Learning Systems Content Senior Advisor - Learning & Leadership Development Team

Location: Portland, OR / Washington, DC, or US Remote

Position Status: Full-time, Regular, Exempt

Salary Range: $76,000-84,000 commensurate with experience

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

The People Team

The People Team ensures that Mercy Corps has the resources, systems, culture, and support in place to drive an ambitious global mission while ensuring our individual team members thrive. The People Team seeks to foster and achieve fulfilled, equitable, inclusive, diverse, and high performing global teams. We do this through recruiting and retaining the best global talent and shaping this talent into our future leaders through equitable development opportunities, and then by driving strategic partnerships at all levels of the organization. We steward the organizational culture through our systems, structure, and processes and align conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion, wellbeing, total rewards, learning & leadership development; and connect all of this to our core operations and overall mission.

The Position

This position will be a part of the Learning & Leadership Development Team, on the People Team. It will report to the Director of Learning & Leadership Development. This position is responsible for serving as an expert advisor on design, development, and delivery of learning opportunities, as well as providing strategies and guidance to meet learning needs across diverse programs, locations, and cultures. This position will partner heavily with the Learning Management System Administrator to promote and integrate learning content. A solution focused approach to customer service and cross-functional collaboration is essential.

Essential Responsibilities

STRATEGY AND ADVISING

• Drive learning innovation and thought leadership by defining and developing strategies for learning effectiveness and business impact
• Plan, organize, and develop strategies, curricula, materials, and programs to meet specific learning needs
• Analyze training trends and business needs by examining learner’s satisfaction levels, proficiency testing, and job performance metrics
• Conduct needs assessments to develop programs and curricula that are responsive to current organizational needs, multiple skill levels, and learning theory
• Provide instruction and guidance to trainers and instructional designers
• Learn and apply new technologies to the design, development, and delivery of online learning, including audio, video, and animation
• Provide guidance and support to Mercy Corps Instructor-Lead Training (ILT) instructors and eLearning course authors during design and development, deploying new courses on the LMS
• Establish a roadmap for training development, communicating any risks or constraints
• Make clear timelines and set expectations for development and production of training content, in accordance with agency and departmental priorities
• Support LMS administration as needed

PROGRAM LEADERSHIP

• Establish clear processes for launching agency-wide training initiatives
• Provide recommendations when necessary to improve programs and program materials
• Work effectively as a team member and provide support to the Learning & Leadership Development team
• Demonstrate strong business acumen to identify the most appropriate solution for the need.
• Utilize critical thinking and needs assessment skills to analyze, problem solve, and improve processes.
• Design training measurement plans for program evaluation
• Create operating metrics to measure impact and performance

Supervisory Responsibility

None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Director, Learning & Leadership Development

Works Directly With: Talent Management, Learning & Leadership Development

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills

• Bachelor's degree required in learning systems, computer sciences, or human resources field ; Master's degree preferred.
• 6+ years of related  experience providing guidance on learning content creation and delivery, learning management systems, and adult learning best practices.
• Ability to successfully manage and meet multiple, simultaneous project deadlines.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to negotiate and communicate with various levels of leaders throughout the organization.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills to assess needs and recommend solutions.
• Demonstrated experience in adult learning theory, practice methodologies, and evaluation practices.
• Proven ability to think creatively in time-sensitive situations to ensure the delivery of high quality and innovative learning solutions.
• Experience designing training for multiple delivery methods, including instructor-led, eLearning, and simulation-based learning.
• Experience with online course publishing standards like SCORM/AICC.
• 2+ years previous leadership experience preferred.

Success Factors

You are a thought partner – a big picture visionary who guides people through processes and helps to create and establish those processes. You have a solid understanding of both the technical side of learning systems and the learning methodologies behind content creation. You get excited about the world of potential between learning and technology and advocating for exceptional user experiences. You are committed to making a quality learning environment with robust options that are accessible to team members in diverse cultural contexts, in numerous languages, around the globe. You are eager to learn, grow, and excel at all you do. You embrace the Mercy Corps mission and share our sense of intensity and urgency about the global issues central to our work.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position may be based in Portland, OR / Washington, DC / or remote within the United States.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme**.** We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times.

As a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential US-Based employees. Any offers of employment or continued employment are dependent on the successful completion of the screens which include, but are not limited to our Background Check and Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme processes,

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Covid-19 Vaccine Policy for US-Based Employees

Mercy Corps has determined that, in an effort to protect the health, safety, and well-being of all Mercy Corps employees working in the United States, all U.S.-based employees must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, regardless of prior COVID-19 infection status.

This policy will be revised as needed to comply with federal, state, and local requirements, and to respond to changing guidance from public health authorities.

For new employees this requirement goes into effect within 10 business days of employment.  Team members that travel are expected to comply with host-country requirements, including vaccinations.  Failure to comply may impact your employment.  Proof of vaccination or exemption must be provided.