Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in 600+ schools and employing approximately 40,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life. In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments - student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning. Located within the Talent Office, the Training and Development Team acts as an employee's compass to career success with CPS. By offering a robust set of professional and leadership development opportunities, this team carries out the district's commitment to developing high-quality, prepared, diverse learners and leaders who are set up for long-term career success. Reporting to the Training Manager, the Training Specialist will organize training and development programs for school-based and central-office staff with a primary focus on mandatory safety and compliance training. This position will work with multiple departments to address the identified needs of the organization, ensure the best solution for mass distribution in alignment with adult learning principles, and manage the development and upkeep of materials and tests associated with the various trainings administered. This includes continuous learning and product launch materials for e-learning modules, as well as virtual and instructor-led training sessions. The Training Specialist will collect and analyze participation and performance data to support continuous improvement efforts in areas such as content and methods of delivering training materials in order to improve retention and proficiency in new policies, procedures and product launches. The Training Specialist will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:
- Consult with internal and external subject matter experts (SMEs) to determine the efficiency of their course designs, assist with transferring courses into online formats and creating course materials for multiple platform uses
- Create standard learning materials such as; guides, job-aids, visual and audio aspects of course presentations, and/or learning tools defined with documented learning objectives
- Support and participate in the ideation, creation, execution and evaluation of training content
- Maintain a continuous improvement approach to creating and maintaining training tools and resources; identify and close gaps in knowledge or training content through the creative use of various training solutions
- Develop and update training modules, e-learning modules and online courses using YouTube and/or other webinar, video-enabled platforms
- Write effective and compelling instructional text, audio scripts/video scripts
- Utilize adult learning theories and practice to foster an environment that is conducive to adult learners.
- Coordinate training sessions for district-wide staff, including preparing meeting agendas and compiling training reports
- Manage the upkeep and organization of data files, google drives and onboarding materials
- Utilize an established ticketing system and other tracking methods to track, manage and respond to user inquiries and delegate/escalate as appropriate
- Provide administrative support related to the delivery of training and assist with editing and facilitating PowerPoints presentations
- Collaborate with various CPS departments and teams to complete the testing of content, maintenance, and updating of the training SafeSchools platform
- Perform additional ad hoc duties as assigned
In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, theTraining Specialist must possess the following qualifications: Education Required:
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university is required
- Focus in Business or Human Resources is preferred
Experience Required:
- Minimum of 3 years of experience in developing and facilitating training materials utilizing best practices of instructional design, or digital marketing is required
- Experience in event planning, project coordination and/or training logistics is required
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Highly organized with keen attention to detail; capable of owning tasks and projects from conception through completion and evaluation
- Results-driven self-starter that demonstrates initiative and produces high-quality work
- Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
- Excellent customer service, problem solving and critical thinking skills
- Capable of success as a collaborative member of a team or working independently with minimal supervision
- Ability to define problems, analyze data, and outline valid conclusions and action steps to drive and support continuous improvement
- Knowledge in digital marketing; ability to develop, maintain and enhance department website(s), tools and resources
- Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusivity and proven ability to work with diverse populations
- Experience with G-Suite, Microsoft Office, Survey platforms, and advanced knowledge of PowerPoint/Google slides required
Conditions of Employment As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:
- Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency - Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions, however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.
- Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 - Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination to the district within 30 days of hire. Up-to-date on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all primary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters.