Overview

 

The West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing, Inc. (WSFSSH) is a community‐based organization whose mission is to provide safe, affordable housing with supportive services within a residential setting which enhances the independence and dignity of each person. WSFSSH develops and manages housing and provides social services for low‐income older persons, many of whom live with mental illness and/or have experienced homelessness. Our 440 staff members serve more than 2600 residents in 30 buildings located throughout Manhattan and the Bronx. 

                                                                                                                     Job Description –  Director of Staff Learning and Development

In this newly created position, the Director of Staff Learning and Development will report to the Chief Strategy Officer and will be charged with synthesizing and building out an organization-wide framework for providing required and elective staff training and development opportunities. The Director will approach this work with a systems design lens, managing multiple priorities simultaneously, coordinating and providing trainings across the organization from entry level building staff (maintenance, front desk, personal care, kitchen) to clinical case workers, building-level managers and senior leaders. 

Responsibilities include: 

 Program Design

  • Meet regularly with a diverse variety of internal stakeholders to develop priorities for a multi-year, agency-wide plan for required and elective trainings offered both in-person and remotely
  • Design and develop in-house trainings and materials, e.g., a required “Welcome to WSFSSH” core training series for all staff providing essential background on our organizational culture, the needs of our residents, etc.
  • Research, evaluate, and implement trainings by external providers, e.g., a series on effective management or clinical supervision
  • Lead intra-agency efforts to design “career ladder” programs for internal staff advancement
  • Research and adopt a Learning Management System (LMS) to serve as the primary clearinghouse for all training-related offerings at WSFSSH
  • Regularly update/upgrade trainings based on new field knowledge, offerings, and staff feedback

Implementation

  • The Director of Staff Learning and Development will lead in-house trainings and staff development retreats
  • Oversee the roll out of third party trainings 
  • Deploy a “train the trainer” strategy to create a larger cohort of staff to onboard/train colleagues
  • Facilitate the adoption of a “training culture” among all WSFSSH staff, in which professional feedback and professional growth is valued by all
  • Partner with WSFSSH’s Communications staff to create and deploy training-related marketing materials in a variety of mediums (print & electronic)
  • Collaborate with WSFSSH’s Human Resources Department and Managing Director of DEI to expand the new employee onboarding process; create a package of training and development opportunities for skill attainment; develop and oversee protocols for tracking/reporting of participation in training
  •   

Assessment

  • Develop metrics to analyze training effectiveness 
  • Partner with WSFSSH’s Communications and Data staff to track and analyze metrics (including staff feedback) and report outcomes to internal and external stakeholders
  • Participate in agency-wide and department-wide efforts to identify key job performance metrics for each staff role and to develop a process to provide staff with regular performance feedback linked to opportunities for skill-building through training 

Candidates for the Director of Staff Learning and Development reaching the final phase of the interview will be expected to conduct a demonstration training.

Qualifications for the Director of Staff Learning and Development

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (or equivalent experience) in Human Services, Public Health, Social Work, Education, Counseling, Training and Development or a related area 
  • Proven experience creating curricular content based on adult learning theory and instructional design
  • At least two years of experience in the coordination and direct provision of staff learning/training is required; training experience within an organization providing direct human services is strongly preferred
  • Project management skills, including demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple and/or multi-phased initiatives and to operate at both strategic and tactical levels
  • Relationship building skills and proven ability to collaborate with staff who are not direct reports 
  • Engaging approach to public speaking, including facilitation and role-playing skills, with ability to communicate using accessible language
  • Verbal and written communication skills, including visual presentation skills (i.e., use of PowerPoint or other programs to create and present content)
  • Topical knowledge of the following topics strongly preferred: supervisory principles, practices and techniques within a human-services setting; homelessness, aging, mental illness, and substance abuse; crisis de-escalation and violence prevention, trauma and grief; active listening, and motivational interviewing
  • The following attributes are a plus: bilingual (English/Spanish) language ability; prior experience developing and/or leading online trainings; experience with digital training and Learning Management Systems (LMS) 

Equal Opportunity Employer:

WSFSSH is committed to principles of Diversity, Inclusion & Equity. Individuals with life experiences as a person of color; being LGBTQIA+; having a disability; &/or having a family background which can contribute different views to the workplace – such as experiences of poverty or housing insecurity — are strongly encouraged to apply.

WSFSSH is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer (EEO); employment is based upon employees’ qualifications without discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, citizenship status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.

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