Director of Learning and Development

About Misericordia
Misericordia Heart of Mercy is a home to over 600 children and adults with mild to profound developmental disabilities. Misericordia offers a community of care that maximizes potential for persons with mild to profound developmental disabilities, many of whom are also physically challenged.

Misericordia offers a continuum of care to meet residents' diverse needs and aspires for each individual to live as independently as possible in the highest level of community integration feasible. At Misericordia, we value our employees' fostering opportunities for growth and development, generous benefits, competitive pay and a supportive work environment. Misericordia employees contribute to the mission and the community with their presence and focus on making residents lives, a life worth living.

Misericordia's Staff Development department is currently hiring for a Director of Learning and Development.

The Director of Learning and Development is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing comprehensive employee development strategies that foster professional growth, improve performance, and support the mission, vision, and values of the organization. This role provides strategic leadership in building a learning culture, oversees training initiatives, and ensures staff have the tools and skills to thrive in their roles. The role is also responsible for leading organization-wide training and development initiatives that ensure a compassionate, trauma-informed, and mission-aligned workforce. This role supports the professional growth of staff in a way that enhances resident care, regulatory compliance, and culture in a residential nonprofit setting. They lead training strategy development, oversee staff onboarding, and implement learning initiatives that support excellence in service delivery.

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Talent Development

• Develop and execute the organization's learning and development strategy aligned with business goals and workforce needs.
• Partner with senior leadership and HR to identify skill gaps and future workforce requirements.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and professional growth across all departments.
• Program Development and Delivery -Design, implement, and oversee leadership development, onboarding, compliance, technical, and soft-skills training programs.
• Evaluate and update training programs to reflect industry best practices, regulatory changes, and effective adult learning principles.
• Implement modern learning methodologies (e-learning, blended learning, coaching, mentoring).
• Develop a learning strategy that reflects the 's mission, values, and goals of providing high-quality, person-centered care.
• Align training programs with licensure, accreditation, and regulatory requirements (e.g., HIPAA, OSHA, DHS, IDPH).
• Serve as a thought leader on staff wellbeing, equity, and trauma-informed care practices.

Staff Development

• Oversee staff development initiatives that strengthen employee engagement, retention, and succession planning.
• Work with Staff Development Supervisor to partner with managers to create individualized development plans and career pathways.
• Facilitate programs to build leadership pipelines and strengthen management effectiveness.
• Performance Measurement & Evaluation
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure training impact, ROI, and learning effectiveness.
• Use data and feedback to continuously refine L&D and Staff Development strategies and improve outcomes.
• Report on progress to executive leadership and recommend improvements.
• Design and deliver orientation, annual compliance training, continuing education, and skill-building programs for direct care, clinical, and administrative staff.
• Support credentialing and career advancement for frontline workers (e.g., CNAs, DSPs, social workers).
• Lead initiatives that enhance staff morale, reduce burnout, and promote retention.
• Leadership & Culture Building
• Design and implement a learning strategy that aligns with business goals, operational excellence, and workforce transformation.
• Partner with management staff and HR leaders to identify skill gaps, productivity challenges, and training needs.
• Oversee programs that support succession planning, high-potential talent development, and frontline leadership readiness.
• Program Design & Execution
• Lead development of onboarding, safety training, job-specific technical skills, and continuous improvement programs (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma).
• Expand digital learning options, including microlearning, e-learning modules, and mobile-friendly content.
• Develop leadership programs for supervisors, managers, and emerging leaders focused on leadership, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution.
• Promote a learning culture that values humility, and empathy.
• Coordinate peer mentoring and coaching opportunities.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead, mentor, and develop the L&D team and training staff.
• Collaborate with department leaders to ensure training initiatives address specific team and al needs.
• Manage vendor relationships and external training partners.

Leadership, Talent & Culture Building

• Develop leadership programs for supervisors, managers, and emerging leaders focused on inclusive leadership, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution.
• Promote a learning culture that values humility, and empathy.
• Coordinate peer mentoring and coaching opportunities.
• Monitor effectiveness of training programs through feedback surveys, incident data, and performance metrics.
• Ensure the maintenance of all documentation required for audits, licensing, and funding.
• Develop and oversee quality assurance processes to evaluate effectiveness of training programs, quality of services provided to residents and ongoing feedback to area leaders related to implementation of care and activity programs.
• Leads the Staff Development Team including the utilization of external trainers and consultants, through ongoing change management in response to learning and development trends and outcomes identified through evaluation of programs and assessment of skills gaps.
• Maintain positive relationships with funders, accrediting bodies, and community partners.

Performance & ROI

• Use metrics, feedback, and business KPIs to assess learning impact and return on investment (ROI).
• Track employee performance improvements, retention rates, and production quality related to training programs.
• Regularly report outcomes and insights to executive leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Education, Learning and Development, Human Resources, or related field (Master's preferred).
• 5 + years of progressive experience in adult learning and development/training, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of adult learning principles, instructional design, and talent management practices.
• Experience implementing leadership development, succession planning, and competency frameworks.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency with Learning Management Systems (LMS), e-learning platforms, and data analytics tools.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Thinking & Vision Alignment
• Leadership & Influence
• Change Management
• Coaching & Facilitation Skills
• Data-Driven Decision-Making

Preferred Attributes

• Compassionate leadership style
• Strong knowledge of state licensing and accreditation standards
• Experience with high-turnover environments and strategies for retention
• Commitment to mission-driven service delivery

Salary range: $80,000-85,000 annually

Benefits

• Health, vision and dental insurance
• 401K Matching
• Paid time off
• Tuition reimbursement
• Referral bonus
• Attendance bonus
• Many opportunities for growth throughout the company
• Various professional trainings offered
• Referrals to state funded resource providing support in finding childcare