Our award-winning L&D team is seeking an experienced L&D leader in instructional design and capability enablement. This role reports to AVP, Learning & Development and work on a hybrid work style (3+ days per week in office).
As the Manager, Instructional Design & Learning Experience, you will lead a talented team that brings learning to life across Canada Life. This is a high-impact leadership role for someone who can shape how learning shows up across the organization — not just as a course or program, but as an experience that builds capability, changes behaviour and supports business results. You will set the direction, standards and conditions for your team to create practical, engaging solutions that help employees, leaders and teams learn, apply and perform with confidence.
What you will do:
You will lead a team of associate L&D managers and 25+ instructional designers, partnering closely with the L&D leadership team, HR and business leaders to oversee and shape how learning is designed, enabled, and measured across the organization.
Your team supports a wide range of enterprise and business learning needs — from HR programs, technology enablement and onboarding to product knowledge, role-based capability building and strategic transformation initiatives. You’ll combine strong instructional design expertise, people leadership and trusted business partnership to ensure learning is modern, scalable, accessible and aligned to what matters most for employees, customers and the business.
Key accountabilities:
Lead instructional design function and portfolio management
- Lead and coach the instructional design leadership team and indirectly their 25+ instructional designers
- Manage intake, prioritization, and resource allocation for your team across multiple concurrent initiatives
- Set design standards and ensure quality, consistency, and scalability across all learning solutions
Partner with the business to build capability
- Collaborate with peers, HR partners, executives and business leads to assess learning needs
- Translate business priorities into effective learning and performance solutions
- Provide consultative guidance on when to use learning, performance support, or other approaches
Design impactful learning experiences
- Consult, develop and/or support enterprise and business /role specific instructional design learning strategies and solutions
- Oversee the design of multi-modal learning solutions (digital content, instructor-led, virtual, microlearning, and performance support)
- Relentless focus on ensuring all learning solutions are accessible, engaging, and designed to drive performance
Enable learning through technology and innovation
- Activate AI-enabled instructional design practices and tools that improve productivity, scale, and create an exceptional learning experience
- Define and manage digital asset governance
- Partner with HR Technology and Digital teams to continuously improve the learning ecosystem
Measure impact and continuously improve
- Define success metrics and evaluate effectiveness of learning solutions
- Use data and insights (e.g., adoption, engagement, performance outcomes) to improve learning experiences
- Communicate impact and recommendations to stakeholders
What you will bring:
- 7–10+ years of experience in instructional design, learning experience design and/or broader L&D strategy, with a strong understanding of how learning builds capability and supports business performance
- 5+ years of experience leading L&D leaders and teams, with the ability to coach, prioritize, create clarity and build strong team practices across a large, distributed portfolio
- A proven track record managing complex, high-volume learning portfolios where business priorities shift, timelines are tight and the work requires strong judgment, trade-off decisions and stakeholder alignment
- Strong consulting and business partnership skills, with the confidence to ask good questions, challenge assumptions and translate business needs into practical learning and performance solutions
- The ability to lead through ambiguity, balancing strategic direction with day-to-day delivery while helping your team stay focused, adaptable and energized
- Experience using AI-enabled learning tools and digital learning approaches to improve productivity, quality, scale and the learner experience
- Strong analytical skills, with experience using data, feedback and performance insights to measure effectiveness, improve solutions and communicate impact
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build trust and bring others along in a complex, matrixed environment
- As this position is posted in several locations, we specify that bilingualism is an asset (fluent in French and English) but is required for Quebec only as the position regularly serve our clients with French and English-speaking needs.
The base salary for this position is between $86,600-130,000 annually. This represents base salary only and does not represent other variable compensation components of our total compensation ( i.e. annual bonus, commission etc). If you are selected to move forward in our recruitment process, your recruiter will be able to discuss additional details of our total rewards program with you.
Career opportunities will be open a minimum of 5 business days from the date of posting, closing dates will vary depending on the search activity. All applications received will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Grow with Canada Life
We’re united by a shared purpose: to improve the financial, physical and mental well-being of Canadians. Our company is trusted by 1 in 3 Canadians and contributes to the strength of communities across the country.
We’re looking for people who live our values everyday: we step up, we do the right thing, and we deliver – for our customers, communities and each other. Are you someone who always strives to do the right thing, who steps up for themselves and others, and who delivers with impact? Then we want to hear from you!
What we offer:
We’re committed to supporting our employees through every stage of their career. Here’s what you can expect as a full-time or part-time permanent team member:
- Career Development: Opportunities for career advancement, access to industry-leading learning programs and up to $2,000 annually towards education reimbursement.
- Health & Wellness: Flexible health and dental benefits, plus a $5,000 mental health benefit to support your well-being.
- Time Off: In addition to regular vacation and personal days, we support community involvement with a volunteer day.
- Financial Security: Company-matching pension plan, share ownership program and additional investment options.
- Rewards and Recognition: Employee recognition programs, service milestone celebrations, employee discounts and more!
- Emphasis on Community: We provide a workplace where employees feel connected and supported through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), mentorship programs, social clubs and events.
Learn more about Canada Life.
We’re committed to removing barriers and ensuring equal access to employment. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation during the application process may contact talentacquisitioncanada@canadalife.com. All information provided will be handled in accordance with applicable laws and Canada Life policies.
Canada Life would like to thank all applicants, however only those who qualify for an interview will be contacted.
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