• Quality & Compliance Focus: Given the industry, all learning solutions must meet stringent quality standards, accessibility practices, and governance requirements.

Company Website: https://www.citi.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Independent Compliance Risk Management (ICRM) organization" context is crucial. This implies that learning solutions developed by this team will heavily focus on compliance, regulatory requirements, and risk mitigation, demanding a meticulous and controlled approach to instructional design and content creation.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a management-level position, overseeing a team of instructional designers. It represents a step up from individual contributor roles, requiring leadership, strategic planning, and operational oversight. The role is positioned to influence the direction and efficiency of learning development for critical business functions like ICRM.

Reporting Structure: The Instructional Design Manager reports to the Head of Instructional Design within the Citi Learning organization. They will manage a team of Instructional Designers and collaborate closely with Learning Advisors and Digital Learning Governance.

Operations Impact: This role directly impacts operational excellence by ensuring that employees within the ICRM organization (and potentially others) are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills through effective, compliant, and scalable learning solutions. This contributes to risk mitigation, regulatory adherence, and overall business performance. The efficient delivery of these solutions is a key operational contribution.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to progress to Head of Instructional Design or other senior leadership roles within Citi Learning or broader L&D functions.

• Specialization in Regulated Learning: Deepen expertise in developing learning for highly regulated industries, a valuable niche within L&D.

• Broader Operational Roles: Leverage experience in capacity planning, process optimization, and stakeholder management to transition into more general L&D operations or project management roles.

• Technology & AI Integration: Develop advanced skills in leveraging generative AI and modern learning technologies, becoming a subject matter expert in innovative learning delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "operations management," "capacity planning," and "risk management" suggests that growth paths could also extend into broader operational management roles within Citi, leveraging the skills gained in managing complex L&D processes.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid working model, with a blend of in-office and remote work. The office is located at 60 SYDENHAM ROAD, TITANIC QUARTER BLOCKS A, B, C GATEWAY OFFICES BELFAST.

Office Location(s): Primarily Belfast, Northern Ireland. The office is situated in the Titanic Quarter, a modern business district.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office setting is designed to foster collaboration, with opportunities for in-person interaction with team members and stakeholders.

• Technology Access: Employees will have access to the necessary tools and technology to perform their roles, including standard authoring tools, LMS, and potentially internal collaboration platforms.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid model allows for focused individual work at home and collaborative engagement and team building when in the office.

Work Schedule: Full-time (likely 40 hours per week). The hybrid model offers some flexibility, allowing for up to 2 days of remote work, which can be beneficial for deep work and personal commitments, while still ensuring in-office presence for key team activities and stakeholder meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific mention of "business casual workplace" and "hybrid working model (up to 2 days working at home per week)" provides concrete details about the day-to-day work environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and potentially a brief introductory call with an HR representative or recruiter to assess basic qualifications and fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A detailed discussion with the Head of Instructional Design or a senior leader, focusing on your leadership experience, operational management skills, and strategic approach to learning development. Be prepared to discuss your team management philosophy and how you foster a high-performing team.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with direct reports, peers (e.g., Learning Advisors), and key business stakeholders (e.g., from ICRM). These will assess your collaborative abilities, communication style, and understanding of business needs.

• Case Study/Presentation: You may be asked to present a portfolio of your work, focusing on a specific project that demonstrates your ability to lead the development of scalable, compliant learning solutions, manage operational processes, and drive efficiency.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader in the L&D function, focusing on cultural fit, long-term vision, and alignment with Citi's leadership principles.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Operational Excellence: Beyond design creativity, emphasize your role in process management, capacity planning, KPI tracking, and risk mitigation for learning projects.

• Quantify Impact: Use metrics to demonstrate the success of your team's work – e.g., reduction in training time, improvement in compliance scores, increased efficiency in development cycles, or user adoption rates.

• Highlight Technology & AI: Showcase your experience with specific authoring tools (dominKnow, Area9 Rhapsode) and your strategic approach to integrating generative AI for efficiency and impact.

• Demonstrate Leadership & Coaching: Include examples of how you've developed team members, managed performance, and fostered a positive and productive team culture.

• Focus on Compliance & Governance: For this role, clearly articulate how you ensure learning solutions meet regulatory, accessibility, and governance standards in a financial services context.

Challenge Preparation:

• Operational Scenario: Be prepared for a scenario-based question asking how you would manage competing design priorities, allocate resources, or address a bottleneck in the development process.

• Team Management Scenario: Expect questions about how you would handle underperformance, motivate a team, or manage conflict within your instructional design team.

• Process Improvement Proposal: You might be asked to outline how you would approach improving a specific aspect of the learning development lifecycle, such as intake, quality assurance, or reporting.

• AI Integration Strategy: Think about how you would strategically implement generative AI tools within a regulated environment, considering ethical implications, quality control, and data security.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the operational emphasis of this role, interview preparation should strongly focus on demonstrating experience in process management, efficiency, risk mitigation, and team leadership within a structured, high-volume environment.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Authoring Tools: dominKnow and Area9 Rhapsode are explicitly mentioned. Proficiency and the ability to provide technical oversight and hands-on development are key.

• Generative AI Tools: Expected to champion and utilize these for increased efficiency and impact. Specific tools may vary, but a strategic understanding is required.

• Learning Management Systems (LMS): Experience with systems like Docebo or Workday is required, indicating familiarity with learning delivery and tracking platforms.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Learning Reporting & Analytics Tools: Proficiency in tools used to track learning effectiveness, user engagement, and performance metrics is essential. This would likely include features within the LMS or dedicated analytics platforms.

• Dashboarding Tools: Ability to create and interpret dashboards for monitoring team KPIs (turnaround times, efficiency metrics) and solution impact.

CRM & Automation:

• While not explicitly mentioned as CRM, the role requires managing intake and resource planning, which involves elements of project management and workflow automation. Familiarity with project management software or workflow tools that integrate with L&D processes would be beneficial.

• Integration: Understanding how learning platforms integrate with other HR or business systems (like Workday) is important.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "dominKnow" and "Area9 Rhapsode" makes these critical requirements. The emphasis on "generative AI" suggests a forward-looking approach to technology adoption within the L&D function.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Ownership: Taking responsibility for team performance, project outcomes, and operational efficiency, embodying "We Take Ownership."

• Excellence: Striving for "client excellence, controls excellence, and operational excellence" in all learning solutions and processes.

• Collaboration: Valuing diverse perspectives and working effectively across teams and with stakeholders to achieve shared goals, embodying "We Succeed Together."

• Agility & Adaptability: Embracing an Agile mindset to respond to changing business needs and leverage new technologies efficiently.

• Integrity & Compliance: Upholding the highest standards of ethics, governance, and regulatory compliance in all learning development activities.

Collaboration Style:

• Servant Leadership: Inspiring and motivating the team by removing obstacles and fostering a supportive environment.

• Cross-functional Partnership: Building strong, proactive relationships with business stakeholders, Learning Advisors, and Governance teams to ensure alignment and effective delivery.

• Psychological Safety: Cultivating a team environment where individuals feel safe to take risks, share ideas, and provide constructive feedback.

• Continuous Improvement Culture: Encouraging a mindset of ongoing learning, process refinement, and efficiency optimization within the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated Leadership Principles ("We Take Ownership," "We Deliver with Pride," "We Succeed Together") should be integrated into how candidates describe their approach to team culture and values.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Volume and Quality: Managing a high volume of design requests while ensuring each solution meets stringent quality, compliance, and accessibility standards in a regulated environment.

• Integrating New Technologies: Championing and effectively integrating generative AI and modern learning technologies while navigating complex governance and change management within a large, established organization.

• Stakeholder Management Complexity: Aligning diverse stakeholder expectations and priorities across different business units, particularly within a compliance-focused function like ICRM.

• Team Development in a Hybrid Model: Effectively leading, coaching, and fostering team cohesion and development within a hybrid work environment across potentially different time zones.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Leadership Training: Access to Citi's extensive leadership development programs, focusing on strategic management, change leadership, and executive presence.

• Specialized L&D Operations Training: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like capacity planning, workflow automation, learning analytics, and AI applications in L&D through internal resources or external certifications.

• Industry Conferences & Networking: Potential to attend key L&D and instructional design conferences to stay abreast of industry trends and best practices.

• Mentorship Programs: Access to mentorship from senior leaders within Citi's L&D function or broader organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly derived from the role's responsibilities, such as managing high volume, integrating AI, and stakeholder complexity in a regulated sector.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your experience managing a team of instructional designers. How do you assess their skills, provide feedback, and drive performance, particularly in a hybrid or remote setting?" (Focus on people management, performance management, coaching).

• "How would you approach the operational intake and resource planning for a high volume of learning design requests within a complex, regulated environment like Citi's ICRM?" (Focus on operations management, capacity planning, process improvement).

• "Discuss your strategy for integrating generative AI into an instructional design workflow. What are the key considerations for quality, governance, and ethical use in a financial services context?" (Focus on technology adoption, risk management, strategic thinking). Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you embody Citi's Leadership Principles – 'We Take Ownership,' 'We Deliver with Pride,' and 'We Succeed Together' – in your management style and team operations?" (Focus on cultural alignment, values).

• "Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders with competing priorities to adopt a particular learning solution or process. How did you navigate that situation?" (Focus on stakeholder management, collaboration, influence).

• "How do you ensure that learning solutions developed by your team are not only effective but also compliant, accessible, and audit-ready in a highly regulated industry?" (Focus on risk management, governance, compliance). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the business problem, your team's operational approach (intake, planning, execution), the solutions developed, the technologies used (dominKnow, Area9 Rhapsode, AI), the results achieved (quantified where possible), and lessons learned.

• Emphasize Operational Processes: Dedicate time to explaining the workflow, capacity planning, and quality assurance processes you implemented or managed.

• Highlight Leadership & Coaching: Showcase specific examples of how you developed your team members and fostered a high-performing, collaborative environment.

• Be Ready for Technical Deep Dives: Prepare to discuss the technical aspects of the authoring tools and your approach to integrating new technologies like generative AI.

📝 Enhancement Note: These questions are crafted to probe the core operational and leadership competencies required for this role, integrating the specific company context and required technologies.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-focused Instructional Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Citi Workday careers portal.

• Tailor Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly highlights experience in "Instructional Design," "People Management," "Operations Management," "Capacity Planning," "Risk Management," and proficiency with tools like "dominKnow" and "Area9 Rhapsode." Quantify achievements where possible, especially those related to efficiency, quality, or team performance.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate a selection of work samples and case studies that demonstrate your ability to lead the development of scalable digital learning solutions, manage operational processes, and improve team efficiency. Be ready to articulate your process and impact.

• Research Citi's Leadership Principles: Understand and be prepared to discuss how you align with "We Take Ownership," "We Deliver with Pride," and "We Succeed Together" in your professional approach.

• Practice Interview Responses: Rehearse answers to common interview questions, focusing on behavioral examples that showcase your leadership, operational, and technical skills, particularly in a regulated environment.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.