Building Learning at Amazon Scale
As an L&D leader within Amazon Extra Large, I built and lead a multidisciplinary learning organization responsible for global associate training, technical learning experiences, visual design, compliance programs, and new ways of integrating AI into how training is created.
Building a Multidisciplinary L&D Organization
I intentionally built a team with complementary instructional, technical, visual, and operational capabilities rather than relying on a traditional instructional-design-only model.
Will Briggs
Instructional Design Manager
Team leadership, coaching, strategy, prioritization, stakeholder alignment, learning technology, and measurable business impact.
Instructional Designers
Design and develop global eLearning, instructor-led learning, process training, assessments, performance support, onboarding, safety programs, and operational learning experiences.
Technical ID Capability
Within the instructional design team, two designers specialize in technical development using Storyline and JavaScript to create learning experiences embedded directly into Amazon applications.
Visual Designer
I introduced dedicated visual design capability to strengthen custom graphics, reusable characters, animation, multimedia, 3D environments, and visual storytelling.
Program Manager
Organizes compliance reporting, program tracking, launch readiness, dependencies, stakeholder commitments, and portfolio visibility.
Running L&D Like a Business
I lead weekly, monthly, and quarterly business reviews to communicate execution, performance, risk, priorities, compliance, and L&D impact to Amazon leaders.
Execution & Delivery
Keeping projects moving and identifying risks before they affect operational launches.
Performance & Impact
Connecting learning activity to operational performance and measurable business outcomes.
Strategy & Direction
Aligning team capability, resources, technology, and learning priorities with future business needs.
Owning AMXL Associate Training Worldwide
My organization supports the learning required to move large and bulky products through Amazon's fulfillment, sortation, delivery, and last-mile network.
Fulfillment & Delivery Center Training
Safety Training
PIT Training
Process Training
Software & In-App Training
New-Hire Onboarding
Leadership Training
Delivery Associate Training
Putting Learning Inside the Workflow
I developed technical instructional design capability within the team so learning could move beyond the LMS and appear directly inside the applications associates and leaders use while working.
Two technical instructional designers use Storyline and JavaScript to create learning experiences that integrate with Amazon web applications used across fulfillment, delivery, and cross-dock operations.
Instead of asking employees to leave the workflow and complete separate training, these experiences provide instruction and performance support within the actual process path.
Improvement in Package-Handling Performance
In-app learning has generated positive learner sentiment while improving quality scores and operational performance across multiple process paths.
Bringing Dedicated Visual Design Into L&D
I introduced dedicated visual-design capability to the team to move our learning beyond generic stock imagery and text-heavy instruction.
Example of the custom 3D visual style used to create reusable operational learning environments, characters, and scenarios.
Building a Reusable Visual Learning System
I brought dedicated visual-design capability onto the AMXL L&D team to create more engaging and visually consistent learning experiences.
Our Visual Designer develops reusable characters, figures, work environments, scenarios, and visual assets that allow learners to see recognizable representations of the work they perform.
By creating characters from multiple angles and perspectives, the team can reuse the same visual assets across different scenarios, process paths, and learning programs rather than designing every experience from scratch.
Building Amazon's Internal DOT Training Program
Amazon previously relied on an external vendor for Department of Transportation training. I spearheaded the effort to build an internal program.
Identify the Opportunity
Replace a high-cost external training model with internal Amazon capability.
Partner Across the Business
Collaborate with Safety, Legal, Operations, and Learning teams to define program requirements.
Build the Internal Learning Program
Transform vendor content and internal requirements into scalable Amazon training.
Scale and Sustain
Establish a program capable of supporting Amazon's ongoing DOT training requirements.
Saved Annually
Bringing DOT training in-house eliminated substantial recurring vendor spend while establishing long-term internal capability.
Spearheading AI Adoption Across the ADDIE Process
I led AI adoption across the team, helping instructional designers move from experimentation to repeatable AI-enabled workflows across analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.
Analyze
Research, needs analysis, synthesis, and content organization.
Design
Scenarios, learning strategies, assessments, and rapid prototypes.
Develop
Storyboards, scripts, graphics, videos, interactions, and production support.
Implement
Rollout communications, localization, performance support, and launch materials.
Evaluate
Analyze learner feedback, performance data, assessments, and opportunities for improvement.
Measuring What Matters
I believe an L&D organization should be able to answer one question: what changed because the learning existed?
Spearheaded the transition from external DOT vendor training to a scalable internal Amazon program.
In-app learning embedded directly into operational workflows improved quality and performance metrics across multiple AMXL process paths.
Led a data-driven learning intervention within Amazon's Fraud organization that improved team productivity.
Led the adoption of AI-enabled workflows that helped reduce a typical development SLA from two weeks to one week.
Oversaw scalable learning programs serving associates and leaders across North America, Europe, and Asia.
Built and lead a multidisciplinary organization with six Instructional Designers, one Visual Designer, and one Program Manager.
The best L&D leaders don't simply create more training. They build teams, systems, and capabilities that solve increasingly complex business problems.