Learning and Development Specialist

Department Information

STATE OF COLORADO RESIDENCY REQUIRED

NOTE: This announcement may be used to fill multiple openings.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis is committed to building a Colorado For All, a place where everyone has an opportunity to succeed and live the Colorado way of life. Governor Polis is focused on lowering health care costs for hardworking Coloradans, transitioning the state to renewable energy sources, ensuring every Colorado child gets a quality education, and building an economy that works for everyone.

The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness. The State is resolute in non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.

We offer a generous benefits package including

• 11 paid holidays per year plus vacation and sick leave
• Medical, dental, and vision plans
• State paid life insurance policy
• Choice of 2 retirement plans (defined benefit or defined contribution)
• Optional 401(k) and 457 plans
• State paid short-term disability coverage
• Additional optional life and disability plans
• Credit Union membership
• Training and professional development

To learn more about State of Colorado benefits visit: https://www.colorado.gov/dhr/benefits.

This position will have the opportunity for a hybrid schedule (combination of in-office and remote workplace). **Please note - equipment provisioning and certain onboarding tasks will take place in person, in our Denver office, on the first day of employment. **

The Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) ensures the delivery of a comprehensive, community-informed, data-driven, high-quality, and equitable early childhood system that supports the care, education and well-being of all Colorado's young children, their families and early childhood professionals in all settings.

CDEC provides access to collaborative, coordinated, quality early childhood programs and support to children, families, and early care professionals in an effort to best prepare Coloradans for future success.

CDEC works with many partners, including parents, schools, child care providers, Early Childhood Councils, counties, Community Centered Boards, early intervention service providers, family resources centers, county human services, county public health, businesses, community organizations, and other stakeholders to provide high-quality early childhood and family support programs.

The People Operations Division’s mission is to support people and operations by providing solution-driven guidance, resources, and education to foster a high-functioning organization. We do this through customer-centric service, collaboration, compliance, accountability, and helping others thrive. This includes:

• Department-wide safety and security, compliance of standard operating procedures, department wide event planning & coordination, managing the Department’s Emergency Action Plan and Continuity of Operations Plan
• The full range of human resource services used to attract, develop, engage, and retain competent and productive talent needed to deliver the Department’s business, such as: recruitment/selection, job evaluation and pay and benefits administration, absence management, workforce planning, performance management, employee relations, dispute resolution, employee and organizational development, compliance with personnel rule and employment law, consultation and guidance to managers and employees, maintenance of official position and employee files, and HR metrics reporting.
• Employee training and development, supervisor training and development, employee engagement, workforce planning, team building, the Cornerstone Learning Management System (LMS), and implementing mandatory training.

The purpose of the Learning & Development Unit is to sustain and improve the department’s ability to achieve its on-going mission through the development of its workforce and leaders.

The Learning & Development Unit is responsible for developing and implementing a plan to integrate its training, development, and performance evaluation processes to ensure that the Executive Director’s Office is effectively developing, managing, and improving the quality of CDEC’s workforce.

The Learning & Development Unit is responsible for employee training and development, supervisor training and development, and employee engagement. The unit is also responsible for managing the Cornerstone Learning Management System (LMS), implementing mandatory training, and managing the Department’s employee performance management program and annual performance planning and evaluation process.

In addition, the unit continues to evaluate CDEC training needs and align all training development programs accordingly.

Description of Job

What you’ll be doing

This position exists to coordinate with Department staff to define the problem or challenge, empathize with the intended audience or end user, conceptualize and iterate potential training solutions, determine training delivery methods, evaluate training results, and share materials for training and communicating with a variety of stakeholders and partners.

Position must conceptualize solutions for a defined problem and develop iterations of concepts until a final solution is reached. Position understands and identifies with the audience’s needs to develop robust learning and design solutions. Position uses knowledge and experience with instructional design and e-learning development software to design, develop and deliver training.

Position uses knowledge of person-centered design to guide Department staff towards effective learning and design solutions. Position is responsible for creating, maintaining and updating training software simulations and learning assessments.

Position also combines person-centered design principles and methods to design and develop solutions outside of the scope of learning, including but not limited to process improvements, organizational design, information architecture, and graphic design solutions. Solutions may be digital or physical in nature.

Position utilizes technical skills such as storyboarding and drawing to demonstrate concepts to Subject Matter Experts and others. Position tracks and reports findings from learning assessments and other evaluations to measure effectiveness and make revisions for the purpose of continuous improvement. Position utilizes learning management system(s) (LMS) to distribute and track training.

Position’s technical expertise and level of knowledge in the principles, methods, and tools for developing and delivering learning solutions are used by management in decisions related to the direction of policy and program trainings, presentations, and visual aids. Position serves as the back-up staff to the LMS Administrator.

Major job duties include, but are not limited to

• Conducts audience and business needs assessments, via independent research and consultation with Department Subject Matter Experts and other staff, to identify if behavior gaps can be addressed by training, and if so, the most appropriate learning solution to reduce said gap(s).
• This position develops additional learning and communications documents including but not limited to learning aids, brochures, posters, programs, training templates, branding initiatives, and infographics.
• Create engaging learning activities that meet instructional objectives and support meeting participant’s learning goals and the Department’s learning and development goals.
• Develop and produce multimedia elements to support e-learning, print and blended learning solutions, including but not limited to communication graphics, video capture and editing, audio capture and editing, etc.
• Position partners with the other L&D team staff with LMS course design; development and layout; course launching; course administration (import, export, copy, etc.); course outcomes evaluation and tracking; virtual module development and implementation; learning materials review and updates; developing and deploying assessments; and managing participant transcripts.
• Deliver employee training and development programs.
• Facilitate courses including but not limited to leadership and professional development.
• The position coordinates with other members of the People Operations Division to identify skill gaps and training needs and recommends training programs to address these needs.
• The position consults with the Division Director and other division team members to analyze LMS from learning assessments and other evaluations to measure effectiveness. Position identifies new and efficient measures to improve learning performance and outcomes.
• Develops assessments, surveys and other mechanisms to continually evaluate learning experiences and outcomes.
• Utilizes Articulate Rise, Articulate Storyline, PowerPoint, Google Slides, or other content authoring software for both remote and in-person trainings as appropriate.
• LMS support and back-up duties including but not limited to monitoring course content, managing and maintaining LMS configurations, partners with Human Resources to help manage the Performance Management Program (PMP).

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Residency Requirement

This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.

Job Class Code & Job Classification

H4I3XX

Training Specialist III

Minimum Qualifications

Experience Only

Six (6) years of professional, relevant, and recent experience in a combination of work involving instructional technology, adult learning theories, LMS/e-learning tools, human resources, learning and development (to include creation and facilitation of training to staff). Which must have included the following:

• At least one (1) year of training facilitation in a corporate / professional setting.

Education and Experience

Graduation from an accredited college with a bachelor's degree in Instructional Design, Instructional Technology, Organizational Development, Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Human Resources or a closely related field;

AND

Two (2) years of professional experience involving instructional technology, adult learning theories, LMS/e-Learning tools, learning and development (to include creation and facilitation of training to staff). Which must have included the following: At least one (1) year of training facilitation in a corporate / professional setting.

Please note: The required experience must be substantiated within the work experience section of your application and in the supplemental questions. Your resume will not be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications; only the work experience section and supplemental questions of your application will be reviewed to determine this. “See Resume” statements on the application will not be accepted.

In addition, part-time work will be prorated.

Substitutions

Additional appropriate experience will substitute for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Additional appropriate education will substitute for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.

DEFINITION OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Work that involves exercising discretion, analytical skill, judgment, and personal accountability, and responsibility for creating, developing, integrating, applying, and sharing an organized body of knowledge that characteristically is uniquely acquired through an intense education or training regimen at a recognized college or university; equivalent to the curriculum requirements for a bachelor's or higher degree with major study in or pertinent to the specialized field; and continuously studied to explore, extend, and use additional discoveries, interpretations, and application and to improve data, materials, equipment, applications and methods.

Preferred Qualifications

• State of Colorado experience related to the duties of this position.
• Experience working in Cornerstone or another learning management system.
• Experience with or understanding of instructional design and adult learning theory.
• Experience with content management: upload, organize, and update course materials, modules, quizzes, assessments, and multimedia content within a learning management system.
• Experience in developing and delivering adult training.
• Facilitation of complex content to a diverse audience.
• Experience using Articulate Storyline.
• Knowledge of workforce development principles.

Highly Desirable Competencies

• Superior customer service.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated accuracy, thoroughness, attention to detail, and ability to monitor own work to ensure quality.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills including forming and maintaining productive working relationships at all levels in the organization and with other stakeholders.
• Innovative thinking and ability to recommend process improvements.
• Work independently while taking initiative and predicting stakeholder needs.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and be adaptable to changing assignments.
• Proven ability to analyze information and select the best course of action.
• Ability to relate to diverse stakeholder groups, develop audience-appropriate messages and adapt strategies to various audiences.
• Ability to collaborate across teams and agencies.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Applicants must pass a thorough background check prior to employment.
• Employees who have been disciplinary terminated, resigned in lieu of disciplinary termination, or negotiated their termination from the State of Colorado must disclose this information on the application.

APPEAL RIGHTS

If you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.

An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative.

This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email (dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us), postmarked in US Mail or hand delivered (1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203), or faxed (303.866.5038) within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the department’s action.

For more information about the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board; go to spb.colorado.gov; contact the State Personnel Board for assistance at (303) 866-3300; or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov under Rules.

Supplemental Information

How to Apply (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY)

Please note that ONLY your State of Colorado job application will be reviewed during the initial screening; if you submit a resume and cover letter, they will be reviewed in later stages of the selection process. Therefore, it is paramount that you clearly describe all your relevant experience on the application itself. Applications left blank or marked "SEE RESUME" will not be considered.

Complete Applications must include the following documents

• A complete CDEC Application for Announced Vacancy (please submit online using the green 'APPLY' button at the top of this announcement)
• A complete Supplemental Questionnaire (The questionnaire is part of the online application. You will be prompted to answer them as you are completing your online application.)
• If you are using education to qualify, a copy of your official or unofficial transcript showing that your degree has been conferred and the name of your school, or your NACES accreditation. Please submit this as an attachment to your online application.
• If you are a veteran, a copy of your DD214. Please submit this as an attachment to your online application.

Your application will be reviewed against the minimum qualifications for the position. If your application demonstrates that you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be invited to the comparative analysis process, which is described below. Part-time experience will be pro-rated.

Comparative Analysis Process

The comparative analysis process will consist primarily of a review of applications against the minimum and preferred qualifications of this position. Applications will be reviewed in comparison to all others in the applicant pool in order to identify a top group of candidates who may be invited for a final interview. We anticipate interviews for this position will be done via Google Meet/Hangouts or Zoom.

Depending on the size of the applicant pool, additional selection processes may be utilized to identify a top group of candidates. Applicants will be notified of their status via email.

Failure to submit properly completed documents by the closing date will result in your application being rejected.

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them.

Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

ADAAA Accommodations: The Colorado Department of Early Childhood is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals.

As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship.

If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to the HR Specialist: daulton.daies@state.co.us

Technical Assistance

If you experience difficulty in uploading or attaching documents to your online application, or for any other technical difficulties, call NEOGOV technical support at 855-524-5627 anytime between 6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (Pacific Time).

The Department does not offer sponsored visas for employment purposes.