Job Title

Director of Learning

Location: Remote or Ashburn, Virginia Area.  The hiring manager for this position works remotely.

Salary Range: $90,000 – 106,000 

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is the leading not-for-profit organization dedicated to building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. With more than 60,000 members, NRPA advances this mission by investing in and championing the work of park and recreation professionals and advocates — the catalysts for positive change in service of equity, climate-readiness, and overall health and well-being. For more information, visit www.nrpa.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.

NRPA believes in the power of parks and recreation to increase the health, wellness, vitality and resilience of communities everywhere. Rooted in equity, NRPA advocates on behalf of all people, delivering funding, resources and innovative solutions to the issues impacting our communities.      

NRPA is currently seeking a Director of Learning for our Professional Development team, in the Education department.

The Director of Learning sets and executes the strategic direction of NRPA’s continuing education and professional development offerings that foster a learning environment that is grounded in adult education. Serves as both an internal and external champion for educational programing produced by NRPA, will play a lead role in the design, continual refinement, and evaluation of all learning content and curriculum related to NRPA’s strategic pillars and membership support, and will seek new and innovative methods for expanding the reach of NRPA’s mission through education. 

 

Specific Responsibilities Include:  

Strategic Leadership and Program Development

• Leads the redesign and implementation of plans that improve and expand on the quality, value, and delivery of existing knowledge & learning products and service as well as new learning products and services 

• Collaborates with the certification and accreditation team in the design and development of curriculum and educational materials that align with the certification programs core competencies, as identified by the job task analyses. Collaborates with the certification team for the implementation of curriculum/materials. 

• Develops, maintains, and assesses outcomes of the strategic direction of learning and credentialing consistent with the mission, goals, and tactics of the association.

• Establish measurement mechanisms to evaluate the effectiveness of all learning and professional development efforts in collaboration with Research and Evaluation Team,

• Maintains an active understanding of adult education and learning best practices and how they impact association education.

• Identifies and diversifies revenue opportunities generated by professional development 

 

Program Oversight

• Human resource management and team leadership responsible for effectively recruiting, hiring, training, coach and developing individual employees and their team, establishing, monitoring and support employees’ efforts to achieve individual, team and association goals.

• Sets and manages the budgets for reporting departmental programs.

• Collaborates with the Research and Evaluation team in assessing and gathering data related to overall effectiveness, including understanding trends in park and recreation academic programs and research that should inform NRPA learning focus, opportunities and direction. 

• Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to identify and develop learning opportunities in support of membership needs and innovation within the field 

• Collaborates across teams to ensure integration, amplification and support of programs and products

Fundraising

• Works with a cross-disciplinary team to support education fundraising goals, contributing to the development of new concepts for funding in collaboration with the development team. Specific responsibilities may include idea creation, writing, data sharing and participating in calls with funders.  

Required Materials and Application Process: Applicants without the following required materials may not be considered for this position:  

• Resume

• Cover Letter detailing your background and description how your experience and education meet the qualifications (limit 2 pages).  

Applicants will first be evaluated on the completeness and qualifications of application materials. Qualified applicants will then be invited for a phone screen and selected applicants will be invited to participate in virtual interviews. Finalists will be required to submit references for a reference and background check.   

Who May Apply: This position is open to all qualified applicants.   

NRPA values diversity, equity and inclusion and we are committed to integrating these core values more deeply into all elements of our daily work. NRPA is an equal opportunity employer and highly encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, ethnic minorities, new Americans (immigrants and refugees), LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, native people, and veterans.     

Discover the Benefits at NRPA!  

NRPA has been named a Top Workplace by The Washington Post every year since 2014. To promote healthy lifestyles, at work and away, we have established programs like Teleworking, FlexTime Schedules, 37.5-hour work-week, Employee Assistance Programs, Educational Assistance Programs, Lunch-and-Learn sessions, and more. Situated on park land, our Ashburn, Virginia campus boasts a warm professional environment, with a relaxing and peaceful view of nature at its finest!   

The space offers indoor & outdoor eating areas, as well as indoor & outdoor fitness opportunities, including an air-conditioned fitness room with access to showers, as well as foot trails for the outdoor enthusiast. NRPA also maintains office space in Washington, D.C. for its D.C.-based staff that is centrally located and convenient to the blue, orange, silver and red subway lines.   

  

Minimum Qualifications:  

• Bachelor’s degree in leadership, adult education or other related field required; Masters and/or industry certification or a combination of education/experience equivalent preferred 

• 5 - 8 years of successful management and evaluation of continuing education and/or professional development programs, accreditation and credentialing, and online learning.

• Skilled in adult learning best practices, curriculum development, leading online and hybrid learning experiences project and budget management, facilitation, practical application of diversity, equity and inclusion concepts

• Demonstrated excellence in written and verbal communication skills

• Skills: Budget and finance, education, instructional design, credentialing management, research, volunteer engagement, communication, strategic planning, cross cultural learning, contract management.

• Demonstrates an advanced understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) concepts, champions DEI practices in internal and external relationships, and ensures that they are integral to the programs and activities they are responsible for.

• Travel expectations: 10%

• Commitment to contributing to an inclusive work culture

• Experience with Microsoft Office products, association and learning management systems, and other software as required.