Sr. Accelerator Design & Development Manager (AI Skilling)

At InStride people are our purpose.

We believe that investing in people is the most powerful way to drive successfor individuals and organizations alike.

As a public benefit corporation we partner with leading employers to unlock opportunities for their employees providing access to top-tier education programs that align with their employees career goals and the companys business goals.

Our mission goes beyond skill-building; were here to empower our partners employees to advance their careers elevate their expertise and achieve meaningful personal and professional growth.

No matter the team youre on our dedication to the success of our partners and their employees is what drives us. If youre passionate about making a difference and driving educational and professional advancement InStride is the place for you.

To get a better feel for our culture watch more here.

Candidates must be located in one of the following states to be considered eligible for employment: AZ CA CO CT FL GA IL IN KS LA MD MA MI MO NV NH NJ NY PA OH OR TX VA WA WI.

What were looking for (role overview):

At InStride were redefining how employers develop talent through applied university-quality learning that drives measurable business impact. Our Capability Accelerators are cohort-based role-aligned programs co-developed with leading universities and employers designed to build the skills that matter most for performance productivity and mobility at scale.

As demand accelerates for practical responsible AI capability across the workforce were hiring an Sr. Accelerator Design and Development Manager AI Skilling to help lead this next chapter. This role will focus on designing and scaling AI Capability Accelerators that enable non-technical leaders and professionals to effectively apply AI in their day-to-day work while partnering productively with technical teams and managing AI-related risk.

Reporting to the Director of Enterprise Learning you will lead the end-to-end design and development of AI-focused Accelerators translating employer business priorities into clear capability models role-specific behaviors and structured program blueprints. Youll work closely with academic partners faculty and industry experts to bring these programs to life embedding applied use cases deliberate practice and AI-enabled feedback mechanisms that drive real behavior change on the job.

Beyond individual programs this role plays a critical part in evolving InStrides AI Accelerator model. Youll help codify repeatable design frameworks templates and quality standards for AI skilling ensuring our offerings remain rigorous scalable and differentiated as the market rapidly evolves. This includes shaping how we integrate emerging AI tools and agents into learning experiences while maintaining a strong focus on responsible use and business relevance.

This is a hybrid strategic and hands-on role. Youll design flagship AI skilling programs for employers today while building the systems and intellectual property that enable InStride to scale AI capability development across industries tomorrow.

Skills wed love to see you show off:

• End-to-end AI program delivery: Direct experience designing launching and delivering applied AI or advanced capability programs with ownership from concept through live delivery and iteration.
• Applied AI learning expertise: Hands-on experience using AI simulations and practice-based learning to build real capability for non-technical leaders and professionals.
• Employer-facing program leadership: Proven ability to partner with senior L&D leaders and business stakeholders to translate priorities into delivered high-impact programs.
• Scalable learning system design: Ability to codify what works into repeatable models templates and playbooks that enable quality and scale.
• Builder mentality: Energized by shipping real programs learning from what lands and continuously improving the model in ambiguous fast-evolving environments.

Who you are (ideal profile):

This role is best suited for candidates who have personally delivered AI capability programs not just advised on AI strategy or learning design.

• Youve delivered AI capability programs end to end. Youve designed built launched and iterated applied AI programs that went live and drove real learner and business outcomes.
• Your AI experience is applied not theoretical. Youve helped non-technical leaders and professionals use AI in real workflows decisions and business contexts not just understand the tools.
• Youve done this work in a credible delivery environment. This includes enterprise L&D or AI Centers of Excellence top consulting firms where you owned execution or high-quality workforce or executive education organizations.
• You bring strong applied learning judgment. You know how to design cohort-based practice-heavy programs that drive behavior change and youve proven it through delivery.
• You can partner directly with enterprise clients. Youre comfortable translating business priorities into delivered programs and navigating senior stakeholders.
• Youre a builder and operator. You thrive in ambiguity make practical trade-offs and improve the model by shipping and learning not over-designing.
• Willingness to travel occasionally to collaborate with clients academic partners and internal teams.

How you will create impact (key responsibilities):

• Co-lead employer engagements as the Practical AI capability SME: Partner with the VP Professional Services and Director Enterprise Learning to translate employer business needs into clear outcome-driven AI Capability Accelerator designs and learning blueprints.
• Design and deliver Practical AI Capability Accelerators end to end: Personally design build and help deliver early AI Accelerators integrating applied use cases practice simulation and feedback and staying close to live pilots to drive continuous refinement.
• Launch and scale ready-to-deploy Practical AI Accelerators: Lead the design development and launch of at least two ready-to-deploy AI Capability Accelerators in year one including supporting multiple cohort runs of each.
• Partner with academic faculty and industry experts: Work directly with academic partners to co-create programs that balance rigor with employer relevance speed and execution.
• Build and codify the Practical AI Accelerator model: Capture what works through delivery by developing repeatable design frameworks templates and playbooks that enable faster customization and consistent quality.
• Lead instructional design execution: Direct and support instructional designers and content developers rolling up sleeves when needed to ensure high-quality applied learning experiences.
• Stay close to learners to drive impact: Engage directly with learners during early cohorts to support success gather insight and inform continuous improvement of content and delivery.
• Operate as a builder in a scaling environment: Manage multiple workstreams with clarity and judgment contributing to the broader vision and strategy for InStrides AI Capability Accelerator portfolio.

We are looking for someone who is not only technically skilled but also enthusiastic about making ameaningful impact. If this description resonates with you were excited about the possibility of having youon our team. As a skills-driven employer we encourage you to apply if there is a skill-fit even in theabsence of years of experience.

Dont meet every single requirement Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At InStride we are dedicated to building a diverse inclusive and authentic workplace so if youre excited about this role but your past experience doesnt align perfectly with every qualification in the job description we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this role!

Benefits @ InStride

As an organization that champions investing in people its critical we walk the talk. Thats why InStride employees are eligible to enroll in 2800 online certificate and degree programs through our Step Forward program. Unlike traditional tuition reimbursement programs InStride covers your tuition upfront regardless of your course of study degree type or school - eligible to employees starting Day 1.

This role is also eligible for the following benefits:

• 401(k) plan with company match
• Flexible vacation policy
• Paid family leave
• Best-in-class health care benefits
• And more!

InStride Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At InStride we foster a culture of belonging we support authenticity and intersectionality and we embrace and appreciate our differences. We do this by building a diverse pipeline of talent and ensuring equitable access to opportunities information and leadership. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation please let your recruiter know.

Policies & Disclosure

InStride recommends employees have their COVID vaccinations. InStride may require employees to have COVID vaccination before entering the office or attending any InStride-related even in the future. However we do not require this at this time.

For questions on how we use personal information of job applicants please refer to InStrides Job Applicant Privacy Policy.

Beware of recruiting scams. InStride does not require a financial transaction or any financial account information to be eligible for employment. If you receive a message purporting to be from InStride asking you for a financial transaction your financial account information or any other sensitive information please do not respond and let us know immediately at .

About InStride

InStride is a human capital management company that helps organizations retain talent upskill employees and fill critical workforce roles through education programs. By breaking down barriers to learning fostering career growth aligned with organizational goals and simplifying program management InStride delivers lasting impact. Partnering with forward-thinking companies like Labcorp Adidas and SSM Health InStride drives meaningful social and business outcomes by providing access to life-changing education. Visit or follow InStride on LinkedIn for more information and up-to-date news.