Instructional Systems Designer

This anticipated opportunity is contingent upon contract award, availability of funded work, and customer requirements. The position may be structured as part-time or full-time; the final work schedule, start date, and duration will be based on the awarded scope and workload.

ARA's Engineering Science Division (ESD) is seeking qualified instructional systems designer (ISD) candidates to support technical, operational, government, commercial, and workforce training programs. The ISD will translate complex source material into clear, accurate, and engaging learning experiences using sound instructional design, adult learning, and multimedia learning principles.

The successful candidate will be comfortable working with technical content, collaborating with subject matter experts (SMEs) and multidisciplinary production teams, managing multiple review cycles, and responding thoughtfully to customer feedback. Deliverables may include computer- and web-based training, instructor-led and virtual instructor-led training, simulations, video-based learning, interactive activities, assessments, job aids, facilitator materials, learner guides, and other multimedia-supported learning products.

Candidates selected may be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

What you will do as an instructional systems designer:

• Analyze source materials, performance requirements, learner needs, and SME input to identify learning and performance gaps.


• Develop measurable learning objectives, instructional strategies, assessments, practice activities, and evaluation approaches.


• Design and develop CBT, WBT, ILT, VILT, eLearning, multimedia, and blended learning products.


• Develop storyboards, scripts, knowledge checks, assessments, facilitator guides, participant materials, and job aids.


• Build and revise interactive training using Adobe Captivate, Articulate 360/Rise 360, and related development tools.


• Translate complex technical content into clear, accurate, learner-centered instruction while preserving essential technical detail.


• Collaborate with SMEs, graphic artists, videographers, software developers, quality reviewers, project managers, and customers.


• Conduct and support reviews for instructional quality, technical accuracy, usability, accessibility, functionality, and compliance with customer standards.


• Participate in testing, pilots, revisions, and formal review cycles while maintaining organized project files, documentation, and version control.

Instructional system designer requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in instructional design, instructional technology, education, human performance, training and development, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.


• 2+ years of experience designing and developing training for adult learners or technical audiences.


• Demonstrated experience developing CBT, WBT, ILT, VILT, eLearning, multimedia, or blended learning products.


• Proficiency with Adobe Captivate and Articulate 360, including Rise 360; experience with Vyond, Camtasia, PowerPoint, or comparable tools is beneficial.


• Strong understanding of instructional design methodologies, adult learning principles, assessment design, and performance-based training.


• Strong writing, editing, communication, organization, and quality-control skills, including the ability to simplify complex information without compromising accuracy.


• Ability to manage multiple deliverables and review cycles while working independently and collaboratively with SMEs, developers, designers, project managers, reviewers, and customers.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience supporting DoD, federal, state, commercial, industrial, engineering, transportation, emergency management, cybersecurity, logistics, safety, or other technical training programs.


• Familiarity with SCORM, xAPI, HTML5, learning management system publishing, Section 508 requirements, and accessible design practices.


• Experience working within structured review, configuration-management, and version-control processes.


• Experience handling proprietary, controlled, or security-sensitive technical content in accordance with applicable requirements.

About ARA:

ARA is an employee-owned international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. The company, founded in Albuquerque, NM, in 1979, currently employs more than 2,200 professionals and continues to grow. ARA offices throughout the United States and Canada provide a broad range of technical expertise in civil technologies, computer software and simulation, defense technologies, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement. The corporation also provides sophisticated technical products for pavement analysis, environmental site characterization, and robotics.

At ARA, employees are our greatest assets. The corporation realizes that employee ownership spawns greater creativity and initiative along with higher performance and customer satisfaction levels. ARA gives its employees the tools, training, and opportunities to take more active roles as owners. The culture is challenging; innovation and experimentation are the norm. Employees are eligible for contributions which not only add to the company’s success, but also their own through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The motto, “Engineering and Science for Fun and Profit” sums up the ARA experience.