Instructional Designer - Black Belt Academy

The Black Belt Academy is a cornerstone of Cisco’s integrated partner enablement strategy, aligned with the Cisco 360 Partner Program. It delivers tailored, agile training that accelerates partner growth across Cloud & AI, Networking, Collaboration, Security, and Services. The Academy complements Cisco Career Certifications and other enablement initiatives, helping partners improve their Partner Value Index (PVI) and unlock greater opportunities within the Cisco ecosystem.

What You Will DO

Build the future of partner enablement at Cisco!
* Lead the design and development of enterprise-level, large-scale instructional training in Black Belt Academy centered around e-learning, virtual, but that can also be demonstrated in an instructor-led and hybrid training scenarios passionate about IT domains such as Networking, Cybersecurity, Cloud & AI, and Collaboration.
* Apply sophisticated adult learning principles and instructional design models (ADDIE, SAM, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Kirkpatrick Evaluation Model) and ensure compliance with accessibility standards (WCAG).
* Integrate new technologies and AI-powered tools to deliver personalized, interactive learning experiences at scale.
* Collaborate extensively with Subject Matter Experts and cross-functional teams including Global Partner Engineering (GPE), Go-to-Market (GTM), and Architectures to define and execute content strategy aligned with Cisco’s business priorities.
* Manage alignment of training content in Black Belt Academy with Cisco’s Capability Acceleration Framework for Enablement (CAFE) and Partner Learning Journeys across all stages.
* Lead all aspects of development of assessments and evaluation tools to measure learner progress and program impact globally.
* Drive continuous content updates reflecting IT industry trends, Cisco solutions, and evolving partner needs.
* Lead analysis of learner feedback and course metrics to optimize training efficiency and Black Belt Academy’s content portfolio.
* Provide leadership and mentorship within the instructional design team, leading large-scale global enablement initiatives with measurable business impact.

Who You Will Work With

Dive into a collaborative, global environment alongside passionate professionals from Global Partner Engineering, Go-to-Market teams, Architectures, and Cisco’s Business Entities! Together, we align strategies and content with Cisco’s technical vision and business priorities. You’ll connect with subject matter experts who grow with innovation and teamwork, all committed to building the best partner enablement in the industry. This senior role reports to leadership within partner enablement or learning and development organizations and plays a meaningful role in driving partner capability building within the Cisco 360 Partner Program ecosystem.

Who You Are

Required Skills:
* 10+ years of instructional design experience with shown leadership in enterprise-level or large-scale programs.
* Deep expertise in IT concepts such as networking, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and software development.
* Proficiency in instructional design frameworks: ADDIE, SAM, Bloom’s Taxonomy, Kirkpatrick Model, Adult Learning Theory.
* Proficiency with eLearning authoring tools (Articulate 360, Adobe Captivate, Camtasia, Vyond) and Learning Management Systems (Mindtickle, Moodle, Docebo, Cornerstone).
* Strong skills in collaboration tools (MS PowerPoint, Google Workspace, Figma, Miro) and assessment design with analytics.
* Knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG, SCORM, xAPI) and emerging learning technologies including AI-powered adaptive learning tools; AR/VR is a plus.
* Demonstrated ability to handle sophisticated, global programs with measurable business outcomes.

Preferred Skills:

* Experience with Cisco Networking Academy or similar IT training programs.
* Familiarity with Cisco’s Black Belt Academy and Cisco 360 Partner Program.
* Knowledge of IT industry certifications (CCNA, CCNP, CISSP, AWS, Azure).
* Ability to design for diverse learner populations including underserved communities.

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era - and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint. Simply put - we power the future.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.

Why Cisco? 

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere. 

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.