Instructional Designer in Portsmouth

Salary: up to £50,000 (DOE) Full Time Permanent

Who we are: SubSea Craft is a fast growing, privately‑funded, UK‑based innovative maritime technology company specialising in next‑generation, high‑performance watercraft and systems. We operate at the intersection of advanced engineering, cutting‑edge design, and user‑centric innovation, delivering safe, effective, and enabling solutions for both commercial and defence applications.

What we offer:

• Annual Leave – Entitlement to 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays
• Wellbeing Day – An additional Wellbeing Day each year to focus on personal health and wellbeing.
• Private Healthcare – Access to comprehensive private healthcare coverage to support your physical and mental wellbeing.
• Life Assurance and Critical Illness Cover – Comprehensive protection including Life Assurance (4x salary) and Critical Illness Cover for added financial security.
• Family Leave – Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
• Christmas Leave – A Christmas shutdown is typically observed.
• Professional Development – Commitment to ongoing learning and career growth, supported by training programmes and access to LinkedIn Learning.
• Pension Contribution – pension scheme with the option to contribute via salary sacrifice
• Flexible Working – Opportunities for flexible working arrangements to promote work–life balance.
• Inclusive Culture – A professional environment that values diversity, innovation, and collaboration.

Role Overview: As an Instructional Designer at SubSea Craft, you will be instrumental in crafting engaging and effective learning experiences that empower our customers and cross‑business teams in the cutting‑edge field of advanced maritime technology.

Responsibilities:

• Content Development Lifecycle Management – Managing the complete content development lifecycle, from initial needs analysis through to comprehensive training evaluation, for diverse audiences including highly skilled maintainers, operators of our advanced systems, and our internal staff.
• Collaborative Design – Collaborating closely with our engineering, product teams, and subject matter experts to design high‑quality, impactful Instructor‑Led Training (ILT), Virtual Instructor‑Led Training (VILT), eLearning modules, and video‑based training content that addresses complex technical concepts.
• Clear Content Creation – Writing clear, concise, and skills‑focused content that is precisely aligned with defined learning objectives, ensuring learners can apply their knowledge effectively in real‑world scenarios.
• Competency Assessment – Creating valid, authentic, and robust assessments designed to accurately assure competency across all learning programmes, particularly for highly technical skills.
• Stakeholder Engagement – Presenting innovative learning concepts and prototypes to key stakeholders and effectively incorporating their feedback to refine and finalise deliverables.
• Continuous Improvement – Maintaining and continuously improving existing training materials to ensure relevance, accuracy, and maximum learner engagement, reflecting rapid advancements in our industry.
• LMS Management – Overseeing the management and evolution of our Learning Management System (LMS), optimising it to serve both internal teams and external customers, ensuring a seamless and effective learning environment.
• Effectiveness Evaluation – Evaluating learning effectiveness using various metrics including feedback, performance data, and analytics, and actively driving refinements based on insightful data.
• Blended Learning Champion – Championing a blended learning approach across digital, ILT, VILT, and hybrid delivery methods, ensuring the most effective and accessible learning pathways for all audiences.
• Strategic Learning Support – Supporting the wider training strategy by contributing to scalable, flexible learning solutions that directly align with SubSea Craft’s organisational goals and our commitment to innovation in maritime technology and defence.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Educational Background – A bachelor’s degree in education, Cert. Ed or PGCE, or a related technical field is a plus; equivalent practical experience in teaching, training, instructional design, and content development is equally valued.
• Professional Experience – Minimum of 3 years professional experience in teaching, training, instructional design, and content development, ideally within a technical, engineering, or defence environment.
• Instructional Design Expertise – Strong understanding of instructional design principles, adult learning theories, and a range of learning methodologies, with a proven track record in developing effective technical training programs, including those focused on compliance and awareness.
• Software Proficiency – Proficiency with industry‑standard tools such as Articulate Storyline and Rise, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), video‑editing tools (Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro or similar), animation platforms (Motion, After Effects or similar), and LMS management.
• Communication & Collaboration – Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a proven ability to engage and collaborate effectively with cross‑functional technical teams and subject matter experts.
• Organisational Skills – Exceptional organisation and time‑management capabilities, particularly in dynamic, fast‑paced settings where multiple projects run concurrently.
• Analytical & Problem‑Solving – Demonstrated analytical skills and a strong problem‑solving mindset, capable of deconstructing complex technical information into digestible learning content.
• Creative & Passionate – A creative and curious individual with a genuine passion for developing innovative learning experiences across a range of formats.
• Continuous Improvement Mindset – A strong passion for continuous improvement in both content quality and learner outcomes.

Desirable:

• Defence Training Knowledge – Knowledge of Defence direction and guidance for training and education (JSP 822) / Defence Systems Approach to Training (DSAT).
• Technical Maintenance Training – Experience in developing complex technical product maintenance training programs.
• Technical Publication Standards – Experience in creating technical publications using S1000D specification or similar industry standards.
• Multimedia Production – Proven experience in video production and graphic design specifically for learning purposes.
• Delivery Confidence – Confidence and experience in delivering both ILT and VILT sessions.

Note: Due to the nature of work undertaken at SubSea Craft, the selected candidate must be capable of meeting the security requirements of the position, which would include as a minimum Existing right to live and work in the UK, Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), with Security Check likely for specific projects.

Values: Our people are our greatest asset, and we continually strive to provide an excellent working environment to enable our team to do their best work. We are founded on the belief that our people are valued and our business is trusted, inclusive and commercially adept. We are committed to building an inclusive, diverse workplace where everyone can thrive.

What we expect from you:

• Teamwork, mutual respect and collaboration
• Initiative and independent working
• Honesty and integrity
• Business and commercial awareness
• Agility, adaptability and continuous development

Legal notice: Please note that all offers of employment are conditional and subject to satisfactory DBS, driving licence and reference checks. A criminal record will not automatically disqualify candidates from employment. We will consider criminal record information alongside the wider range of evidence gathered at the application, interview, and pre‑employment checking stages.