Sara L. Houser
Medway,MA
Summary
Accomplished learning and development professional who strategically improves performance through targeted training and behavior change initiatives. Applies cognitive learning theory and creative problem-solving skills, designs innovative learning experiences, and transforms conceptual ideas into award-winning solutions. Detail-oriented team player with strong organizational, program, and project management skills. Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously with a high degree of accuracy.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Sr. Instructional Designer, Claims Career Academy
Liberty Mutual
03.2013 - 04.2014
- Proactively identify strategic opportunities for performance support and behavior change.
- Responsible for significant, high-impact design projects and curricula.
- Engage stakeholders to define and prioritize strategic goals requiring skill development or behavior change.
- Proactively collaborate with cross-functional teams to create and implement performance enhancement strategies, demonstrating strong teamwork and communication skills.
- Lead performance analysis to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement associated with organizational change and process improvement.
- Conduct surveys, interviews, and data analysis to gather relevant information for designing targeted solutions.
- Collaborate with internal training and knowledge management partners to align resources to the highest priority and highest value work.
- Manage incoming training and knowledge management requests using a defined intake and prioritization process.
- Mentored designers seeking to develop their instructional design and project management skills.
Education Service Manager
Courion
01.2012 - 02.2013
- Set strategy, direction, goals, and priorities for the Education Services function.
- Managed $300,000 budget and allocated resources to maximize productivity and profitability.
- Collaborated with sales teams to develop and deploy customer training service packages to drive training revenue. Developed innovative role-based curriculums and programs, leveraged product documentation, and supported customers, partners, and employees.
- Established training curriculums, expanded training modalities, and maintained training labs with IT. Established and maintained standard styles, processes, and workflows for training sales and support staff and materials.
- Requested, collected RFPs and selected a learning management system.
Sr Instructional Designer
CA Technologies - A Broadcom Company
01.2006 - 01.2012
- Consulted and guided the development of and production of advanced learning content for multiple business units to support the learning and performance needs of sales, internal employees, clients, and partners.
- Measured business impact and effectiveness of deployed learning solutions.
- Conducted analysis to identify strategically aligned learning and development initiatives and recommend learning solutions to achieve desired outcomes using a blend of formal and informal learning and performance support strategies and technologies.
- Determined and advised the most efficient and cost-effective plan to achieve results using internal and external resources.
- Developed standards for designing and developing product training.
- Led project teams using traditional and agile project methods to produce a set of education deliverables.
Instructional Designer
Kronos
01.2005 - 01.2006
- Determined appropriate learning solutions through task, content, and needs analysis.
- Produced working models and established standards for analysis and design processes.
- Designed and developed multi-modal learning deliverables using a single-source LCMS.
- Tailored standard curriculum for organizations by developing custom-branded training materials and incorporating their unique business processes to reinforce policies and procedures.
- Served as the lead instructional design resource for content developers to ensure consistent use of models, methodologies, and terminology across the entire training program spectrum.
- Evaluated materials to ensure learning objectives have been met and can be appropriately tested based on design.
Worldwide Trainer / Instructional Designer
Teradyne
01.2000 - 01.2005
- Coached and facilitated training for cross-functional teams throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, and Korea.
- Designed learning solutions for 400+ engineers to determine and meet identified strategic skills.
- Planned, directed, managed, trained, and delivered change and knowledge management courses and technical web-based seminars to international audiences.
- Created educational materials, including job aids, participant guides, and instructor guides with and for international employees.
- Delegated responsibilities.
Education
Master of Science - Performance Improvement Management
Ithaca College
Ithaca, NYBachelor of Science - Business
Valley City State University
Valley City, ND05.1999
Skills
- Performance Consulting
- Program and Project Management
- Needs Assessment and Task and Performance Analysis
- Curriculum and Training Program Design, Development, and Implementation
- Adaptive Learning, Learner-led, Virtual Classroom, Instructor-Led Classroom, Blended Learning, Collaborative Problem-Solving
- Cognitive Learning Theory, Adult Learning Theory
- Storyboarding and production of E-Learning, Microlearning, and Assessments
- Tools: Storyline, Rise, Captivate, Illustrator, SnagIt
- Audiences: Service, Sales, IT, Management
Accomplishments
- 2023 2-awards for the development and execution of SIU's Learning Pathways skills development program, and the Investigative Interviews program
- 2022 Award for development of a shared project scope template across sales, service, claims L&D teams
- 2019 Award for iteratively redesign of claims new hire training from a 5-week ILT to 2-week multi-modal self-paced curriculum design leveraging microlearning
- 2016 Advancing the Customer Experience (ACE) Award for redesign of property claims new hire program
- 2014 Bravo Platinum Level Award for multi-modality bodily injury litigation curriculum.
- 2013 Bravo Gold Level Award for conference presentation
- 2011 e-learning award in “Best use of e-learning to ensure compliance with external or internal policies” • Awarded 2009 Brandon Hall “Sliver” Best Use of Games for Learning
- CA Technologies Above and Beyond Award
- Kronos Services Spirit of Excellence Award
Certification
- Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Institute (PMI) - in progress
- Level 2 Gamification Journeyman Certification, Sententia Gamification
- Level 1 Gamification Apprentice Certification, Sententia Gamification
- Adaptive Learning Certificate, American Training and Development (ATD)
- Certified ELearning Specialist, Langevin Learning Services
- Certified Instructional Designer/Developer, Langevin Learning Services
Timeline
Sr. Instructional Designer, Claims Career Academy
Liberty Mutual
03.2013 - 04.2014
Education Service Manager
Courion
01.2012 - 02.2013
Sr Instructional Designer
CA Technologies - A Broadcom Company
01.2006 - 01.2012
Instructional Designer
Kronos
01.2005 - 01.2006
Worldwide Trainer / Instructional Designer
Teradyne
01.2000 - 01.2005
Master of Science - Performance Improvement Management
Ithaca College
Bachelor of Science - Business
Valley City State University
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