Director, Community Learning & Development

Who We Are:

Yoga Alliance (YA) is the largest nonprofit membership association of yoga professionals, practitioners, and advocates across the globe, and we believe if more people practice yoga, the better the world will be. We’re here to amplify the power of yoga and to make it accessible to anyone wherever they are, under whatever circumstances by:  

• Uplifting the transformative power of yoga 
• Surfacing and reducing barriers to the practice, and  
• Building, engaging, and supporting the yoga community. 

Our member-driven community is a diverse collective of wisdom holders, yoga educators, and teachers expanding their expertise; a welcoming space for those newly exploring yoga; a place for seasoned practitioners to deepen their practice; and a supportive hub where community leaders, organizations, and businesses can leverage yoga for social good.  

At the core of YA lies a profound commitment to our people. Here, every team member is empowered to lead, innovate, dream, create, and grow. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging guide our way of being in work and in working with each other. We champion a culture of collaboration, where learning from failures is as valued as achieving success. Together, we challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of what is possible. 

About the Role: 

Reporting to the Head of Community Engagement, Yoga Alliance (YA) is seeking a Director of Community Learning & Development to join its dynamic team. 

The Director of Community Learning and Development is responsible for overseeing the strategy, implementation, and evaluation of learning and development programs at Yoga Alliance (YA). The position plays a pivotal role in maintaining high standards for yoga instruction and fostering the professional growth of the yoga community. The Director of Community Learning and Development ensures that credentialing processes are rigorous and that ongoing education opportunities are robust, ultimately contributing to the overall quality and credibility of the yoga profession.

The Director will lead, coach, and grow a team of six.

What You Will Do:

• Recruit, coach, and develop a team of YA managers and staff; provide clear and impactful feedback; conduct 1:1 meetings and scheduled performance engagement and development feedback sessions.
• Work cross functionally with other YA department colleagues to achieve organizational goals.
• Innovate, drive, and sustain the strength of YA’s community learning and development through:

Program Development and Management:

• Design and develop programs that prepare yoga teachers and yoga teacher trainers for certification and recertification.
• Create training modules, continuing education courses, and specialized workshops to support ongoing professional development.
• Provide ongoing professional development opportunities for the community to enhance their skills and knowledge.
• Strategize workshops, seminars, and retreats focusing on advanced topics and emerging trends in yoga.

Standards Compliance and Governance:

• Ensure that credentialing programs align with the YA standards and guidelines.
• Stay updated on industry governance regulations (such as the Institute of Credentialing Excellence) and best practices to maintain high standards in training and credentialing processes.

Certification:

• Oversee the certification and recertification process for yoga teachers and trainers, ensuring that candidates meet all necessary criteria.
• Develop and maintain certification requirements and assessment tools to evaluate teacher and teacher trainer competencies.
• Integrate feedback from education related subject matter experts and industry trends into curriculum improvements.

Educational Resource Creation:

• Develop educational materials, including manuals, online courses, instructional videos, and other resources to support yoga professionals.
• Use technology to enhance learning experiences, such as Learning Management Systems (LMS) and online training platforms.

Collaboration and Community Building:

• Work with the yoga community to promote the YA credentialing and professional development programs.
• Foster a sense of community and support among the yoga community through networking events, listening tours, forums, and other engagement activities.

Leadership and Management:

• Lead and manage a team of managers and administrative staff involved in the delivery of credentialing and professional development programs.
• Provide guidance and support to team members, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.

Research and Innovation:

• Conduct research on educational methodologies and industry trends to innovate and improve credentialing and professional development programs.
• Implement new technologies and approaches to enhance the learning experience for yoga teaching and practice.

What You Will Bring:

• Bachelor's degree in education, business administration, or a related field or an equivalent number of years of experience (4 years).
• 7+ years of experience in education program planning and management with a minimum of 4+ years of experience leading, developing, and managing a team that includes manager level direct reports managing other staff members. 
• 4+ years of experience in credentialing, accreditation and course evaluation.
• Exercises a high degree of confidentiality and discretion, professionalism, integrity, diplomacy, ethics, and objectivity in approach to work and with relationships.
• Excellent skills in the following areas:
  • Collaboration: is inclusive, highly engaged team player, proactively seeks and provides thought partnership, assistance, and/or resources with/to colleagues.
  • Communications: written, verbal, and listening; managing expectations; understanding who are the key stakeholders; curious, asks questions early; anticipates and prepares next steps and outcomes.
  • Judgment and Decision Making: ability to escalate and address concerns/challenges appropriately and in a timely manner.
  • Problem Solving: enjoys troubleshooting and surfacing creative solutions to achieve desired outcomes.
  • Project Management: tracking, driving, reporting, and engaging the necessary stakeholders, tools, resources, and information to produce desired results; ability to move nimbly among a variety of projects with varying timelines.
  • Public Speaking: is a skilled speaker and facilitator with an ability to effectively engage with a varied and diverse audience; effectively reads a room and adapts tone and approach to the audience; has an ability to communicate complex matters in an easy to digest method.
• Experience working effectively and collaboratively within a fast-paced environment among a diverse employee base that works remotely and distributed across the United States; is adaptable.
• Strong technology skills with an aptitude to learn quickly to ramp up on new platforms or technology: Microsoft Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint); Customer Relationship Management platform (Salesforce); project management platforms (e.g. Monday).
• Proven track record of contributing to cultures committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Ability to attend in-person work-related events and functions, and work on-site in YA’s Arlington, VA office as needed.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with products that have an international footprint.
• Association experience.
• Experience with learning management systems.

We encourage individuals to apply even if they do not have any of these desired qualifications. 

What We Offer:

Yoga Alliance provides excellent employee benefits including comprehensive health insurance plan offerings that are 100% employer paid for employees and 65% paid for dependents, a 401K plan, generous paid-leave policies, and reimbursement for professional development opportunities. Employees enjoy a casual dress code so they can arrive to work as their most authentic selves. Our office culture is supportive and collaborative with conscious attention to body and mind health. It is common for the office staff to participate in group meditation, quiet time, and group yoga.

Location:

Yoga Alliance is a remote-first organization, but does have an office open and accessible to all Yoga Alliance employees in Arlington, Virginia within sight of the historic northwest region of Washington, D.C. 

Salary Range:

$95,000 to $120,000 annually (commensurate to experience)

This position is a full-time, exempt position.

Application & Timeline: 

Please include a cover letter that speaks to what you believe is the mission at Yoga Alliance and how the Director of Community Learning & Development position will advance that mission. All cover letters will be read during the application review process.

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply by September 19, 2024 to ensure consideration of your application. Following this deadline, we will continue to review applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Our Commitment to an Inclusive Workplace:

At Yoga Alliance, we value a diverse team and a culture of inclusivity and belonging. We encourage applications from all individuals without regard to an individuals' race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protested by federal, state or local laws. Women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.