Director of Talent Development and Learning

Department: Human Resources
Status: Full-time

Who We Are

At Sertoma Star Services, we’re on a mission to empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and those living with mental illness to reach their goals and lead fulfilling lives. With a strategic presence in South Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, we proudly serve more than 2,000 individuals through a diverse range of vocational, educational, therapeutic, and residential programs.

Sertoma Star Services was formed through the merger of two dynamic social services organizations, New Star and Sertoma Centre, combining more than 125 years of experience providing innovative, person-centered services. Our shared commitment is simple: to transform lives by delivering comprehensive services, choices, and opportunities in an environment that promotes self-advocacy and personal success.

By joining the Sertoma Star team, you will have a unique opportunity to challenge limits and change lives. Together, we can shape a brighter future for those we serve.

Your Role

As the Director of Talent Development and Learning, you will lead the organization’s learning and development strategy to ensure training programs, leadership initiatives, performance-management systems, and professional-development opportunities support organizational goals, employee growth, and future workforce needs.

Reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer, you will help foster a culture of continuous learning, strong leadership, innovation, compliance, and high performance throughout Sertoma Star Services. You will oversee the Training and Development Administrator and work closely with agency leaders, internal stakeholders, subject-matter experts, vendors, and training ambassadors to design and implement meaningful learning experiences.

You will also lead the organization’s performance-management process and support mentoring, change-management, leadership-development, and organizational-development initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an organization-wide learning and development strategy aligned with Sertoma Star Services’ mission, business objectives, and workforce priorities.
• Design and deliver training plans and learning opportunities for employees at all levels of the organization.
• Lead the development of leadership, management, onboarding, service excellence, compliance, and professional-development programs.
• Serve as an internal performance consultant by assessing organizational needs, identifying skill gaps, and recommending appropriate learning and performance solutions.
• Conduct needs assessments and performance analyses to strengthen employee effectiveness and support individual, departmental, and organizational goals.
• Identify leadership-development needs and recommend training, coaching, workshops, and other interventions that strengthen leadership effectiveness.
• Partner with internal and external subject-matter experts, organizational leaders, vendors, and other stakeholders to develop relevant and effective training content.
• Select and implement appropriate learning methods, including instructor-led training, simulations, webinars, e-learning, coaching, mentoring, and action learning.
• Establish measurable learning objectives and evaluate the effectiveness of training, development, and performance-improvement initiatives using defined metrics.
• Monitor learning outcomes and use data, feedback, and organizational needs to continuously improve training programs.
• Facilitate change-management initiatives, leadership-development programs, and organizational-development interventions.
• Support meaningful and ongoing dialogue between managers and employees regarding performance, professional growth, and development plans.
• Manage the organization’s performance-management and appraisal process from beginning to end.
• Educate managers and employees on completing performance evaluations and developing clear, effective, and measurable performance goals.
• Ensure learning programs, initiatives, and communications align with the organization’s mission, values, strategic priorities, and core competencies.
• Stay current on organizational development practices, talent-development strategies, learning trends, and emerging training-delivery platforms.
• Ensure learning opportunities are accessible, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of a culturally diverse workforce.
• Manage the Training and Development Administrator, learning management system, and organization-wide training ambassador program.
• Provide coaching, guidance, feedback, and professional-development support to direct reports.
• Recognize employees’ talents, abilities, and interests and provide guidance on using those strengths to improve performance, job satisfaction, and departmental operations.
• Conduct regularly scheduled departmental meetings to support communication, collaboration, accountability, and employee input.
• Promote agency-wide teamwork through collaboration with leaders and employees across departments and locations.
• Ensure staff use effective business and customer-service practices when supporting internal and external customers.
• Provide leadership that promotes quality, person-centered services responsive to the needs, interests, rights, and choices of the individuals served.
• Maintain awareness of emerging developments and best practices in talent development, instructional design, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness.
• Contribute to continuous-improvement and best-practice initiatives across the Human Resources department.
• Manage special projects related to learning, performance, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness.
• Attend all agency-mandated training within the required timeframes.
• Maintain compliance with applicable licensing, funding, accreditation, safety, and state and federal regulatory requirements, as well as agency policies and procedures.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development, Human Resources, Training and Development, Education, Business Administration, or a related field required; master’s degree strongly preferred.
• At least five years of progressive experience in organizational development, learning and development, talent development, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering training programs, leadership-development initiatives, and performance-development strategies.
• At least three years of experience directly managing employees and leading cross-functional projects.
• Experience with instructional design, learning management system administration, online learning development, and training delivery required.
• Proficiency with instructional-design tools and software used to develop classroom, virtual, and e-learning content.
• Strong knowledge of adult-learning principles, facilitation techniques, performance consulting, and organizational-development practices.
• Demonstrated ability to assess training needs, identify performance gaps, develop appropriate interventions, and measure program effectiveness.
• Strong leadership, coaching, project-management, and change-management skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, presentation, and facilitation skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with employees at all organizational levels.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain strong attention to detail with minimal supervision.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and other workplace technology.
• Valid driver’s license, current automobile insurance, and an acceptable motor vehicle record required.
• Ability and willingness to travel to Sertoma Star Services facilities and other locations as needed.
• Ability to safely and successfully perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off
• 13 paid holidays
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans
• Employer-paid basic life, AD&D, and long-term disability insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• 403(b) retirement plan with company match
• Tuition assistance
• Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
• Ongoing training and professional development opportunities

Health, Safety, and Culture

Sertoma Star Services is an equal opportunity employer that embraces the uniqueness of every person. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment that is respectful and sensitive to individuals of all gender identities and cultural, socioeconomic, ethnic, religious, and racial backgrounds.

Our open-door, team-building approach supports both agency goals and employee success.