Senior Director Training and Workforce Develo

UCP Heartland-Senior Director of Training and Workforce Development
Department: Training
FLSA Status: Exempt
Employment Status: Full-time, salaried

Pay Range:  $78,000-$105,000 Annually

UCP Heartland is seeking a strategic, mission-driven Senior Director of Training & Workforce Development to lead agency-wide employee training, professional development, leadership development, and competency initiatives.

This senior leadership role will establish consistent training standards and develop the skills employees need to provide safe, effective, compliant, and person-centered support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Senior Director will collaborate across departments to identify workforce needs, address performance gaps, strengthen leadership capabilities, and measure the impact of learning initiatives.

About UCP Heartland

UCP Heartland is committed to ensuring children and adults with differing abilities receive the extraordinary care and support they need to thrive at home, at school, at work, and within their communities.

What You’ll Do

Lead learning strategy

• --Develop and oversee an agency-wide training and professional-development strategy aligned with UCP Heartland’s mission, goals, service standards, and workforce priorities.
• --Establish role-specific training expectations, curricula standards, policies, procedures, and quality controls.
• --Identify current and future learning needs through organizational assessments, regulatory reviews, audit findings, workforce information, and performance data.
• --Advise executive and program leaders on learning strategy, workforce capability, training risks, and resource priorities.
• --Coordinate training approaches across departments and locations, reducing duplication and strengthening consistency.

Build workforce and leadership capability

• --Develop training initiatives for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), Lead DSPs, Program Managers, supervisors, administrative personnel, and other designated employees.
• --Establish a leadership-development framework for Lead DSPs, supervisors, Program Managers, and other organizational leaders.
• --Provide learning opportunities in coaching, conflict resolution, communication, decision-making, performance management, accountability, and staff development.
• --Support Residential Services employees with training relevant to safe, consistent, person-centered support.
• --Partner with program leadership to identify recurring training needs, performance concerns, and opportunities to improve service quality.
• --Promote the sharing of effective practices and training resources across departments.

Strengthen compliance and competency

• --Ensure training requirements are identified, communicated, tracked, and completed within established timelines.
• --Establish measurable competency expectations for applicable roles, including DSPs, Lead DSPs, Program Managers, supervisors, and nurses.
• --Ensure training addresses client rights, person-centered planning, documentation, incident reporting, abuse and neglect prevention, emergency response, professional boundaries, confidentiality, and other required topics.
• --Coordinate with nursing and clinical personnel on medication-related training, health protocols, and specialized competencies.
• --Work with Human Resources, Quality Assurance, and program leadership to address training-related performance gaps and compliance concerns.
• --Establish consistent methods for documenting training completion, tracking certifications, assessing competencies, and reporting compliance.

Measure impact and report results

• --Evaluate training through competency assessments, direct observation, audits, employee feedback, and operational outcomes.
• --Identify and address recurring training-related performance and compliance gaps.
• --Define measurable annual goals and report progress, barriers, trends, and recommendations to executive leadership.
• --Maintain accurate training records and provide timely reports to executive leadership.
• --Develop and manage training personnel and resources effectively.
• --Maintain current knowledge of disability services, accreditation and regulatory requirements, workforce trends, executive leadership, and emerging practices.
• --Perform other related duties and executive assignments as needed to support UCP Heartland’s mission and organizational priorities.

What You’ll Bring

Minimum qualifications

• --Bachelor’s degree in health care, Social Work, Education, Business Administration, Human Services, or a related field.
• --Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in training and development, workforce development, organizational learning, or a related field.
• --Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, and evaluating training programs for employees at multiple organizational levels.
• --Experience assessing training needs, identifying performance gaps, and developing measurable strategies to improve employee knowledge, competency, and performance.
• --Ability to supervise, manage multiple priorities and locations, exercise independent judgment, and communicate effectively.
• --Strong written, verbal, presentation, analytical, problem-solving, conflict-resolution, and project-management skills.
• --Valid driver’s license, acceptable driving record, reliable transportation, and ability to travel among program and community locations as required.

Preferred qualifications

• --Master’s degree in human services, Social Work, Business Administration, Public Administration, Nonprofit Management, or a related discipline—or equivalent executive experience.
• --Seven or more years of progressive experience in training and development, organizational learning, workforce development, or talent management.
• --Leadership experience in personnel management, conflict resolution, project management, business planning, staff development, quality improvement, and organizational change.
• --Experience developing organization-wide training strategies across multiple departments, programs, or locations.
• --Familiarity with applicable Missouri Department of Mental Health and Medicaid requirements, CARF accreditation standards, and other relevant regulatory or accreditation expectations.
• --Experience partnering with Quality Assurance, Human Resources, and program leadership to address performance trends and improve service quality.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Success in This Role

Success will be measured by the Senior Director’s ability to:

• --Implement a train-the-trainer program and evaluate designated trainers and supervisors to support consistent, effective training.
• --Improve employee knowledge, skills, confidence, and on-the-job performance through training evaluation.
• --Ensure employees demonstrate required job-related knowledge and skills through competency assessment and direct observation.
• --Partner with Quality Assurance and program leaders to reduce recurring training-related performance gaps, compliance findings, and deficiencies.
• --Support program compliance with applicable accreditation, licensing, funding, documentation, HIPAA, client-rights, and regulatory requirements.
• --Advance approved strategic growth initiatives, service enhancements, partnerships, and new program opportunities.

Work Environment & Executive Requirements

• -Work takes place at UCP Heartland offices and program settings throughout the agency.
• -Regular travel among geographically dispersed program locations and external meetings is required.
• -Evening, weekend, or overnight availability may be needed based on program training needs.
• -The role requires regular use of computers, EHR, financial, workforce, reporting, communication, and video-conferencing systems.
• -Frequent meetings, presentations, site visits, and extended periods of sitting or standing are part of the role.
• -The position requires the ability to respond to sustained executive-level demands and perform essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation.