Director Retail Talent Development

Goodwill; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 80,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania and North Central West Virginia is seeking a Director of Retail Talent Development to lead field-based learning initiatives across Donated Goods & Retail, partnering with People Services to align training with core values and compliance.

The role oversees field Talent Development staff, manages training standards, and ensures measurable improvements in performance and retention across all retail sites. Requires strong leadership and LMS expertise.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience building and scaling training programs that drive measurable results
• Strong retail operations experience (staffing, customer service, merchandising)
• Experience administering or optimizing an LMS and using learning analytics
• Experience designing and running leadership development programs (manager foundations, cohorts, pipeline readiness)

Responsibilities

• Partner with Retail and People Services leaders to identify capability gaps and priorities
• Develop and maintain the Retail Talent Development roadmap and execution plan
• Own training execution across stores and division with consistent delivery
• Create scalable content using varied instructional methods and LMS-enabled learning
• Design leadership development programs for Store Managers, Supervisors, and emerging leaders
• Lead a training model to ensure practical skill transfer across store groups
• Coordinate hands-on training for Store Managers and Assistants with in-store coaching

Skills

Training program development

Retail operations

LMS experience

Train-the-trainer

Leadership development

Education

HS Diploma

Associate's in HR

Bachelor's in HR

Job description

Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania and North Central West Virginia is a nonprofit organization that funds job training, education, and other community programs by selling donated clothing and household items in Goodwill stores and online. We offer life-changing work on a mission-minded team. We are 1,000 working as one and each of us is essential to helping our community thrive. For three years running, Goodwill has been named to Forbes’ list of America’s "Most Inspiring Companies".

We offer a wide range of career opportunities ranging from entry-level to management in retail, human services, and administrative fields. Learn more about working at Goodwill. You can help. We can show you how.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director of Retail Talent Development is a field-based leader responsible for executing the Donated Goods & Retail Division’s learning and talent development strategy in partnership with Divisional Leadership. This role works closely with People Services to ensure retail training is aligned with Goodwill values, agency-wide learning strategies, and required compliance training expectations. This role establishes and governs training standards across the division and ensures learning is delivered consistently and translated into measurable improvements in performance and retention. This role supervises field-based Talent Development staff, owns the retail training architecture, and provides hands‑on training for Retail Managers and store leadership teams. This role also owns end‑to‑end skill development for production and sales floor execution—ensuring best practices are trained, coached, and reinforced across all retail sites.

Status: Regular, Exempt, Full-time.

Location: Workforce Development Center - 118 52nd St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201.

External Hiring Range: $80,000 - $85,000.

Schedule: Monday - Friday

Travel: Travel within Goodwill SWPA territories may be required.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Included but not limited to:

• Partner with Retail and People Services leaders to identify capability gaps, prioritize solutions, and allocate resources.
• In partnership with the Vice President, Donated Goods & Retail, develop and maintain the Retail Talent Development roadmap, annual priorities, and execution plan aligned with Retail Operations goals.
• Serve as the primary field-based owner of training execution—ensuring consistent delivery, reinforcement, and adoption across assigned store groups and the full division as needed.

Curriculum, Content, and Training Resource Management:

• Build scalable content using varied instructional methods (facilitated, on-the-job, simulations, role play, cohort-based learning, and LMS-enabled learning).
• Ensure core programs remain current (e.g., retail training roadmaps, management foundation, operational standards, customer service).
• Own and standardize production and sales floor training content, including role-based skill development for frontline and leadership teams.

Leadership Development, Bench Strength, and Talent Pipeline:

• Design and execute leadership development programs for Store Managers, Assistant Managers, Supervisors, Team Leads and emerging leaders.
• Partner with Regional Directors and site leaders to identify high-potential talent, develop individualized plans, and measure progress.
• Design and execute leadership development programs for Store Managers, Assistant Managers, Supervisors, Team Leads and emerging leaders.

Field Delivery Model, Coaching, and Train-the-Trainer:

• Implement and oversee an Academy Store / cohort-based training model to ensure practical, hands‑on skill transfer and consistent execution across assigned store groups.
• Provide and/or coordinate hands‑on training for Store Managers and Assistant Managers, including in‑store application, observation, and coaching on production and sales floor execution.
• Supervise, coach, and develop Retail Talent Development Partners and/or Retail Leaders to deliver high‑quality training and coaching in stores.

Learning Systems, Analytics, and Effectiveness Measurement:

• Collect feedback from trainees, trainers, and field leadership; use data to improve content, delivery, and reinforcement.
• Oversee LMS utilization and adoption for Retail learning; ensure assigned training is tracked, completed, and reported accurately.
• Define and monitor key learning KPIs (completion rates, time‑to‑competency, quality metrics, retention, and performance impact) and share insights with stakeholders.

Operational Support and Business Continuity:

• Serve as a point of contact for retail learning and development needs, escalating themes and risks to Retail leadership as appropriate.
• Support store leadership with hiring, onboarding, coaching, and performance development practices that reduce turnover and retain talent.
• Provide targeted on‑site support as needed to stabilize store performance, reinforce leadership routines, and ensure continuity during leadership gaps.

Policies and Standards:

• Maintain a current and up‑to‑date understanding of and comply with all company policies and procedures, including but not limited to human resources policies and procedure such as hiring and disciplinary processes and timelines, benefits administration, FMLA, and confidentiality of employee information

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Years of Experience:

• High School Diploma or Equivalent AND 6+ years of relevant experience.OR
• Associates Degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development or related field AND 4+ years of relevant experience.OR
• Bachelors Degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development or related field AND 2+ years of relevant experience.

Required:

• Demonstrated experience building and scaling training programs that drive measurable results (ex: production execution, sales floor execution, safety, quality, retention)
• Strong, practical experience with retail operations (staffing routines, customer service, merchandising standards, backroom/production flow)
• Experience administering or optimizing an LMS and using learning analytics to measure effectiveness
• Experience building train‑the‑trainer models that equip store leadership teams to sustain training without dependency
• Experience designing and running leadership development programming (manager foundations, cohorts, pipeline readiness)

REQUIRED CLEARANCES, LICENSES, AND CERTIFICATIONS:

• Qualified candidates must have a valid driver's license, active insurance policy, and reliable transportation for local travel.
• Candidates are expected to completebackground checks assigned by Goodwill SWPA, including a National Criminal Background check, prior to their first day of employment.
• Candidates are expected to provide current, valid clearances (Child Abuse Clearance, FBI Fingerprints Clearance, and PATCH) prior to their first day of employment.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.