Freelance Senior Instructional Designer bei SweetRush

Freelance Senior Instructional Designer

Location: Remote but based in Chicago, Illinois, for occasional onsite meetings

SweetRush has an exciting opportunity for a talented professional to join our team!

Who We Are

SweetRush is a consulting, design, and staffing firm specializing in HR-related services that help foster life-centered businesses and organizations. Our work includes designing unique learning experiences using agency-level graphics and leading-edge technology; creating high-performing cultures, leaders, and teams; and helping our clients grow their learning teams with qualified professionals.

Many of our clients are household names with large international operations, while others are small nonprofits whose work we value as essential to the world. We try to balance the work we do for profit with the work we do to spread good things in the world.

SweetRush is a leader in the field of learning and development, making use of emerging technologies (like VR and AR), games, storytelling, chatbots, interactive virtual and in-person experiences, and so on, all while grounding our work in vibrant and impactful human-centered design. The many awards we win every year reflect the care we put into our craft and our collaborations with clients. We’ve been grateful to have won awards with Hilton, Google, Bridgestone, Adidas, SHRM, and numerous others.

We are a completely virtual, tight-knit, talented community that spans the globe, a culture-forward team that values diversity, respect, and caring. Our folks tend to stick around, as do our clients. 

We like to think we stand apart from competitors for the uniqueness and innovation of everything we create—and for who we are. And we’re committed to hiring talent that’s as creative, innovative, and caring as everyone on our team. This is where you come in…

About the Role

SweetRush is seeking a Freelance Senior Instructional Designer to join our team as a dedicated and trusted thought partner for one of our key clients. This isn't your typical project-based opportunity; we're looking for someone to build a long-term relationship with our client, offering strategic and creative insights on a regular monthly basis.

In this role, you will be an integral part of the client's Learning & Leadership Development team, helping them think critically about their learning solutions and initiatives.

This is a flexible, freelance opportunity with regular monthly check-ins and the potential for a deeper, more involved partnership over time. If you're passionate about shaping long-term learning strategies and enjoy a dynamic, consulting-focused role, we'd love to hear from you.

SweetRush is a remote organization and as such all resources must: be technically savvy, have access to a strong internet signal, be comfortable with virtual/instant messaging and conferencing tools, and generally available during established working hours.

A portfolio is required for this role. Your portfolio should showcase your expertise in designing diverse learning solutions and/or strategy work.  

** Please note, our Instructional Design/LXD opportunities are freelance opportunities; extensive experience with freelance work and multiple clients is preferred. **

Hourly Range 

1099 Hourly Rate is Negotiable 

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic consultant and sounding board for new ideas and learning initiatives, providing expert guidance and recommendations.
• Lead thorough needs analyses, asking the right questions to uncover the root of a challenge and identify effective solutions.
• Review and help refine the intake process for new learning projects, shaping a more efficient and effective way to scope work.
• Develop creative learning solutions grounded in your extensive design and development experience, with a focus on learner-centered approaches.
• Coach and guide other team members, sharing your expertise and helping them grow their skills.
• Transform rough content and outlines into visually engaging and highly effective Instructor-Led Training (ILT) and virtual Instructor-Led Training (vILT) solutions.
• Provide creative direction to elevate the overall look and feel of learning assets.

Required Skills 

• A collaborative and strategic mindset—you enjoy being part of the brainstorming process and working alongside a team.
• Solid experience in both instructional design and development. You've been in the trenches and have a deep understanding of what it takes to create impactful learning.
• Strong background in designing both in-person (ILT) and virtual (vILT) training solutions.
• An innovative approach and the ability to think outside the box to recommend creative, learner-centered solutions.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent 
• Minimum 5 years of experience in an educational, corporate training, or professional services environment
• Minimum 5 years of experience implementing adult learning principles or equivalent 
• Experience with authoring tools such as Storyline, Rise, or Evolve
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Docs
• Ability to blend and implement multiple instructional modalities, including vILT, ILT, eLearning
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and projects simultaneously and establish priorities
• Superb communicator on a remote/virtual team
• Confident, self-motivated, and detail-oriented

 Bonus Skills 

• Experience helping organizations refine or build their project intake and scoping processes.

SweetRush Is an Equal Opportunity Employer

We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, or belief; national, social, or ethnic origin; sex (including pregnancy); age; physical, mental, or sensory disability; HIV status; sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or expression; marital, civil union, or domestic partnership status; past or present military service; family medical history or genetic information; family or parental status; or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. SweetRush will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. We encourage applicants of all ages.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Call to Action: Submit Your Resume!

Team chemistry is everything to us, so our ultimate goal is to find the right fit. If the above describes your interests and experience, and you believe this will be a dream job, please submit your resume. We are excited to hear from you!

SweetRush believes in transparency and fairness. And for that reason, all of our active searches are available on the SweetRush “Join Us” page at https://www.sweetrush.com/join-us/.  You can also find a handful of openings posted on our LinkedIn company page under the “Jobs” tab at https://www.linkedin.com/company/sweetrush/jobs/. 

Unfortunately, cybercriminals take advantage of good people. Please know that SweetRush would never ask for your personal information such as SSN, banking information, credit cards, etc. during the application or interview process. Always be mindful to protect your personal and financial information, and use careful judgment when providing information to recruiters or talent acquisition professionals.