Leadership Development Program Manager

Easterseals Southern California•Irvine, CA

About The Position

The Leadership Development Program Manager leads the planning, delivery, evaluation, and continuous improvement of Easterseals Southern California’s enterprise leadership development ecosystem. Reporting to the Director of Learning & Development, the manager partners with the Director to translate strategy into a shared, human-centered leadership foundation, learning pathways from emerging leaders through C-suite executives, and practical learning that strengthens leadership in everyday work. The role leads cross-functional initiatives and works with Learning Experience Design, Instructional Design, and Operations colleagues to deliver accessible learning experiences with measurable results. The position oversees leadership development programs and pathways, manages program delivery and approved budgets, and sustains learning through peer development, practical tools, and workplace application. It collaborates across functions to connect leadership development with organizational competencies, performance management, talent development, succession, and other priorities. The manager supports consultation, facilitated conversations, team-building, learning design, facilitator development, impact evaluation, and vendor partnerships. The position has no direct or indirect reports and makes day-to-day program decisions within established strategy and approved resources, escalating significant budget, capacity, or strategic decisions to the Director. The position requires a bachelor’s degree in a related field, advanced professional development in leadership development, adult learning, organizational change, and program evaluation, and at least five years of progressively responsible experience in leadership, organizational, or talent development within a complex, multi-site or multi-service organization. A master’s degree and relevant credentials are preferred. Local travel is up to 10% of the time. The stated starting salary is $103,500k–$129,500k per year.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development, Leadership, Adult Education, Human Resources, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Business Administration, or a related field.
Advanced professional development in leadership development, adult learning, organizational change, and program evaluation.
At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in leadership development, organizational development, or talent development within a complex, multi-site or multi-service organization.
Knowledge of adult learning, competency-based development, experiential learning, coaching, workplace application, and evaluation.
Expertise in blended learning that integrates in-person experiences, e-learning, and social and virtual collaboration.
Strategic perspective and judgment to connect leadership development with organizational priorities, culture, operational needs, and measurable outcomes.
Strong consultation, facilitation, and executive communication skills, with the ability to build trust and influence across functions and leadership levels.
Strong program management and analytical skills, including responsible resource management and the ability to translate evidence into recommendations.
Ability to create inclusive, accessible learning environments, foster psychological safety, develop others’ capabilities, and use learning technologies and assessments effectively.
Demonstrated success launching, expanding, and improving competency-aligned leadership pathways across multiple levels, including directors and senior executives, with evidence of workplace application and behavior change.
Ability to engage stakeholders, lead cross-functional teams without direct reporting authority, and manage resources, vendors, and competing priorities.
Demonstrated ability to facilitate leadership learning, apply coaching approaches, develop faculty or facilitators, and partner with curriculum and instructional design specialists.
Experience using evaluation findings to improve programs and connecting leadership development with performance management, succession readiness, and organizational change.
Must successfully pass and maintain required background screenings, fingerprint clearances, and drug testing in accordance with organizational and program requirements.
Ability to perform the described physical activities: occasional lifting or carrying up to 30 pounds; occasional standing and walking up to 3 hours per day; and constant sitting up to 8 hours per day.
Ability to perform keyboard activity, telephone use, and writing, and to view a computer monitor and read newsprint.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Credentials in learning evaluation or leadership assessments.
International Coaching Federation coaching credential.
Experience in human services, healthcare, nonprofit, or a similarly mission-driven setting.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Director to refine the leadership development ecosystem, define learning journeys and outcomes, and guide phased implementation, evaluation, and expansion.
Oversee leadership development programs and pathways for emerging and high-potential leaders through C-suite executives, aligning them with organizational competencies, leadership standards, performance expectations, and needs.
Manage program delivery, stakeholder engagement, timelines, resources, risks, and approved budgets; elevate capacity and priority decisions to the Director as needed.
Extend learning beyond formal programs through ongoing development, peer learning, practical tools, and workplace application.
Partner across functions to integrate competencies and align leadership development with performance management, talent development, succession, and organizational priorities.
Provide consultation, facilitated conversations, and team-building experiences in collaboration with the Director and Learning Experience Design partners.
Partner with Learning Experience Design and Instructional Design colleagues to create accessible, blended learning experiences that promote practical application and sustained behavior change.
Develop leadership faculty, facilitators, mentors, and subject-matter experts through shared practices and developmental feedback.
Use learner insights, emerging approaches, and technologies to strengthen learning quality, relevance, and impact.
Evaluate learning effectiveness, behavior change, leadership readiness, and organizational outcomes in partnership with the Director and Operations Manager.
Collaborate with stakeholders and committees to identify development needs, address barriers, and use data and feedback to improve programs and inform recommendations.
Contribute to annual impact reports and other internal and external reporting.
Partner with the Director to select assessments, practitioners, and external learning and coaching partners; oversee vendor performance, resources, and alignment with leadership standards and program outcomes.
Follow applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures; report potential compliance or risk concerns through appropriate channels and use resources responsibly.
Meet required background screening, fingerprint clearance, and drug testing requirements.
Travel locally up to 10% of the time.