Assistant Director, Learning & Development

Worcester Polytechnic Institute•Worcester, MA

4d•$71,800 - $90,000

About The Position

Reporting to the Senior Director of Labor & Talent Programs, the Assistant Director of Learning & Development partners with the WPI community to advance learning and development programs and champion continuous learning for employees, faculty, and staff. The role designs, delivers, and evaluates university-wide initiatives—including learning pathways, leadership and manager development, onboarding curriculum, and professional development—to strengthen organizational effectiveness and individual and institutional performance. As a trusted advisor and strategic partner to campus leaders and Talent Strategy Partners, the Assistant Director applies expertise in facilitation, learning design, and data-informed evaluation. The position also manages the University's learning management system and related technologies, supporting employee learning, engagement, retention, and belonging throughout the WPI community.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development, Human Resources, Education, or a related field.
At least five years of progressively responsible experience in learning and development, talent development, organizational development, training, human resources, higher education administration, or a related field.
Experience designing and implementing employee development programs.
Experience facilitating training, workshops, or development programs.
Experience working with learning management systems or learning technologies, such as LinkedIn Learning, Workday, or Vector Solutions.
Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities, programs, and timelines simultaneously.
Ability to maintain confidentiality, discretion, and professionalism consistent with an HR environment.
Excellent communication, consultation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence across organizational levels.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Organizational Development, Adult Learning, Human Resources, or a related field.
Experience supporting leadership development and manager effectiveness programs.
ATD (CPTD/CPLP), SHRM-CP/SCP, or equivalent professional certification.
Experience with AI-enabled learning tools and emerging instructional technologies.
Background in higher education or similarly complex institutional environments.
Familiarity with Human Capital Management systems such as Workday and behavioral or leadership assessment tools.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and deliver in-person and online learning experiences, including workshops, learning series, cohort-based programs, and learning pathways.
Partner with senior leaders, Talent Strategy Partners, and academic and administrative leaders to assess learning needs, recommend solutions, and develop a forward-looking learning and development strategy.
Facilitate learning sessions for faculty, staff, individual contributors, managers, and senior leaders; train internal facilitators and subject matter experts as appropriate.
Stay current on adult learning methodologies, emerging learning and development practices, and AI-enabled learning technologies.
Design, coordinate, and facilitate leadership and manager development programs that strengthen coaching, communication, and supervisory effectiveness.
Develop learning experiences for new supervisors, emerging leaders, and faculty in leadership roles.
Create tools and resources for performance management, feedback conversations, and career development.
Manage talent programs, including the succession planning pipeline and performance management.
Partner with Talent & Inclusion to develop onboarding curriculum and orientation resources.
Collaborate with Talent & Inclusion and divisional partners on talent management, retention, performance recognition, and career development strategies.
Support organizational development initiatives, including change management and team effectiveness interventions.
Develop and deploy systems to measure program effectiveness, learner participation, and institutional impact; use results and stakeholder feedback to improve programs.
Use needs assessments and gap analyses to identify and prioritize development opportunities and inform program design and talent strategy.
Design, administer, and analyze employee engagement and pulse surveys; create dashboards, executive summaries, and actionable recommendations.
Promote participation in learning resources and professional and career development opportunities.
Establish and support communities of practice that encourage collaboration, knowledge sharing, innovation, and professional learning.
Design and implement employee experiences and resources that foster an inclusive, equitable, belonging-centered work environment.
Partner with Talent & Inclusion and organizational leaders to embed belonging and equity principles in learning and development programming and talent practices.
Manage and administer the University's learning management system and related technologies, including course administration, governance, and user support.
Curate digital learning libraries and make learning resources accessible to employees.
Coordinate required and compliance-related training with University content owners, including assignment, tracking, and reporting of completion.
Coordinate scheduling, logistics, and communications for learning initiatives and events.
Manage relationships with external vendors, facilitators, and consultants, including contracts, invoicing, and performance expectations.
Maintain program documentation and contribute to process improvements in the HR and learning and development function.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned or directed by the supervisor.