NYBG Job Description
Title
Reports to
Director of Learning Operations
Associate Vice President for Employee and Volunteer Engagement
Position Summary:
The Director of Learning Operations leads staff learning and professional development across the New York Botanical Garden, designing and delivering programs that build skills and knowledge across its diverse professions. The Director manages grant-supported workforce development, including training, cross-departmental learning, and departmental microgrants, overseeing planning, delivery, evaluation, reporting, and long-term use of learning resources. The Director drives the integration of artificial intelligence (Al) and other emerging technology into learning operations where applicable, using best practices to personalize learning pathways, optimize training delivery, and enable data-informed decision making. The Director collaborates with senior management and the AI Governance Committee to develop Al-enabled learning strategies and ensure ethical, transparent, and effective use of AI in workforce development.
The Director reports to the Associate Vice President for Employee and Volunteer Engagement and supervises part-time learning and development staff. The Director partners with the Manager for Employee and Volunteer Experience to align assigned employee, volunteer, and internship programs with NYBG's learning and development strategy, and works with training providers and peer organizations to expand learning opportunities.
Specific Duties & Responsibilities:
- Supervise Learning and Development part-time team members, providing coaching, coordinating workloads, and ensuring completion of deliverables.
- Turn learning priorities established with the AVP into inclusive, scalable development programs across NYBG. Work with department leaders, HR, and the Manager for Employee and Volunteer Experience to identify needs in onboarding, foundational training, belonging, and management development; align objectives, approved content, delivery, and evaluation.
- Lead grant-funded workforce development projects within approved scope and budget. Maintain work plans, milestones, schedules, deliverables, and records; coordinate partners and address risks. Prepare quarterly progress and impact summaries and required interim and final reports, coordinating program evidence and financial information with Development, Finance, and internal partners. Document outcomes, challenges, and lessons learned.
- Lead learning design, delivery, and improvement; maintain the annual learning calendar with program owners. Coordinate live and virtual training, recordings, accessible e-learning, job aides, and reusable resources, using formal instruction, on-the-job training, and peer learning. Oversee content review, pilots, quality assurance, LMS publishing, version control, and maintenance. Coordinate outreach with departmental leads to support participation across roles, schedules, and digital skill levels; sustain learning through departmental champions and knowledge sharing. Program owners retain responsibility for compliance and subject-matter accuracy.
- Oversee departmental microgrant program, including proposal guidance, application review, award records, project support, quarterly check-ins, and a final showcase. Help managers turn successful projects into reusable training plans, toolkits, and resources.
- Assess learning needs and evaluate programs through surveys, interviews, listening sessions, participation and completion data, competency assessments, and evidence of on-the-job application. Use findings to improve programs, address access gaps, and document grant outcomes.
- Drive integration of AI and emerging technology into learning operations in line with approved priorities. Partner with IT, HR, and the AI Governance Committee to develop learning strategies and ensure ethical, transparent, and effective use. Deliver AI literacy training, build digital fluency into leadership and onboarding programs, and oversee adaptive learning and analytics-based tools. Assess new technologies and support safe staff experimentation and cross-departmental learning.
- Oversee the LMS for training delivery, tracking, and reporting. Partner with IT, HR, and system and reporting owners to improve data collection, dashboards, and learning metrics. Support institutional reporting with accurate learning data, following established definitions, reporting requirements, consent practices, and safeguards.
- Advise managers and employees on development plans, goals, and career learning resources. Partner with the Manager for Employee and Volunteer Experience on mentoring, job shadowing, cross-training, and stretch-assignment learning needs.
- Advance IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) through inclusive, accessible learning and staff education aligned with institutional priorities. Partner with the Manager for Employee and Volunteer Experience to align accessibility training with learning objectives and approved content. Serve on the IDEA Senior Advisory Group and contribute learning expertise to implementation.
- Manage the learning operations budget and grant expenditures with Finance and Development. Monitor spending, document expenditures and grant-supported time, and assess cost-effectiveness and equitable resource use.
- Pursue grants, sponsorships, and philanthropic funding with Development and internal partners; support proposals and reporting. Maintain training-provider and peer-organization partnerships to expand learning methods, tools, and opportunities.
- Raise risks, resource needs, lessons learned, and improvement opportunities requiring the AVP's attention.
- Other related duties as needed.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Education, Organizational Development, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field;5-7 years of managerial experience developing and implementing a learning and development framework.
- Experience supervising staff, coordinating workloads, supporting employee development, and ensuring delivery of project commitments.
- Experience managing grant-funded learning or workforce development projects, including work plans, budgets, documentation, evaluation, and reporting.
- Ability to oversee accessible instructional design and LMS content delivery, and use qualitative and quantitative evidence to improve programs and produce clear reports.
- Knowledge of AI applications, governance, ethics, and implementation in learning and development; experience designing or managing Al-enhanced learning systems, such as adaptive platforms, analytics tools, or digital learning ecosystems.
- Commitment to ongoing professional learning and active participation in professional networks to stay current on best practices, research, emerging technologies, and evolving trends in learning and development.
- Knowledge of botanical garden, horticulture, botanical science, or other green industry professional development.
- Ability to evaluate institution-wide learning from diverse perspectives to support IDEA initiatives and NYBG's mission.
- Ability to work independently, collaborate with internal and external partners, and facilitate meetings, learning programs, and workshops in varied settings.
- Excellent interpersonal, writing, and communication skills, with the ability to motivate others.
- Excellent time management, project management, negotiation, and change management skills.
- Experience facilitating mentorship programs is highly desired.
Physical Demands & Work Environment:
This position involves a variety of physical activities and work environments. Essential responsibilities may include standing, walking, sitting, and using hands to complete job-related tasks, as well as lifting or moving items weighing up to 25 pounds. The role may also involve working outdoors in a range of weather conditions and in environments where noise levels may vary from low to loud.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
Baseline Work Schedule:
Monday-Friday 9am-5pm with occasional evenings and weekends
Salary: commensurate with experience within the range of $108,000-$120,000
Benefits:
- 20 Vacation Days
- 13 Paid Holidays
- 12 Sick Days
- Health and Dental Insurance Coverage
- 401K
- Pension Plan
If you require an accommodation for any part of the application process, please notify the Human Resources department at [email protected].
If you are interested in applying for a position at the New York Botanical Garden, please go to http://www.nybg.org/employment to submit your application.
EOE