Education Director: Strategy, Programs & Growth

American Planning Association; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 137,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Paid time off

Company holidays

Flexible work arrangements

Training

403b

Life insurance

Disability

Job summary

American Planning Association in Chicago (Loop) hybrid, with Tue & Thurs in office, seeks an Education Director to lead APA’s education and career development portfolio, shaping high-quality learning experiences for members and customers. This role connects content expertise with audience insights to deliver impactful programs.

The ideal candidate will have 7–10+ years in educational product development or related fields and 5–10 years in supervising teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Advanced degree preferred.
• 7–10+ years in educational product development, learning strategy, workforce development, or related field.
• 5–10 years of experience supervising teams.
• Proven success launching educational products, programs, subscriptions, certificates, or professional development offerings.
• Strong business acumen with market evaluation, business case development, and product performance management.
• Strong relationship builder with cross-functional collaboration.
• Data-informed mindset using customer insights, market research, and performance metrics.

Responsibilities

• Develop and evolve a comprehensive education and career development strategy aligned with APA’s mission and audience needs.
• Collaborate with APA’s Education Committee to advance offerings.
• Lead design and development of online and in-person career programming, content, learning products, upskilling, and professional development initiatives.
• Coordinate contributions from multiple teams and external subject matter experts.
• Ensure materials meet standards and voice across the organization.
• Grow educational offerings and explore partnerships and revenue opportunities.
• Manage budgets and resources.

Skills

Education product dev

Learning strategy

Workforce development

Professional education

Team leadership

Cross-functional collab

Data-driven decisions

Market research

Performance metrics

Strategic thinking

Budget management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree

Job description

American Planning Association in Chicago (Loop) hybrid, with Tue & Thurs in office, seeks an Education Director to lead APA’s education and career development portfolio, shaping high-quality learning experiences for members and customers. This role connects content expertise with audience insights to deliver impactful programs.

The ideal candidate will have 7–10+ years in educational product development or related fields and 5–10 years in supervising teams.