Director, Learning

Job Title

Director, Learning

Classification

Exempt

Reports to

Senior Director, Learning + Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

Location

Remote, US—physical office space in Washington, DC available (ARL has a mobile-first strategy based on remote work, with in-person attendance expected at Association Meetings, in-person learning programs, and occasional staff meetings in Washington, DC).

Job Summary

As the ARL director, Learning—this position helps ensure the quality and enhance the experiences of ARL’s Learning programs and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives as well as related tools and resources. They support the design, delivery, and assessment of efforts to meet member institution priorities as reflected in the 2023–2026 Action Plan and in support of achieving the Association’s vision and mission. In formulating strategies and implementing actions in support of the priorities, the director works closely with the chair and vice-chair of the ARL Learning Network Committee along with the Learning + DEI team—senior director; director, DEI (to be hired in 2023); and program manager—as well as other members of the Association community.

Salary Range

US$125,000.00–135,000.00

Position Type & Expected Hours

This is a full-time position and occasionally requires evening and weekend work.

Travel

This position requires occasional travel within Canada and the United States.

Supervisory Responsibilities

The position has no direct reports. The position supports and/or manages Association committees, task forces, and working groups as well as consultants and grant-funded work.

Physical Demands

This job is mostly stationary. The individual operates a computer and other office equipment as well as utilizes various remote and virtual engagement software.

Essential Functions

This position is responsible for:

• Leading the ARL Intensive Learning Program
• Leading the ARL Institutes
• Managing program budgets
• Supporting additional ARL Learning Programs and DEI Initiatives
  • Leadership Fellows Program
  • Leadership & Career Development Program
  • Kaleidoscope Program
  • IDEAL Conference
• Supporting the ARL Learning Network Committee
• Serving as member of the Program Strategy team
• Informing and, as appropriate, shaping peer learning through the design and delivery of member-driven programming
• Other duties as assigned in support of ARL and its mission

Required Education

Master’s degree—preferably in leadership studies, education, or a related field

Experiences & Skills

The incumbent for this position will possess the majority of experiences and skills listed below; ARL recognizes the value of gaining these skills and experiences from diverse sources, including formal educational programs, previous employment, volunteer assignments, personal interests, etc.

Experiences (~five years+)

Demonstrated success:

• Designing, developing, and implementing leadership development programs
• Utilizing adult learning theories and strategies
• Leading educational and developmental experiences for a variety of audiences, especially executive and senior level leaders
• Supporting leaders in identifying organizational needs and opportunities—and developing related strategies and action plans
• Working with diverse learner communities
• Providing engaging, intentional, learning experiences in in-person and virtual environments using synchronous and asynchronous interventions

Familiarity with:

• Program assessment & evaluation
• Curriculum design
• Navigating complex organizational structures and systems
• Facilitating nuanced explorations of diversity, equity, and inclusion with audiences of varying prior experience with the content

Skills

• Facilitation, presentation, public speaking, and instruction
• Communication—written & oral as well as non-verbal and intercultural
• Adaptability to context (for example, current events, group dynamics)
• Relationship and rapport building
• Volunteer engagement
• Project management
• Budget management
• Event planning
• Technology—Google Workspace, Zoom

About the Position

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a member-institution community of research-intensive libraries and archives in Canada and the United States. This position will be held by a passionate and experienced individual with a proven track record of effectively working with senior and executive leaders to further develop their skills and competencies and to create innovative, healthy, diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizations. As part of the ARL staff and in consultation with the Association’s Learning Network Committee, the incumbent is responsible for actively contributing to the design, delivery, and assessment of all of ARL’s Learning programs; developing and implementing the ARL Institutes; providing tools and resources to advance the Association’s Learning and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) goals; and developing and managing a hybrid learning-delivery strategy. This is a unique role for someone looking to make a difference in leading research library and archives institutions, and in shaping the research library and archives profession.

Research libraries are evolving quickly within the context of dramatic changes in research and learning policy and practice, flux in higher education and workplace culture, and the “great resignation.” A majority of ARL member representatives are new in their position over the past five years and leading into the near and longer-term future. As an association of leaders, ARL recently adopted its 2023–2026 Action Plan goals outlining its priorities for the next three years, putting into action its recently updated vision and mission.

ARL is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in the professional workplace. We are firmly committed to providing opportunities for outstanding persons of every race/ethnicity, gender, creed, and background. We encourage applications from candidates who thrive in an environment that embraces diversity and inclusivity.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. ARL offers numerous benefits, including paid time off (22 days of vacation as well as sick leave, a personal day, holidays, and additional office closings); life, long-term disability, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance; health & dental insurance; and retirement contributions (403b).

For priority consideration, application materials should be received by 11:59 p.m. Hawaii–Aleutian standard time (UTC-10:00) on Thursday, November 10, 2022.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, interested persons should:

• Email a résumé/CV (PDF) to DeLa Dos <dos(at)arl(dot)org> with “Director, Learning application” as the subject
• Complete the application form, which will collect personal information, short-answer responses, and references
• [OPTIONAL] Complete a demographic information form—separately collected from the application form to ensure anonymity (link shared via application form)

Applicants who would like to request accommodation(s) can email DeLa Dos <dos(at)arl(dot)org> with “Director, Learning application” as the subject. The résumé/CV should clearly highlight the applicant’s possession of experiences and skills listed in the job description. No cover letters should be included with the application materials; in lieu of a cover letter, applicants are requested to respond to the following prompts (up to 1,500 characters each):

• Share why you are interested in joining the team at ARL and serving in this position.
• Describe a prior role you’ve held that demonstrates how you possess some of the experiences and skills listed in the job description.
• Identify one of the main challenges to providing effective learning interventions to executive leaders and how you have/would address the challenge.
• Describe one area that you would need/want to improve to better fulfill the responsibilities of this position.

For more information, please visit our website at ARL.org.

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