Instructional Designer - People Development

Instructional Designer - People Development

The Torchy's legacy began in Austin, Texas in 2006 with an idea, a dedicated executive chef and a food trailer. Today, Torchy's Tacos operates across the country, all with the determination to deliver on our "Damn Good" food promise.

The Instructional Designer creates learning experiences that build capability across Torchy's. This role sits within the Learning & Development function within Torchy's People team and applies adult learning principles to design training that helps leaders grow, coach their teams, and to have the leadership skills to run the business well. Day-to-day, this role partners with subject matter experts across the company to understand what leaders need to learn, then designs content and experiences that make that learning stick.

Design Learning Content — You will build learning experiences that develop Torchy's leaders at every level, from emerging restaurant leaders through established Support Center managers, covering topics like coaching, performance management, team development, and business acumen.

Apply Adult Learning Principles — You will ground every learning experience in how adults actually learn — using real-world context, relevance, practice, and reflection to design content that drives behavior change, not just completion.

Conduct Needs Analysis — You will work with stakeholders to understand performance gaps, define clear learning objectives, and determine the right blend of learning methods for each audience.

Partner with Subject Matter Experts — You will collaborate with operations, HR, and other functions across the business to gather source material, validate content, and translate expert knowledge into learner-friendly experiences.

Build Blended Learning Experiences — You will design a mix of digital modules, instructor-led content, job aids, discussion guides, and on-the-job application activities that together support how leaders learn and grow.

Develop Content in Authoring Tools — You will use digital authoring tools to bring learning to life, and publish content to the learning management system.

Measure Learning Impact — You will define what success looks like for each learning experience, then track engagement, knowledge transfer, and on-the-job application to improve programs over time.

Maintain the Learning Library — You will keep existing content current as the business evolves, retiring outdated material and refreshing what's working.

Additional Responsibilities — You will perform other duties as assigned to support the team and the business.

Curiosity About How People Learn — Effective learning design starts with genuine interest in how adults absorb, retain, and apply new skills, and why some experiences change behavior while others don't.

Clear Writing — Distilling complex leadership concepts into plain, engaging language is what separates training that resonates from training that gets ignored.

Collaboration — Most content is built alongside busy subject matter experts and business leaders, and strong partnership skills are what keep projects moving.

Strategic Thinking — Connecting individual learning experiences to broader leadership capabilities and business outcomes is essential to designing programs that matter.

Organization — Managing multiple programs, deadlines, and content versions at once requires staying on top of details without losing sight of the bigger picture.

Minimum Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in instructional design, learning & development, or a closely related role with a focus on adult learning
• Bachelor's degree in instructional design, education, organizational development, communications, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience
• Demonstrated knowledge of adult learning theory and instructional design frameworks (ADDIE, SAM, or similar)
• Experience designing leadership development or management training content
• Working experience with eLearning authoring tools and learning management systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing learning for restaurant, retail, hospitality, or other multi-unit operations
• Background in coaching, facilitation, or instructor-led training delivery
• Familiarity with leadership development models and competency frameworks
• Experience with Wisetail LMS
• Graphic design or video editing skills (Adobe Creative Suite or similar)
• Bilingual in English and Spanish

Location

• Austin, TX
• Hybrid (in-office 3 days per week)

Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.