Deputy Executive Director-Learning & Development

ST Public Branding•Seattle, WA

12h•$165,000 - $315,000

About The Position

We are seeking a strategic, business-minded innovative leader to lead our Learning & Development (L&D) function. This role provides enterprise leadership for workforce capability learning, development, and talent readiness, ensuring our people have the skills, experiences, and support needed to deliver complex transportation projects for the Puget Sound region. Leading the training, learning business partners, and instructional design teams, this role operates as a senior leader with the People & Culture department and a trusted partner to executive leadership, translating business priorities into impactful learning experiences that drive performance, engagement, and growth. This role will play a critical part in preparing the agency for ongoing transformation, evolving workforce needs, and increased expectations for leadership capability, equity, and performance. The Deputy Executive Director will ensure learning investments directly support business outcomes, change readiness, and long-term workforce sustainability aligned to the Agency’s long-term, strategic workforce plan.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development, Adult Learning, Human Resources, Business Administration, or closely related field.
Ten years of significant progressive experience in Learning & Development, Talent Development, or Organizational Development; Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Eight years of leadership, budgetary, planning and workforce management experience.
Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-wide learning and development strategies, practices, processes, structures and learning science.
Experience leading through ambiguity, change, or transformation by creating purpose that compels others to action through the organization's vision, mission, and strategy.
Proven ability to partner with senior leaders and influence at the executive level by navigating comfortably through organizational dynamics of power, structure, relationships, and decision-making.
Strong business acumen with the ability to connect learning to measurable outcomes.
Experience leading and building healthy teams by fostering and promoting team commitment, synergy, pride, and well-being.
Experience in establishing, allocating, and maximizing financial, people and technology resources for effective operations to achieve goals.
Demonstrated success operating in complex, matrixed and fast-paced environments.
Demonstrates and models leadership courage by stepping up to champion bold ideas, challenge established practices, and addressing difficult issues.
Background in capability development, change management, or workforce transformation.
Strong interpersonal acumen demonstrated by emotional intelligence, collaboration and including skills in working with complex and dynamic organizations.
Familiarity with learning technologies, data, and analytics and how to leverage them to influence functional and business strategies.
Physical Demands / Work Environment: Work is performed in a standard office environment.
The Agency promotes a safe and healthy work environment and provides appropriate safety and equipment training for all personnel as required.
Sound Transit is an equal employment opportunity employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment action based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status or other protected class.
It is the responsibility of all employees to integrate sustainability into everyday business practices.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of a multi-year learning and capability strategy aligned and integrated with business, talent and learning outcomes to achieve organizational goals and future workforce needs.
Collaborate cross-functionally and partner with other People and Culture divisions, operational departments, and senior leadership to align learning strategies with workforce planning, succession planning, and critical role development.
Ensure learning initiatives are measurable, scalable, tied to business outcomes, and manage learning offerings a product portfolio.
Identify current and future skill gaps and build learning solutions that support transformation, growth, and change.
Support enterprise transformation initiatives by embedding learning and building capability into change efforts.
Oversee learning programs tied to performance, engagement, culture, and retention.
Leverage data and insights to continuously improve and influence learning effectiveness.
Establish the enterprise vision, principles, and standards for instructional design to ensure learning solutions are strategic, scalable, and driven by outcomes.
Provide executive oversight for instructional design practices, ensuring alignment with adult learning theory, accessibility standards, and organizational priorities.
Ensure learning solutions are intentionally designed to drive behavior change, performance improvement, and business impact.
Champion modern learning design approaches and ensure the organization adopts effective, evidence-based modalities at scale.
Ensure effective partnership models between instructional design, subject matter experts, and business leaders.
Hold teams accountable for using data, learner insights, and performance metrics to assess and improve learning effectiveness.
Adopt an agile approach to accelerate learning design and delivery that integrates data-driven, AI-enabled technology to drive personalized learning experiences.
Ensures all learning experiences reflect inclusive design principles, meet accessibility and equity standards, and activate diverse learning opportunities for personal and professional growth that delivers broad access to development.
Serve as a thought partner to leaders across the organization, providing guidance on strategy, prioritization, and complex decision-making.
Support leaders in translating enterprise priorities into clear goals, roadmaps, and execution plans for their teams.
Encourage strong cross-functional collaboration by supporting leaders in building influence and partnerships across the organization.
Provide perspective and course correction when needed, balancing empowerment with appropriate oversight.
Model calm, values-based leadership during periods of transformation or pressure.
Enlist senior leaders as learning and development advocates to provide a safe and effective learning environment to drive shared ownership for an organizational learning culture.
Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on learning, development, and workforce capability.
Communicate clearly and credibly with executives, translating learning strategies into business value.
Influence without authority and drive alignment across functions for learning impact
Elevate the divisions reputational brand by engaging with employees, leaders and communities as active partners to drive learning adoption.
Lead and develop a high-performing Learning & Development leadership team.
Optimize and mature the Learning & Development function through shared direction, organizational agility, team health, and continuous improvement.
Manage the L&D budget and ensure responsible stewardship of public resources.
Build strong cross-functional partnerships with People and Culture Leaders, Executive Leadership, and the agency.
Establish clear governance, roles, and operating rhythms across L&D teams.
Champions and models Sound Transit's core values and demonstrate values-based behaviors in everyday interactions across the agency.
Contributes to a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion in alignment with Sound Transit’s Equity & Inclusion Policy.
It is the responsibility of all employees to follow the Agency safety rules, regulations, and procedures pertaining to their assigned duties and responsibilities, which could include systems, operations, and/or other employees.
It is the responsibility of all employees to integrate sustainability into everyday business practices.
Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Health Benefits: We offer two choices of medical plans, a dental plan, and a vision plan all at no cost for employee coverage; comprehensive benefits for employees and eligible dependents, including a spouse or domestic partner.
Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance.
Employee Assistance Program.
Retirement Plans: 401a – 10% of employee contribution with a 12% match by Sound Transit; 457b – up to IRS maximum (employee only contribution).
Paid Time Off: Employees accrue 25 days of paid time off annually with increases at four, eight and twelve years of service. Employees at the director level and up accrue additional days. We also observe 12 paid holidays and provide up to 2 paid floating holidays and up to 2 paid volunteer days per year.
Parental Leave: 12 weeks of parental leave for new parents.
Pet Insurance.
ORCA Card: All full-time employees will receive an ORCA card at no cost.
Tuition Reimbursement: Sound Transit will pay up to $5,000 annually for approved tuition expenses.
Inclusive Reproductive Health Support Services.
Compensation Practices: We offer competitive salaries based on market rates and internal equity. In addition to compensation and benefits, you’ll find that we provide work-life balance, opportunities for professional development and recognition from your colleagues.