Senior Learning & Development Manager

Department: Content Development

Reports To: Vice President

Location: Remote

Employment Type: Contract

Position Summary

The Senior Learning & Development Manager is responsible for leading the development, quality, and delivery of educational content that supports travel professionals at every stage of their career. This role ensures The Travel Institute’s curriculum remains relevant, practical, current, and aligned with emerging industry needs and higher education standards.

The ideal candidate brings deep travel industry experience, strong curriculum design expertise, and the ability to translate real-world knowledge into scalable, high-impact learning experiences that directly support career growth and professional credibility.

Key Responsibilities

Content and Curriculum Development

• Lead the identification, development, and ongoing maintenance of curriculum by proactively identifying training needs across all career stages, including: new-to-industry education, soft skills, management and leadership topics, destination knowledge, and niche market specialization, ensuring The Travel Institute remains at the forefront of travel industry education.
• Oversee all content projects, ensuring timelines are met while supporting learner engagement, completion, and enrollment growth.
• Write, edit, proof, and source educational content, including short-form learning initiatives such as Hot Tip Tuesday, PEP Topics, Friday Five Topics, and other new and ongoing content programs and courses.
• Expand microlearning modules focused on practical, real-world advisor skills and modern travel-selling practices.
• Leverage modern content development approaches, including AI-assisted tools, to improve efficiency in content creation, drafting, and updates, while reserving human expertise for validation, instructional integrity, and final approval.
• Continuously evaluate and refine content workflows to support a more agile, scalable production model without compromising accuracy, trust, or educational quality.

Collaboration & Quality Assurance

• Collaborate closely with internal teams and the Content Development Manager to ensure consistency and alignment across all educational offerings.
• Work with industry partners, volunteers, and subject matter experts to develop accurate, relevant, and high-quality learning content.
• Ensure curriculum is consistently reviewed and updated to meet established instructional and higher education standards and to reflect current industry trends and best practices.

Learning Design & Industry Relevance

• Work with a Learning Management System (LMS) designer to create engaging, learner-focused education.
• Ensure learning experiences support a one-to-many teaching model while maintaining relevance and practical application.
• Continuously monitor industry trends, learner feedback, and performance insights to trigger curriculum updates and new content development.

Student Engagement & Learning Experience

• Actively support student engagement strategies across all programs and certification levels, including CTA, TRIPKIT, CTC, and CTIE, using one-to-many approaches that foster peer learning, motivation, accountability, and successful progression through coursework and credentials.
• Manage learner-facing initiatives, such as study communities, trainer development, test preparation, and structured engagement touchpoints, ensuring alignment with curriculum standards, instructional quality, and certification outcomes.
• Oversee testing development and standards, ensuring assessments align with curriculum objectives, higher education expectations, and credential integrity.

Qualifications & Experience

• Extensive travel industry experience, including background on the retail advisor side and supplier side.
• Proven experience in curriculum development and learning program design.
• Experience developing and delivering live and virtual training sessions.
• Familiarity with Learning Management Systems (LMS) and digital learning environments.
• Experience working with volunteers and subject matter experts.
• Strong writing, editing, and organizational skills.
• Self-starter with the ability to manage multiple projects and work independently.

What Success Looks Like

• Curriculum remains current, practical, and aligned with industry and learner needs.
• Content is consistently updated and developed according to higher education and instructional standards.
• Content projects are delivered on time and meet quality benchmarks.
• Learners report high engagement and clear career value from educational offerings.
• Microlearning and practical, skill-based education continue to expand and evolve.

About The Travel Institute

A collaborative industry effort created in 1964, The Travel Institute has continuously evolved to maintain its role as the global leader and gold standard in travel industry education and certification in support of individual and industry success. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating exclusively for educational purposes, The Travel Institute works with industry leaders to deliver relevant, meaningful, and rigorous coursework.