Learning and Development Director

City Year New Orleans is seeking a Learning & Development Director (L&D Director) who will oversee the learning and development experience for New Orleans’ staff and AmeriCorps members that prepares them to serve as idealistic leaders and practitioners focused on strengthening schools and supporting student to improve performance. In this role, the L&D Director builds strategic relationships with partners, works closely with City Year New Orleans’ Impact department and manages our Impact Coach. The L&D Director is a skilled organizer and planner who appreciates big-picture thinking, drives data-driven learning vision, has a passion for equitable access to education in systemically under-resourced schools, love leading learning experiences for others, and believes deeply in the power of young people and their ability to positively impact and transform people and communities.

The L&D Director uses their instructional design skills to create engaging, relevant, and differentiated learning experiences for staff and ACMs. To support the application of learning, the L&D Manager provides spaces for ACMs and staff to engage in reflection, problem-solving, and to receive feedback.

The L&D Director continually assesses learning and coaching quality through analysis of both quantitative and qualitative measures. From this data, the L&D Director provides insights, identifies responsive resources and learning content, and refines the overall work of the Impact Team and site as a whole.

The L&D Director’s responsibilities will be split between in-person school-based and office or home-based work.

This may be the job for you if:

• You are a big-picture thinker, enjoy designing adult learning experiences for diverse and dynamic young people and appreciate that building a positive learning culture is an iterative process.
• You value learning. You invest in your own growth and development and authentically model your passion for personal and professional development for those you lead.
• You are a collaborative relationship-builder with an empathetic and adaptable approach to learning design strategy, appreciate feedback loops and organize your plans based on formative data.
• You care deeply about providing holistic student support in systemically under-resourced schools and believe that City Year AmeriCorps members are a leading example of how the student success coach role can help support student and school success.
• Can manage a shifting schedule, self-direct, and execute to results in a constantly changing environment

Responsibilities

In-School Service, Impact, & Analytics

• Observe ACMs performing interventions, perform both formal and informal check-ins with CY ACMs and site staff and school staff to understand learning needs and develop appropriate curriculum
• Work closely with Impact Coach to support observation and coaching needs of site
• Frequently use data from student interventions, survey, and feedback to assess progress and adjust course to meet site goals

Staff and AmeriCorps Member Learning and Development

• Share instructional best practices with Impact staff around service excellence and impact
• Execute high-quality, relevant learning content for ACMs and staff ensuring alignment to learning calendar while remaining responsive to needs, service priorities, and individual development plans
• By request, support the development of school team/department-based trainings and resources
• Work collaboratively across departments, City Year sites, and with external facilitators to ensure high relevance and effectiveness of learning

AmeriCorps Member Experience

City Year AmeriCorps members serve in schools all day, every day, preparing students with the skills and mindsets to thrive in school and in life. Serving with City Year is challenging, but transformative. During their year of service, AmeriCorps members are given a high degree of responsibility, along with leadership opportunities that have impact on them personally and on the students with whom they work. When designing their learning and development experience, the L&D Director finds balance between the AmeriCorps Member Experience and developing their service skills to support the social, emotional and academic growth of their students.

Build a Culture of Learning

New Orleans cares deeply about the learning experience for AmeriCorps members and staff and recognizes that all New Orleans staff play a role in making their service and learning experience meaningful. The L&D Director is looked to at the site to build a positive culture of learning for our AmeriCorps members and staff by designing a learning strategy that is a replicable, predictable, and responsive set of community-centered activities designed to help AmeriCorps members develop skills and make meaning of their shared service journey. Skillfully facilitated, programmatic learning is reinforced through meaningful individual challenges and in community with others to uncover new understandings, build efficacy and spark joy.

What does a typical day look like?

• Visiting a school and co-observing ACMs with the IM, then debriefing with the IM to understand the learning needs
• Meeting with the Executive Director to discuss learning needs to site staff and develop a comprehensive plan to support those needs and then facilitating monthly professional development for City Year New Orleans’ staff based on collaborative learning calendar and/or current data and survey trends
• Creating and facilitating bi-weekly professional development for the corps
• Meeting with other site’s L&D Managers virtually to collaborate and share learnings

Basic Qualifications

• Confidence in facilitating learning experiences using adult learning principles, processing protocols and interactive learning technology
• Experience building and growing complex professional relationships with a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders and community members
• Ability to make data-informed decisions to advance team and student achievements
• Ability to apply creative problem solving when faced with perceived barriers
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to navigate complex topics and parse them for specific audiences
• Interest and understanding of City Year’s work within the national service movement and education sphere.
• 2-3 years of relevant experience, work in the education sector preferred
• Familiarity with New Orleans school system is a plus

COVID-19 Notice

Our number one priority is the health and safety of our employees and AmeriCorps members and their families; our students and school partners; and the community at large from COVID-19. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for employment and service – all staff members, including remote staff, and AmeriCorps members are required to be fully vaccinated* no later than their start date. If you are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons or sincerely-held religious beliefs, we will consider requests for reasonable accommodation consistent with our policy, and where we are able to provide such accommodations without undue hardship to the organization pursuant to applicable law. Notwithstanding any language herein, City Year will comply with any state, local, or federal orders, statutes, or regulations that may conflict with the COVID-19 vaccination policy.

*Individuals are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after receiving the second dose of a two-dose vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) or one dose of a single-dose vaccination (Johnson & Johnson).