Senior Manager, Learning and Development
About The Position
CALLING ALL LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT ENTHUSIASTS Best Friends is seeking a high-energy Senior Manager, Leadership and Development to drive our learning programs. If you’re passionate about building strong leaders, enhancing culture, facilitating engaging learning experiences, and measuring real impact, this is for YOU. In this role you’ll assess training needs, craft learning strategies, design initiatives, and highlight their value—while championing our Guiding Principles, inclusion, and a kind, transparent workplace. Our dream candidate brings 5–10 years of Learning & Development magic, a proven track record of leadership program design and delivery, and an ability to fuse strategy with hands-on implementation. You’re an engaging facilitator who easily builds trust and connection, empowers learners, thinks strategically, uses data to measure impact, and shines across virtual, in-person, and blended formats. You’ll partner with SMEs, manage vendors and assessments, help build a robust Workday LMS, and translate needs into culture-forward training that elevates engagement and retention—while thriving in a collaborative team. If you are ready to help elevate leadership across our organization, send us your resume and a note on your impact - we’d love to learn more about you!
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in HR, Organizational Development, Education, or related field, or 4+ years of equivalent experience.
- 5–10 years of progressive L&D/OD experience with a track record leading or advising teams; preferably in remote or multi-site environments.
- Demonstrated leadership and management experience: 5+ years of proven successful experience, including overseeing strategy, operations, budgets, goal setting, mentorship, training and staffing.
- Experience designing and delivering leadership/management development programs across multiple modalities (in-person, virtual, blended); proven ability to diagnose needs, create content, and measure impact with data-driven improvements.
- Ability to align learning initiatives with culture, guiding principles, DEIB priorities, and workforce capability gaps.
- Proficiency with assessments (e.g., TriMetrix, DISC, Driving Forces) for development and selection; strong data/analytics skills to track compliance training and learning outcomes.
- Experience managing a Learning Management System (e.g., Workday LMS) and coordinating internal/external SMEs, vendors, and learning partners.
- Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to influence leaders and collaborate with stakeholders across the organization.
- Strong organizational skills, prioritization, and a proven ability to deliver on time and within budget.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Teams, Excel, Word, PowerPoint); comfortable leading live sessions via Teams or Zoom.
- Must have a valid driver's license for at least 3 years, ability to qualify to be added to Best Friends insurance.
Nice To Haves
- Advanced L&D/OD certifications are a plus.
- Experience managing a remote team is preferred, but is not required.
Responsibilities
- Treats people as our most valuable resource by leading with Kindness and Compassion in all actions, build trust by demonstrating authenticity and work to build strong relationships with our team and BF staff by creating communication loops to share and receive honest feedback.
- Incorporates leadership expectations, culture, Guiding Principles, and DEIB considerations into learning programs.
- Works with internal and external SME’s to create and deliver learning content in alignment with Best Friends priorities, culture Guiding Principles, and workforce capability gaps.
- Delivers and maintains plans for ensuring that state and local compliance training is met and tracked by Best Friends.
- Stays current with leadership and learning industry trends, offerings, and best practices to influence curriculum decisions and design.
- Remain up-to-date in facilitation techniques and practices, while utilizing various blended learning resources and instructional design for effective learning and delivery.
- Selects and manages external vendors, consultants, and learning partners
- Oversee TriMetrix, DISC, and Driving Forces Assessments for employees and job candidates
- Acts as key driver and contributor to building out the Workday Learning Management System (LMS) to advance the participation, dissemination, and tracking of employee training.
- Leads a cross-organizational effort consisting of Best Friends training partners (IT, Risk Management, Security, etc.).
- Oversee LMS administrative function.
- Defines success metrics and evaluates the effectiveness of learning initiatives.
- Uses data and feedback to improve programs and demonstrate impact.
- Fosters a collaborative, high-trust team environment; coaches and develops the Learning and Development team.
- Other duties as assigned.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
