Learning and Innovation Manager

About the Organization:

New Moms believes in the strength, skills, and potential of young moms. Our comprehensive approach provides housing, job training, academic coaching, and family support to give moms and their children a path to lasting success. Combining behavioral research, proven methodology, and 40 years of real-world experience, New Moms has established an equity-driven model for generational change, challenging the barriers caused by systemic poverty and racism.

Our Commitment to Equity:

New Moms prioritizes racial equity as a strategic and organizational imperative. Strong candidates will be committed to integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values into their work goals and will be evaluated on their impact.

About the Job:

The Learning and Innovation Manager (LIM) has a dual focus on both internal and external strategic learning management, facilitation, and innovation. The LIM will design, iterate, and facilitate internal training on New Moms’ unique core model and manage project lifecycles for learning-related initiatives. This full-time role also manages many of The Hub @ New Moms’ consulting partnerships by providing training and consulting to external stakeholders and the backend infrastructure support that scale the impact of our mission. The LIM will champion all New Moms’ values including our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, in both planning and performance. This position is located at our main office in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago with the ability for hybrid work. It includes occasional overnight travel to represent New Moms with external stakeholders to amplify our unique model. Starting Salary: $60,000 DOQ

Key Job Responsibilities:

Lead staff training:

• Support ongoing deepening and scaling of New Moms’ model by improving and facilitating staff training and learning, which embodies Executive Skills Coaching and other emerging promising practices in a variety of settings and program areas
• Facilitate and train staff through onboarding and ongoing annual competencies in coordination with Director of HR, using creative and collaborative approaches to engage attendees virtually and in-person
• Co-designing, track & document iterative cycles of testing new strategies, including assigned technologies like learning management systems, and scaling solutions by training staff and embedding successful ideas in our programs and culture concurrently
• Elevate, share, and integrate new knowledge, research, and best practices from the field, specifically related to building New Moms’ internal learning, practice, innovation, implementation, and evaluation skill set
• Assist with the documentation and assessment of the fidelity of our Executive Skills Coaching model across all programs; Translate training data for all teams to support methods that ensure fidelity to our model agency-wide

Deepen practice and scale impact through The Hub @ New Moms:

• Develop and manage relationships with external partners learning about Executive Skills Coaching, implementation and other elements of New Moms’ approach, including peer organizations and networks, collaborators, funders, thought leaders, and evaluation teams
• Collaborate with supervisor to cultivate consulting opportunities, develop, iterate, and facilitate trainings, and manage learning projects with external partners
• Create process and sustain assessment and evaluation of impact of Hub-related consulting and training engagements; Translate data into action through iteration of Hub modules, consulting practices, and overall strategies
• Manage growth of Hub infrastructure including workflow, tools, and technologies including Salesforce, Teachable, Eventbrite and other future technologies
• Collaborate with Development and Communications team to market and communicate Hub services with funders, stakeholders, networks, to build awareness of and pipeline for Hub business

Organizational Leadership:

• Lead facilitation of Alumni Advisory Council: coordinate and maintain processes and procedures and communicate AAC feedback among program supervisors
• Represents New Moms in a positive and constructive manner in all dealings with participants, Alumni Advisory Council, staff, board, government officials, funders, and community partners
• Provide input on improving Learning and Innovation strategies, procedures, processes, and practices
• Exercises discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance; assuming responsibility for decisions, consequences, and results impacting staff, costs, and/or quality of service
• Supervises volunteers and/or interns, as determined by supervisor
• Upholds the New Moms’ Executive Skills Coaching approach which is grounded in racial equity
• Regularly participates in agency and program staff meetings, as well as professional group seminars or conferences to enhance professional knowledge and job skills
• Committed to developing further as a leader by participating in the New Moms professional development model, demonstrating achievement in competencies defined by the agency

Qualifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in related field required

Experience:

• At least three (3) years’ experience in human services, training/education, evaluation, or project management

Skills/Traits:

• Knowledge of user-centered design, instructional design, adult learning principles, facilitation, and/or applied behavioral science is preferred
• Strong relationship-building skills and skillful at communicating with diverse teams both internally and externally, both orally and in writing
• Excellent technology skills, comfort in using cloud-based platforms and ability to initiate and learn new technologies to improve efficiencies, project management, and service provision for internal staff and external partners
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team approach model, taking individual responsibility and autonomy while also working well in roles leading and serving as part of a diverse team

Other requirements:

• Access to a reliable vehicle or ability to navigate public transportation required
• Ability to travel overnight with a minimum three times per quarter on average, depending on needs of department
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends, depending on the needs of department

New Moms’ Benefits: We offer a comprehensive benefits package to full-time employees including health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; matching on retirement savings up to 3%; 15 paid holidays; and generous paid time off. We also offer several unique benefits to New Moms: discounts on Bright Endeavors products, free optional spiritual direction services, and half days on Fridays in the summer. Our Flexible Work Options policy allows for staff to work some hours remotely once training is complete. For licensed employees, you will receive over 20 free CEU's during onboarding and an additional 1.5 free CEU's/month throughout employment. We promote professional development and provide time for you to attend other external trainings opportunities as well. New Moms is a qualifying employer for student loan forgiveness and your time employed counts toward eligibility.

Keywords

LearningInnovationManagerTrainingCoachingFacilitationImplementationEvaluationLeadershipStrategyCommunicationTechnologyProject ManagementDiversityEquityInclusion