Director of Training and Development

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium Director of Staff Training and Development

Job Title: Director of Staff Training and Development

FLSA Status: Exempt

Hours: Full-Time

Pay Rate: Range starts at $77,941/year

The Director of Staff Training and Development is responsible for designing, delivering, and continuously improving a cohesive learning ecosystem that supports employee performance, leadership effectiveness, organizational culture, and long‑term career growth. This role ensures that all staff receive consistent, engaging, and high‑quality training aligned with organizational values and strategic priorities.

Serving as both a strategic partner and a hands‑on leader, this position develops original training content, oversees onboarding and orientation training, strengthens leadership capability across the organization, and advises managers and leaders on workforce development best practices.

• Design, implement, and evaluate organization‑wide learning and development programs for staff.
• Regularly assess workforce needs and emerging priorities to inform curriculum design.
• Ensure training offerings align with organizational values, culture, and strategic goals.

• Create and facilitate leadership development programs focused on:
  • Expectation setting and accountability
  • Effective performance evaluation writing
  • Coaching, feedback, and goal setting
• Serve as a trusted adviser and coach to leaders, managers, and supervisors.

• Lead and continuously improve the new employee orientation experience, partnering with colleagues in People and Culture for facilitation.
• Partner with departments that manage specialized onboarding (e.g., Events, Education) to ensure consistency, quality, and adherence to organizational standards.
• Develop and facilitate core values workshops that embed values into daily work practices.
• Lead the design, development and deployment of engaging learning bytes and comprehensive training modules within the Zoo’s Learning Management module in Paycom, aligned with assigned topics and strategic organizational priorities.

• Partner with cross‑functional leaders to actively cultivate a positive, inclusive, and aligned workplace culture.
• Strengthen communication, connection, and shared expectations across departments.

• Partner with the Chief People Officer to develop and refine career pathing frameworks and position leveling.
• Support transparency, internal mobility, and long‑term retention through clear development pathways.

• Manage the staff professional development budget, ensuring equitable and strategic use of funds.
• Oversee the tuition reimbursement program with fairness, transparency, and policy adherence.
• Identify and vet external training opportunities and vendors when internal offerings are not sufficient.

• Facilitate in‑person and stand‑up training sessions, including evenings and weekends as needed.
• Develop feedback and evaluation systems to measure training effectiveness and impact.
• Remain current on learning and development trends, adult learning theory, and workforce innovation.

• Lead and determine appropriate structure for weekly Leadership Meetings to improve focus, accountability, and outcomes.
• Collaborate regularly with department leaders to assess training needs and adapt offerings.

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Education, Organizational Development, Psychology, Communications, or a related field required.
• Master’s degree or professional certification (e.g., ATD, SHRM, CPLP, CPTD, or similar) preferred.

• Minimum of 5–8 years of progressive experience in learning and development, workforce development, organizational development, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering original training programs, including leadership development, onboarding, and professional development.
• Experience…