Principal Associate, Learning Experience Designer

Principal Associate, Learning Experience Designer

Capital One’s Enterprise Learning & Development team is seeking an instructional designer to serve as a visionary architect for our most complex enterprise solutions. You don't just execute on intent—you influence it. This is an interdisciplinary role that treats learning as a product. By merging the rigor of instructional design with learning experience design principles and powerful storytelling, you will craft holistic experiences that drive measurable behavioral change. You’ll act as a bridge between business intent and associate excellence, using a data-driven, iterative approach to solve complex challenges in a fast-paced environment.

You are trusted by the business to make strategic design recommendations that elevate learning for audiences of all levels. Beyond individual products, you drive impact for the broader L&D team by intentionally innovating our processes and setting the standard for what learning design excellence looks like at scale.

The Ideal Candidate is...

• A learning design expert: You make data-driven design recommendations for business leaders, translating high-level problem statements and measurement strategy into transformational learning solutions that solve systemic business challenges for leadership development and enterprise needs. You have the ability to manage high-complexity portfolios containing multiple learning solutions and provide expert guidance on the best modality for the job—be it immersive e-Learning, executive-level workshops, or streamlined digital job aids.

• A human-centered architect: You leverage UX/UI principles and storytelling to design for the learner’s journey, ensuring engagement as you develop for the right learning solution modality (self-paced, instructor-led, virtual, and job aids). You drive alignment by crafting learning objectives and designing experiences that help associates create positive business impact.

• An innovator: You don't just follow the process; you improve it. You identify efficiencies and introduce emerging technologies to elevate the entire team’s output.

• A storyteller for tailored audiences: You are adept at designing sophisticated, high-stakes experiences tailored for associates, leadership and executive audiences. You have a deep curiosity and proven ability to create high-credibility learning experiences tailored for technical, creative and other line of business audiences.

• A systems thinker: You champion an MVP-first mindset, using rapid prototyping and feedback loops to evolve your work. You balance immediate project needs with long-term scalability, ensuring our learning ecosystem remains agile and interconnected.

• A data-driven practitioner: You focus on impact, using defined metrics to prove your designs move the needle on real-world performance.

• Partnership builder: You demonstrate exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence more senior partners and navigate a highly matrixed environment. You have experience partnering with project leads, peer designers, consultants, SMEs and multimedia teams to translate complex content into structured, actionable learning.

Here’s what you need to be successful:

• Technical toolkit: Expert-level knowledge of adult learning theory and other learning sciences fused with skills to design accessible self-paced and virtual learning. Ability to apply style and branding guidelines to learning products.

• Ownership and agility: Ability to serve as expert learning practitioner who independently owns and manages the design, development and delivery of learning solutions autonomously.

• Operational excellence: You are a catalyst for the team, not just sharing best practices but defining them. You identify efficiencies that allow the entire L&D org to move faster and with higher quality. You have a mentorship mindset and are a proactive team player who elevates those around them by sharing best practices for design excellence.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or military experience

• At least 3 years of experience creating a learning strategy and curriculum based on learner needs, business needs, and modern learning theories and models

• At least 2 years of experience with multimedia authoring tools like Articulate 360 or other online interactive e-Learning courseware

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience creating a learning strategy and curriculum based on learner needs, business needs, and modern learning theories and models

• 1+ year of experience with mobile content creation/curation and delivery

• 1+ year of experience using multimedia tools (Adobe Premiere, Camtasia or similar)

• 1+ year of experience working with graphics tools (Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator or similar)

• 1+ year of experience in project management

At this time, Capital One will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.

The minimum and maximum full-time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations, and refers to the amount Capital One is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part-time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked.

McLean, VA: $108,900 - $124,300 for Learning ConsultantRichmond, VA: $98,900 - $112,900 for Learning Consultant

Candidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate’s offer letter.

This role is also eligible to earn performance based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long term incentives (LTI). Incentives could be discretionary or non discretionary depending on the plan.

Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well-being. Learn more at the Capital One Careers website. Eligibility varies based on full or part-time status, exempt or non-exempt status, and management level.

This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.No agencies please. Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non-discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug-free workplace. Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23-A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco, California Police Code Article 49, Sections 4901-4920; New York City’s Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.

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Capital One Financial is made up of several different entities. Please note that any position posted in Canada is for Capital One Canada, any position posted in the United Kingdom is for Capital One Europe and any position posted in the Philippines is for Capital One Philippines Service Corp. (COPSSC).