Training Specialist

The Hope Learning Center LLC•Pine Township, PA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Hope is a premier provider of educational and therapeutic services for children with special needs throughout the North Pittsburgh region. We are a model of excellence, a safe haven for students, and a steady advocate for families who need our support. Guided by compassion, integrity, innovation, perseverance, and teamwork, our multidisciplinary team takes a best-practices approach to helping every student succeed. We will always be a source of hope. At Hope, we believe exceptional employees deserve an environment where they feel supported, valued, and empowered to grow. As our Training Specialist, you'll play a critical role in preparing and developing the employees who make our mission possible. As the Training Specialist at Hope, you will design, coordinate, facilitate, and evaluate employee training and professional development across the organization. This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced educator, teacher, school-based professional, instructional coach, or training professional who understands how adults learn and is comfortable translating information into practical, engaging training experiences. A significant focus of this role will be supporting Hope's schools and school-based teams. You will play a key role in planning and coordinating Back to School Professional Development, ongoing teacher and staff training, and other professional learning opportunities throughout the academic year. You will also lead all new employee orientation classes, serving as a primary facilitator of the new hire learning experience. From welcoming new employees to Hope through introducing organizational expectations, policies, culture, and foundational information, you will help ensure every employee receives a consistent and engaging introduction to the organization. Additionally, you will be responsible for facilitating Safety-Care training for Hope employees and supporting the development of staff competency in safe and effective responses to behavioral and safety-related situations. You'll work closely with school leadership, clinical leaders, supervisors, Human Resources, and subject matter experts to identify training needs, develop learning opportunities, coordinate training logistics, create instructional materials, and evaluate whether training is translating into improved employee knowledge and skills. If you're an engaging educator or training professional who enjoys being in front of a group, coordinating complex training initiatives, and helping other professionals become more confident and effective in their work, we'd love to meet you.

Requirements

Two or more years of experience in education, training, behavioral health, professional development, instructional design, Human Resources, organizational development, or a related field
School-based experience strongly preferred
Experience as a teacher, instructional coach, school-based professional, trainer, facilitator, or other role involving adult learning preferred
Experience developing, coordinating, or facilitating professional development or employee training
Strong presentation and facilitation skills
Experience creating training materials, presentations, activities, assessments, or other instructional resources
Knowledge of adult learning principles and effective instructional strategies
Ability to adapt instructional content and delivery methods for different audiences and learning needs
Strong organizational, communication, and time management skills
Ability to manage multiple training initiatives, deadlines, and priorities simultaneously
Strong problem-solving and decision making skills
Strong working knowledge of Google Workspace and Gmail
Self-starter who takes ownership of responsibilities and consistently follows through on commitments
Passion for education, professional development, and supporting employees who serve students with special needs
Act 33 – PA Child Abuse History Clearance
Act 34 – PA State Criminal History Clearance
Act 114 – FBI Clearance
Act 168 – Sexual Misconduct / Abuse Disclosure Requirements
Safety-Care Instructor Certification or ability to obtain and maintain certification upon hire

Responsibilities

Lead and facilitate all new employee orientation classes, creating a welcoming, organized, and engaging introduction to Hope.
Deliver orientation content covering organizational culture, mission and values, policies and procedures, employee expectations, workplace practices, benefits and resources, and other foundational information necessary for a successful start.
Coordinate with Human Resources and organizational leaders to ensure orientation content is accurate, current, and aligned with organizational expectations.
Manage orientation schedules, training materials, presentations, activities, attendance, and other logistics associated with each orientation class.
Create an engaging learning environment that encourages new employees to ask questions, understand expectations, and begin building a connection to Hope from their first days of employment.
Continuously evaluate and improve the orientation experience based on new employee feedback, organizational changes, and identified training needs.
Lead the planning and coordination of Hope's annual Back to School Professional Development program for teachers and school staff. Coordinate training topics, presenters, schedules, locations, materials, communications, attendance, and other logistics necessary to deliver a successful professional development experience.
Partner with school and clinical leadership to identify priorities and ensure professional development programming reflects the needs of teachers and school-based staff.
Become and maintain the appropriate qualifications to facilitate Safety-Care training for Hope employees. Coordinate and deliver Safety-Care training and related competency activities while ensuring employees receive consistent, engaging, and practical instruction.
Work collaboratively with clinical and school leadership to support staff implementation of safe and effective behavioral and safety practices.
Conduct training needs assessments and collaborate with Hope staff and organizational leaders to identify knowledge, skill, and performance gaps.
Develop a strong understanding of Hope's programs, positions, and services in order to recognize training needs and recommend appropriate learning solutions.
Design, plan, organize, and facilitate training programs that support employee onboarding, professional development, compliance, skill development, and organizational priorities.
Develop and maintain training materials including presentations, handouts, instructor guides, activities, assessments, job aids, videos, and other instructional resources.
Adapt instructional content and delivery methods to accommodate different roles, experience levels, learning styles, and training environments.
Present training using a variety of instructional techniques and formats, including lectures, demonstrations, role playing, simulations, team exercises, group discussions, videos, hands-on activities, and other interactive learning methods.
Create learning environments that encourage participation, questions, collaboration, and practical application of new skills.