Senior Specialist, Training and Employee Development

Portland State University; Portland (OR); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

95% premium paid healthcare

Generous retirement package

Reduced tuition rates for employee and

dependents

Job summary

Portland State University is seeking a Senior Specialist, Training and Employee Development to design and deliver equity-centered training for managers and staff. The role collaborates with Human Resources to implement a new instructional design tool, applying expert facilitation, LMS administration, and adult learning principles to craft high-impact programs.

Based in downtown Portland, this permanent full-time position includes comprehensive benefits, tuition assistance, and generous

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree plus a minimum of 4 years training development, employee relations, HR generalist, or similar experience.
• Ability to persuade others and tailor communication to audience across organization levels.
• Excellent writing skills, concise communication of points.
• Excellent critical thinking, judgement and decision‑making for costs/benefits.
• Effective time management with high-volume workloads.
• Ability to work under pressure and handle conflict professionally.
• Strong project management skills and team development experience.
• High emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver HR training and communication programs with an equity-centered approach.
• Collaborate on selection and campus-wide rollout of a new instructional design (ID) authoring tool.
• Leverage facilitation, LMS administration, and adult learning principles to design high-impact employee development programs.

Skills

Communication

Writing

Time management

Project management

Emotional intelligence

Persuasion

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Tools

LMS management

Instruction design tools

Job description

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

Portland State University

Position Details

• Proposed Start Date: 11/16/2026
• Classification Title: Human Resources & Organizational Development
• Rank: N - No Rank
• Working Title: Senior Specialist, Training and Employee Development
• Department: 600300 - HRC Human Resource Center
• Position Number: D96759
• Representation: UU - Unclassified Unrepresented
• Renewable: Renewable
• Position FTE: 1
• Tenure Status: F - Fixed Term

Position Summary

Portland State University is Oregon’s most affordable public research university, located in the heart of one of America’s most dynamic cities. Our mission to “let knowledge serve the city” reflects our dedication to turning ideas into action — in Portland and around the world. The city is our campus, giving students unmatched access to career connections, a vibrant cultural scene and hand‑on learning experiences with hundreds of community partners.

More than 20,000 students from all backgrounds bring diverse perspectives to our classrooms and campus life, from the tree‑lined Park Blocks to the bustling Urban Plaza and state‑of‑the‑art science labs. We are proud of our world‑class faculty, groundbreaking research and international reputation for excellence in sustainability, community engagement and innovation.

The Senior Specialist in Training and Employee Development will ensure an equity- and justice-centered approach to all training and communication programs while developing and implementing HR training for managers and employees. This position will report to the Training & Employee Development Manager in Human Resources. This position will also collaborate with the selection, and campus‑wide rollout of a new instructional design (ID) authoring tool, leveraging expert facilitation in authoring software, LMS administration, and adult learning principles to design and deliver high‑impact employee development programs.

This is a permanent full‑time position within an innovative team‑oriented environment located in downtown Portland, and includes a comprehensive benefits package with paid time off including paid sick time, paid holidays and paid vacation days, 95% employer‑funded premium healthcare, employer‑funded retirement plans, and 70% off of tuition for the employee, dependent children, and your spouse or domestic partner.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree plus a minimum of 4 years training development, employee relations, HR generalist, or a combination of other relevant experience, which could include supervisory experience.
• Ability to persuade others and to adjust communication style to suit the audience to effectively communicate with people in all levels of an organization.
• Excellent writing skills, including conveying all necessary points concisely.
• Excellent critical thinking, judgement and decision‑making ability, including the ability to weigh short and long‑term costs and benefits of a potential action.
• Effective at managing own time and time of others with high volume workloads.
• Ability to work well under pressure and to handle conflict with the highest professionalism.
• Strong project management skills.
• Strong people management skills, preferably gained through managing and developing teams.
• High level of emotional intelligence and excellent interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a large, complex organization.
• Experience in an environment with a unionized workforce.
• Experience in higher education and public sector.
• Experience in successfully building and leading a team.
• Expert‑level LMS management and instruction design authoring tool skills

Key Cultural Competencies

• Create an environment that acknowledges, encourages, and celebrates differences.
• Function and communicate effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities, and cultural backgrounds.
• Seek opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings with a willingness to change for continual improvement.
• Adhere to all of PSU’s policies including the policies on Prohibited Discrimination & Harassment and the Professional Standards of Conduct.

Environmental Stewardship

Contributes to a culture of environmental stewardship, practices resource conservation, and actively works toward achieving long‑term sustainability goals.

Work Days/Hours

Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, Up to one day remote, after training period and with the approval of the supervisor.

Total Compensation Range & Benefits Statement

The starting annual salary for this position will be $65,100-$80,000 and may be negotiated within this range.

An excellent benefits package includes 95% premium paid healthcare; a generous retirement and vacation package; and reduced tuition rates for employee, spouse or dependent at any of the Oregon University System schools. Please visit our total compensation calculator to see the full value of our benefits package.

Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.