Learning and Development Specialist - Temporary Full-Time (up to 14 months)

Job Summary

Opening Statement

The City of Kingston is grateful to experience the traditional territories of Anishinabek (Ah-nish-nah-beg), Haudenosaunee (Ho-den-o-show-nee) and Huron-Wendat (huron-wen·dat).

Kingston is a smart, livable city in the heart of eastern Ontario. Its stable and diversified economy includes global corporations, innovative start-ups and all levels of government.

At the City of Kingston, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential elements of a thriving workplace. We value the unique perspectives and experiences that each individual brings to our team.

As we continue to grow, we are dedicated to creating an environment where all employees feel welcomed, respected, and empowered to contribute their best work.

The City of Kingston views diversity as its strength and we encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those from underrepresented communities.

As staff, you play a pivotal role in enhancing people's lives by delivering exceptional, customer-centered services of the highest quality.

Within our highly ethical environment, you'll embrace accountability by consistently going above and beyond, actively listening to our customers, creatively addressing their needs, and maintaining unwavering respect for all individuals you serve.

As a result, you'll become an integral part of our qualified and dynamic team, recognized for its compassion, excellence, integrity, inclusivity, and adaptability.

Position Summary

Under the general direction of the Supervisor, Organization Design & Development, the Learning & Development Specialist supports leadership and staff development through identification of training needs and the development, delivery, facilitation, and evaluation of learning opportunities for new and existing employees.

This position is responsible for delivering and maintaining training programs that support the operational and strategic plans and priorities of the City.

Operations :

Implement and deliver a wide range of organizational development and learning services to enhance individual, team, and organizational performance, and build organizational capability

Design, develop, deliver and administer programs and initiatives in areas including corporate initiatives (performance management, leadership development, on-boarding, succession planning), team initiatives (change management, knowledge sharing, workshops, custom training solutions, standard operating procedures), job specific training and development (technical, soft skills, learning and development planning, coaching) and compliance training through the Learning Management System (LMS), King e-learning

Facilitate knowledge sharing throughout the organization by consulting with managers / staff to determine and establish learning objectives;

Make recommendations to managers on the development of long-term planning for meeting training needs and work collaboratively with leaders and business units to design and develop learning curriculum in multiple modes of delivery, including e-learning, instructor led classes and blended learning

Work in consultation with leaders, staff, and departments to develop new and productive learning and development tools and approaches that satisfy staff and departmental priorities while ensuring all documentation and related training materials are accessible and in well suited and effective formats

Needs Assessment :

Work with leaders and employees to assess learning and development needs and deliver and document learning opportunities that effectively support corporate objectives

Conduct needs assessments to determine emerging requirements for knowledge and skills training in response to new / changing policies / programs;

Prepare or provide input to business cases for new / revised training programs

Conduct analysis of working environment and job functions (e.g. job tasks, business operational requirements, existing / emerging technologies) for training programs

Tracking and Measurement :

Maintain training records to ensure compliance, leveraging system automation tools for effectiveness, efficiency and reporting

Develop and implement performance metrics, evaluation tools and methodologies to evaluate the success of training initiatives both in-class and online

Ensure corporate documentation, learning tools, and learning standards are consistent with corporate policies, guidelines, and practices

Communication :

Communicate information and ideas clearly and concisely to individuals and / or groups while applying adult learning principles

Encourage diversity of input to understand root causes of challenges. Use active listening to understand others. Share perspectives and proactively share information to advance collaboration and knowledge sharing across the corporation

Subject Matter Expert :

Serve as a learning and development subject matter expert, partnering with departments to help navigate, interpret, provide insights, and generate solutions

Other duties as assigned

Qualifications, Competencies

University degree in Education, Human Resources, Organization Development or a related field

Experience working with learning management systems, e-learning authoring tools and HRMS systems are considered an asset

3-5 years related experience in Learning and Development, Instructional Design and facilitation of adult learning

Proven experience in the design, development, implementation, and facilitation of executive programming

Experience working in a corporate environment providing training and documentation would be considered an asset

Skills, Abilities, Work Demands

Strong, effective customer service and interpersonal skills

Ability to work in a team environment and to function effectively with minimal supervision

Excellent facilitation skills as well as superior verbal and written communication skills

Demonstrated expertise in instructional design

Ability to effectively network and partner with stakeholders to become a trusted advisor

Knowledge of learning and documentation concepts, practices, and procedures

Proficient in the use of technology to facilitate learning

Excellent analytical, research, planning, coordination, project management and execution skills

Demonstrate integrity; adhere to professional standards, regulations and corporate policies and procedures (e.g. Code of Conduct)

Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning and improvement

Knowledge of industry trends and current learning technologies

Ability to communicate on an on-going basis with internal contacts including all levels of departmental and management as well as individual staff members.

Ability to communicate on an on-going basis with a variety of external vendors, external partners (Utilities Kingston, Kingston Libraries, Kingston Police), external user communities and other municipalities

Required to obtain and maintain a satisfactory criminal record check

Closing Statement