Director of Learning and Development

The Director of Learning & Development provides the leadership and day-to-day management for all organizational learning and development efforts to ensure alignment of team efforts with organizational needs and objectives (both short- and long-term).  Provides guidance and direction to the members of the L&D Team, and participates in the design and delivery of a wide variety of training courseware and programs.  Serves as a key resource to the organization in all areas of talent and organizational development. Essential Duties & Responsibilities·  Manages the day-to-day operations of the Learning and Development function.·  Responsible for developing and/or implementing L&D strategies, initiatives and goals that will support the accomplishment of business strategies.·  Works with any/all areas of the organization on an as-needed basis to ensure effective business operations. ·  Leads cross-functional teams, as required, to develop and implement initiatives.·  Hires, mentors and manages all L&D team members, including determining staffing requirements, managing day-to-day team member assignments, setting goals and objectives, and facilitating professional development opportunities. ·  Attends and constructively contributes to pertinent mission related internal and external meetings.  Serves on various internal and external and/or committees and/or task forces as appropriate.·  Keeps fully abreast of trends and innovations in our industry, especially as they relate to the Ascend One mission.  Identifies needs and opportunities to engage in continuous process improvement.·  Facilitates the process of conducting ongoing training needs assessment in all phases of the Ascend One organization.·  Collaborates with Training team to identify knowledge and skill gaps in the organization via the utilization of focus groups, SME interviews, front-line sit-ins and classroom observation.·  Seeks out industry best practices for course design and delivery.  Establishes Ascend One benchmark for course development.·  Ensures that new learning events that are effective, measurable, and timely.·  Analyzes existing learning events and makes changes to improve value to participants.·  Establishes baseline delivery systems for training within Learning & Development.  Employs appropriate technology to provide an effective and cost-efficient learning event.·  Monitors participation and retention of students in the managed curricula.  Makes ongoing changes to ensure alignment of curricula with customer trends, industry changes and Ascend One priorities.·  Serves as a Learning & Development subject matter expert in curricula fields.  ·  Ensures the development of soft skill curriculum for contact center personnel, which includes, but is not limited to sales, negotiation, and customer service skills training. ·  Develops post training support mechanisms aimed at evaluating the success of workshops designed or created.·  As needed, provides training in both classroom and on-the-job simulation environments utilizing both trainer and coaching methodology to ensure trainees are gaining both functional job knowledge and an understanding of the work ethic, work behaviors, performance expectations, feedback expectations and team working environment.·  Serves as an active member of the Learning & Development team and engages coaches, associates, directors and executives to ensure curricula that are aligned with customers and company needs.·  Manages vendor relationships for the purposes of course acquisition and evaluation. Performs other related duties as required. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (Minimum Requirements) Demonstrated success in developing and implementing business-critical Learning & Development projects and initiatives Solid understanding of all areas of organizational development, training design and delivery, and e-Learning/alternative training delivery methods Outstanding project management skills, including the ability to drive projects from initiation through completion Outstanding analytical, reasoning and problem solving skills Excellent communication (written and verbal) and negotiation skills Proven ability to establish effective relationships with internal staff, vendors, and clients Proven effective coaching, leadership and staff management skills Ability to effectively prioritize and manage multiple projects in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced environment Working knowledge of adult learning concepts, program development, and instructional design and development. Excellent verbal and written communications skills, including excellent presentation skills. Exceptional communications, facilitation, presentation and relationship management skills. Demonstrated ability to research, create and organize content into logical learning sequences. Demonstrated experience in developing soft skill curriculum, including, but not limited to leadership, sales skills and strategies, negotiation skills, and customer service skills training.   Education & Experience (Minimum Requirements) Bachelor’s degree from an accredited school in a business related major required.  Master’s degree preferred. Minimum 5-8 years experience in a leadership position (Director-level) in Training, Organizational Development, and/or other related area Minimum 5-8 years of staff management experience Minimum of 5 years of directly-related adult learning and course development experience. Minimum of 5 years of soft-skill curriculum development experience. Experience in the development and rollout of e-learning, distance learning or similar ‘virtual’ training program(s) preferred. Other relevant education and/or experience may be substituted. Please send resume in word format along cover letter to karapanebianco@mergisgroup.com Built on more than 30 years of expertise, The Mergis Group is a specialty recruiting firm committed to helping professionals make the best career choices. We connect specialized professionals to leading opportunities that will foster success in their career.