Position Title: Learning & Development Manager
Location: Washington, DC (3 days/week in office)
Department: Leadership & Organizational Development
Reports to: Senior Director, Leadership & Organizational Development
DC based salary range: $61,625 - $65,250
**Please submit a cover letter and resume**
Organization Summary:
Founded in 1968, Special Olympics is a global movement to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. We foster acceptance of all people through the power of sport and programming in education, health, and leadership. With nearly four million athletes and Unified Sports® partners and one million coaches and volunteers in more than 170 countries, Special Olympics delivers more than 30 Olympic-type sports and nearly 50,000 games and competitions every year. Learn more at SpecialOlympics.org.
Position Summary:
Providing high quality training and development opportunities for staff and Program leaders is critical to the successful achievement of Special Olympics’ strategic goals and objectives. It enables us to improve quality, expand our reach and establish the foundations of more inclusive societies.
The role of Manager, Learning & Development is focused on leading development and implementation of a professional, holistic approach to staff learning and development guided by Learning and Development Strategy that empowers staff and supports strong performance that drives strategic outcomes.
Requirements:
- Ability to build new and sustain existing partnerships to support the provision of high-quality learning & development opportunities for staff and Movement leaders
- Strong up-to-date knowledge of L&D trends, strategies, methodologies, and curricula , experience in delivery of L&D programs.
- Ability to integrate leadership development solutions (i.e. Percipio) to encourage ongoing staff learning & development.
- Ability to create, implement, and deliver high quality, impactful learning, and development programs.
- Proficiency in management of multiple, time-sensitive projects.
- Strong communication and relationship management skills to engage successfully with internal and external stakeholders.
Outstanding candidates will have experience in multi-modal learning & development, expertise in digital communications, an execution-driven mindset, a strong influencing ability, and previous experience of fast-paced international contexts.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Conduct regular assessments to identify learning and development needs across all departments and regions.
- Develop and implement innovative learning strategies, methodologies, and curricula aligned with organizational priorities, staff needs, and the three pillars of the Special Olympics L&D strategy.
- Design and deliver leadership development programs, management training, technical skills workshops, and other learning initiatives based on adult learning principles and utilizing a variety of modalities (e.g., instructor-led, e-learning, simulations, peer learning).
- Create high-quality learning resources, including training materials, guides, toolkits, videos, and e-learning modules. Ensure learning content is culturally sensitive, accessible, and inclusive, reflecting the diversity of our workforce.
- Curate and adapt existing learning content from internal and external sources to meet the diverse needs of our global staff, based on team needs and staff individual development goals.
- Support development, manage, promote, measure impact, and build recognition system for inter-personal components of L&D strategy: staff buddy-program, mentorship program, coaching.
- Establish metrics and evaluation methods to assess the effectiveness and impact of learning programs on individual and organizational performance. Analyze learning data and feedback to identify areas for improvement and refinement of learning initiatives.
- Collaborate with staff responsible for L&D across business units to track and align training and professional development offerings to global L&D strategy.
- Develop comprehensive view of L&D data (e.g. dashboard) to support senior leadership in data-driven decision making related to L&D solutions and L&D strategy implementation.
- Identify and support submissions for external recognition opportunities for Special Olympics L&D work.
- Build the capacity of internal trainers, subject matter experts, and regional learning champions to facilitate learning activities and support talent development across the organization.
- Support developing new and fostering existing partnerships with external training providers, educational institutions, and peer organizations to leverage resources and expertise in learning and development.
- Represent L&OD team on L&D related groups and committees (e.g. LMS, Curriculum & Content committee, Welcome committee)
- Maintain strong knowledge of trends, strategies, methodologies, and curricula in leadership development and broader L&D
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders at all levels of the Special Olympics organization, including Special Olympics alumni.
- Any other duties as may be reasonably requested from time to time
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Education, or a related field (Master's degree preferred), or equivalent experience.
- Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in learning and development, preferably in a non-profit or international development context.
- Demonstrated expertise in instructional design, curriculum development, and adult learning principles.
- Proven experience in designing and delivering training programs using a variety of modalities and technologies.
- Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
- Excellent communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills, with a track record of engaging and influencing diverse stakeholders.
- Cross-cultural sensitivity and experience working in multicultural or global teams.
- Proficiency in learning management systems, especially Percipo and other learning technologies.
- Proven experience in development and delivery of high quality learning & development programs
- Outstanding writing and communication skills with technical aptitude and attention to detail
- Willingness and ability to travel independently both nationally and internationally, including non-traditional work hours (nights and/or weekends) where required
- Ability to steward existing and potential funders/partners and obtain resources required to ensure the sustainability of assigned work areas
- Ability to work day-to-day without face-to-face on-site supervision
- Ability to work professionally with multiple internal and external stakeholders
- Positive, high energy work approach with proven ability to stay proactive and focused on routine tasks
- Ability to maintain confidentiality
Desired Qualifications:
- Experience in the intellectual disability community and/or Special Olympics
- Experience working in the non-profit sector
- Ability to utilize project management tools to plan and execute work
**Please submit a cover letter and resume**
Special Olympics provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
**Special Olympics is an E-Verify Employer**