Director, Learning and Development

BNI Talent Acquisition Team•Erie, PA

About The Position

The Director, Learning & Development at Barber National Institute provides strategic leadership for the organization’s Learning & Development function. The role establishes and advances an enterprise learning strategy that equips staff to provide exceptional, person-centered services to individuals and families. It sets learning priorities, oversees program development and evaluation, establishes instructional quality and technology standards, and aligns learning investments with organizational goals, workforce needs, regulatory expectations, and operational priorities. The Director leads and develops the Learning & Development leadership team and partners with senior leaders and service lines across the organization. The role oversees orientation, onboarding, required learning, role-specific competencies, professional and leadership development, and certification pathways. It establishes governance, measurement, and continuous-improvement practices using learning analytics, workforce information, participant feedback, and organizational trends. The Director also monitors external trends, regulatory developments, and emerging practices, and helps address workforce and culture challenges as a senior Human Resources leader. The position may require occasional travel between Barber National Institute locations and regional representation with external partners. Candidates must reside within commuting distance of one of the organization’s primary office locations in Erie, Pittsburgh, or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Barber National Institute is a nonprofit providing educational, vocational, residential, and behavioral health programs to children and adults with autism, intellectual disabilities, or behavioral health challenges and their families.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Education, Instructional Design, Human Resources, Learning Technologies, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or a related field.
At least eight years of progressively responsible experience in Learning & Development, instructional design, workforce education, learning operations, or a related discipline.
At least four years of leadership experience overseeing learning programs, teams, or complex learning initiatives.
Experience supervising, coaching, and developing Learning & Development professionals and/or leaders.
Experience establishing learning strategies, standards, processes, and performance measures across multiple programs or organizational functions.
Experience managing learning resources, budgets, vendors, technology, and other operational investments.
Experience using Learning Management Systems, HRIS platforms, learning analytics, reporting tools, and other learning technologies.
Experience using learning data, workforce information, participant feedback, and performance measures to evaluate learning effectiveness and inform organizational decisions.
Ability to facilitate and participate in in-person and virtual learning activities.
Ability to occasionally lift and carry materials weighing up to 20 pounds.
Ability to successfully complete required regulatory and agency-mandated clearances, including applicable criminal background checks, child abuse clearances, and fingerprinting.
Strong strategic thinking and enterprise leadership skills, including translating organizational priorities into learning strategies, goals, and measurable outcomes.
Knowledge of adult learning principles, instructional design, curriculum development, blended learning, competency-based learning, and learning evaluation.
Ability to build relationships with senior leaders and diverse cross-functional partners, influence decisions, and gain organizational alignment.
Strong leadership and coaching skills, including developing leaders, setting expectations, providing feedback, and fostering professional growth.
Strong communication, facilitation, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
Ability to evaluate workforce and learning information, recognize trends, and use insights to guide priorities and investments.
Strong problem-solving skills, including identifying organizational capability gaps, assessing risks, and developing practical, sustainable solutions.
Strong understanding of regulatory and agency-mandated learning requirements and their impact on organizational readiness.
Strong financial stewardship, resource planning, and vendor management capabilities.
Ability to establish consistent learning standards, processes, and quality expectations across programs and locations.
Ability to foster continuous learning, accountability, psychological safety, and professional growth.
Ability to represent Barber National Institute professionally with external stakeholders.
Commitment to BNI’s Core Commitments, including collaboration, transparent communication, problem-solving, adaptability, confidentiality, and ethical judgment.
Willingness to travel occasionally between Barber National Institute locations and attend external meetings or events as needed.
Candidates must reside within commuting distance of a primary office in Erie, Pittsburgh, or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.
Experience leading enterprise or multi-site learning programs in a regulated organization.
Experience overseeing required training, compliance learning, role-specific competencies, professional development, leadership development, or certification programs.
CPTD, APTD, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or related Learning & Development certification.
Candidates without a preferred master’s degree may qualify through additional progressively responsible experience demonstrating advanced expertise in learning strategy, instructional design, learning operations, and enterprise learning leadership.

Responsibilities

Establish enterprise Learning & Development priorities, strategies, standards, and measurable outcomes aligned with organizational goals and workforce needs.
Lead the development and delivery of orientation, onboarding, required learning, role-specific competencies, professional development, leadership development, and certification programs.
Lead, coach, and develop the Learning & Development leadership team; manage resources and support effective execution.
Establish instructional design, curriculum, facilitation, and learning technology standards that promote consistent, engaging, accessible, and effective learning experiences.
Oversee required-learning processes, including completion tracking, documentation, reporting, and organizational readiness for applicable agency requirements.
Partner with Governance, Risk, Compliance, and Service Line leadership to assess regulatory changes and determine appropriate learning responses.
Establish learning measurement practices and review completion data, competency assessments, participant feedback, and other indicators to evaluate program effectiveness.
Partner with senior leaders and service lines to identify workforce capability gaps, performance challenges, leadership development needs, and professional growth priorities.
Oversee Learning Management Systems, learning technologies, and related processes to support data integrity, efficient workflows, and positive user experiences.
Manage Learning & Development budgets, vendors, resources, and technology investments.
Monitor external learning trends, regulatory developments, industry practices, and emerging technologies, and translate relevant findings into recommendations.
Represent Barber National Institute with trade associations, regulatory entities, provider coalitions, community partners, and other external stakeholders.
Partner with Human Resources, Organizational Development, Information Technology, Finance, Strategic Communications, and other administrative teams to advance organizational priorities.
Support senior leadership in addressing workforce trends, staffing and culture challenges, engagement, retention, and performance through strategic learning solutions.
Promote a safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environment reflecting the organization’s mission, Core Commitments, and commitment to professional development.
Serve as a strategic representative and brand ambassador, strengthening Barber National Institute’s visibility, credibility, relationships, and reputation in the community and regional market.
Complete other related duties that support the mission and purpose of Barber National Institute.