Contract Instructional Designer (2 Roles)

Knowledge Capture & Onboarding Design for Technical and Operational Roles

Location: Remote

Start Date: ASAP

Contract Duration:  Through end of May (with potential extension)

Hours: 30-40 hrs/wk

Overview

We are seeking two experienced Contract Instructional Designers to support a time-sensitive knowledge transfer and onboarding initiative. Our client’s organization is transitioning away from a vendor that has historically supported several key roles. Before the transition concludes in mid-August, we must capture operational knowledge from current contractors and translate that knowledge into structured onboarding pathways for future hires.

You will work directly with subject matter experts and departing contractors to assess the current state of documentation, identify gaps, and develop scalable onboarding resources for both technical and client-facing operational roles.

The engagement will begin with a rapid discovery and scoping phase, followed by documentation, process mapping, and development of onboarding materials.

Key Responsibilities

Discovery and Knowledge Capture

• Conduct structured interviews and working sessions with SMEs and departing contractors
• Assess the current state of onboarding materials, documentation, and shadowing processes
• Identify knowledge gaps, undocumented workflows, and process dependencies
• Map operational processes and responsibilities for each prioritized role

Documentation and Process Design

• Develop clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) and workflow documentation
• Capture technical and operational processes in structured formats
• Convert shadowing-based knowledge into documented guidance

Onboarding Development

• Design role-based onboarding pathways for prioritized roles
• Create onboarding guides, learning sequences, and training resources
• Structure content to support both technical onboarding and operational readiness
• Ensure materials are scalable and usable for future hiring cycles

Strategic Recommendations

• Provide recommendations for sustainable onboarding frameworks
• Identify opportunities to reduce reliance on tribal knowledge and shadowing
• Recommend structures for maintaining and updating documentation long-term

Deliverables

• Role documentation and responsibilities for prioritized positions
• Process maps and operational workflows
• Structured onboarding documentation and learning pathways
• Knowledge-transfer documentation from departing contractors
• Recommendations for future onboarding and knowledge management practices

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in Instructional Design, Learning Experience Design, or Knowledge Management
• Demonstrated experience capturing SME knowledge and documenting operational workflows
• Experience developing onboarding programs for technical and/or operational roles
• Strong interviewing, facilitation, and documentation skills
• Ability to quickly synthesize complex information and structure it into usable learning assets
• Strong writing and organizational skills
• Experience working under tight timelines

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting SaaS teams
• Background in process improvement or operational documentation
• Experience with knowledge transfer during vendor transitions or organizational change
• Familiarity with knowledge management or documentation platforms

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is skilled at quickly building trust with SMEs, extracting tacit knowledge, and translating that expertise into structured documentation and onboarding pathways. They are comfortable navigating ambiguity and can rapidly move from discovery to practical deliverables.