Director of Learning & Development

Adapt-Community-Network; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

ADAPT Community Network in New York, NY seeks a Director of Learning and Development to provide strategic and operational leadership for employee learning and professional development across the organization and its affiliates. Reporting to the Vice President, this role designs, implements, evaluates, and iterates learning solutions aligned with mission and workforce needs.

The Director partners with leaders to establish strategies, measures, and pathways that enhance onboarding, performance,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; Master’s degree preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in learning and development.
• Experience leading or managing staff and/or learning and development programs.
• Demonstrated experience with instructional design, adult learning principles, and workplace learning programs.
• Experience in human services, disability services, healthcare, nonprofit, or similarly regulated environments preferred.
• Experience with a Learning Management System and use of learning data or metrics to evaluate program effectiveness.

Responsibilities

• Provides leadership and direction for organization-wide learning and development initiatives.
• Partners with the VP of Learning and Development to establish learning strategies, priorities, goals, and measures.
• Leads assessment of learning needs and translates gaps into effective solutions.
• Serves as internal consultant to Directors, Managers, and leaders regarding performance and development.
• Facilitates new hire Pre-Service Orientation (PSO) for all new hires.
• Oversees design, development, delivery, and evaluation of learning experiences (instructor-led, virtual, blended, eLearning).
• Owns and improves the employee learning experience, including onboarding-related learning.
• Develops learning pathways and activities to transfer knowledge to the workplace.
• Leads effective use of the LMS, including content strategy, reporting, and end-user support.
• Establishes and monitors learning metrics and KPIs to evaluate participation and impact.
• Builds a network of learning champions, trainers, mentors, and SMEs.
• Coaches and develops trainers and staff involved in learning and development.
• Collaborates with leaders to ensure training content reflects practices and regulatory requirements.
• Supports leadership and career development initiatives to strengthen internal talent pipelines.
• Partners with HR on performance management and workforce development.
• Uses feedback and data to identify opportunities for improvement and recommend solutions.
• Promotes a culture of learning, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Maintains awareness of adult learning principles and emerging practices.

Skills

Instructional design

Adult learning principles

Leadership

Project management

Communication

Analytics

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Learning Management System

Job description

Description

Why Join ADAPT?

It's more than a job; it's a calling. It's where passion meets purpose. ADAPT Community Network, formerly United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of NYC provides a multitude of services to people with developmental disabilities. At ADAPT, we are 3,000 strong, and it takes every one of us to empower the lives of the people we support. With caring and great resources at hand, we know what it takes to help people live fuller, happier, healthier lives. Our employees show their commitment to the people we support every day, and we all deliver on our promise to provide innovative and comprehensive services to individuals with developmental disabilities.

SUMMARY

The Director of Learning and Development provides strategic and operational leadership for employee learning, training, and professional development across ADAPT Community Network and its affiliates. Reporting to the Vice President of Learning and Development, the Director leads the design, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of learning programs that support employee onboarding, performance, engagement, career development, retention, and organizational goals. The Director serves as an internal consultant and strategic partner to leaders and programs, ensuring learning solutions are relevant, accessible, consistent, and aligned with ADAPT's mission and the needs of the people we support.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties and responsibilities of the Director of Learning and Development include, but are not limited to:

• Provides leadership and direction for organization-wide learning and development initiatives.
• Partners with the Vice President of Learning and Development and L&D team members to establish learning strategies, priorities, goals, and measures aligned with organizational objectives and workforce needs.
• Leads assessment of organizational, departmental, and role-specific learning needs and translates identified gaps into effective learning solutions.
• Serves as an internal consultant to Directors, Managers, and other leaders regarding employee performance, development, skill gaps, and appropriate learning interventions.
• Facilitates new hire Pre-Service Orientation (PSO) for all new hires across ADAPT Community Network.
• Oversees the design, development, delivery, and evaluation of instructor-led, virtual, blended, eLearning, and other learning experiences.
• Owns and continuously improves the employee learning experience, including new staff orientation and onboarding-related learning.
• Develops learning pathways and independent learning activities that support transfer of knowledge and skills into the workplace.
• Leads effective use of the Learning Management System (LMS), including content strategy, utilization, reporting, end-user support, and efficiency improvements.
• Establishes and monitors learning and development metrics and key performance indicators to evaluate participation, effectiveness, knowledge transfer, and impact on performance and retention.
• Builds and strengthens a network of learning champions, trainers, mentors, and subject matter experts across programs and locations.
• Coaches and develops trainers and other staff involved in employee learning and development.
• Collaborates with leaders and subject matter experts to ensure training content reflects organizational practices, regulatory requirements, program needs, and best practices.
• Supports leadership development and career development initiatives that strengthen internal talent pipelines, engagement, and retention.
• Partners with Human Resources and other functions on performance management, employee development, and workforce development initiatives.
• Uses employee feedback, performance data, training evaluations, and organizational trends to identify opportunities for improvement and recommend solutions.
• Promotes a culture of learning, accountability, coaching, and continuous improvement.
• Maintains awareness of adult learning principles, instructional design approaches, learning technologies, and emerging practices.
• May supervise, assign, direct, and evaluate staff within the Learning and Development function, as assigned.
• Provides guidance and support to ADAPT Community Network’s affiliate training and Human Resources teams to promote consistency, alignment, and the adoption of best practices across the network.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Education, Organizational Development, Training and Development, Business Administration, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in learning and development, training, organizational development, human resources, education, or a related field.
• Experience leading or managing staff and/or learning and development programs.
• Demonstrated experience with instructional design, adult learning principles, and workplace learning programs.
• Experience in human services, disability services, healthcare, nonprofit, or similarly regulated environments preferred.
• Experience with a Learning Management System and use of learning data or metrics to evaluate program effectiveness.
• Ability to communicate and interact effectively with people of all ages and diverse backgrounds.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, develop people, build relationships, influence others, and motivate and inspire employees.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and project management skills.
• Ability to assess learning and performance needs and translate organizational priorities into practical learning strategies.
• Strong presentation, facilitation, coaching, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, deadlines, and stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.
• Passion for ADAPT's mission and demonstrates a commitment to the non-profit disability sector.

COMPENSATION:

$70,000 - $80,000 Annually + Industry-Leading Benefits!

At ADAPT, we value diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging. We strive to ensure that our employees are comfortable bringing their whole, authentic self to work and that the people we support can also be their authentic selves. We value diverse backgrounds, opinions, ideas, and ways of thinking. We aim to build an inclusive and diverse workforce that is empowered and supported with leaders who create diverse and inclusive teams. We continuously seek opportunities for the organization to foster a more positive, respected, united, and collaborative culture.

ADAPT Community Network is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Qualified candidates of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds and status are encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels.