Senior Training Specialist

The Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) is an independent executive branch agency with oversight and ombudsperson responsibilities, established by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2008. The OCA's mission is to ensure that children receive appropriate, timely, and quality state services, with a particular focus on ensuring that the Commonwealth's most vulnerable and at-risk children can thrive. Through collaboration with public and private stakeholders, the OCA identifies gaps in state services and recommends improvements in policy, practice, regulation and/or law. The OCA also serves as a resource for families who are receiving, or are eligible to receive, services from the Commonwealth. Office of the Child Advocate | Mass.gov

The Center on Child Wellbeing & Trauma at the OCA supports state agencies and their community-based partners in their journey towards becoming trauma-informed and responsive. CCWT also provides in depth technical assistance on how to make policies, programs, and interactions more trauma-responsive to support child wellbeing. Child Trauma and Wellbeing – A resource for child-serving organizations

The Senior Training Specialist develops training curricula, materials, and facilitation to support state agencies in becoming more trauma informed and responsive.  This role supports consultation, training, coaching, and implementation support for both live trainings and asynchronous training. The OCA is hiring two Senior Training Specialists as it expands its training offerings.

The right candidate for this position has skills in the creation of trainings for adult learners and can design trainings related to trauma, resilience, and equity. You enjoy being part of a collaborative team, agile and able to pivot as objectives of trainings shift. You are versed in data collection and analysis, bringing a data-driven eye to the Center’s strategic goals. Most of all, the right candidate has a passion for improving the lives of the children and youth of the Commonwealth and wants to be part of an innovative, growing team of public servants who share that passion. 

This role requires a mixture of in-person work at the OCA office, in-person trainings throughout Massachusetts with employee-provided transportation, and remote work. 

Application Instructions

Applications are to be submitted on the Mass Careers website: MassCareers Create a Profile guide | Mass.gov. A cover letter and resume are required parts of the application. Please do not contact the OCA via phone to inquire about the status of your application. If you need any support with submitting your application, please refer to MassCareers Resources | Mass.gov. Review of applicants will start immediately and continue while the position is posted, with first consideration given to those received on or before October 26, 2026.

The OCA is committed to creating and supporting an inclusive work community that is free of all forms of discrimination.  The OCA does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other basis under Massachusetts law.

The OCA encourages applicants from a broad spectrum of backgrounds to apply for positions, including candidates who have personal and/or professional history with the child protective and/or juvenile justice systems. 

Duties & Responsibilities

• In-Person Training Design and Delivery: Develops curricula for and conducts in-person training programs for state employees and partners using various formats including group discussion, scenarios and role play, videos, and direct instruction.
• Asynchronous Training Design and Delivery: Designs and maintains engaging and accessible educational programs, e-learning modules, presentations, job aids, and multimedia learning resources using adult learning principles and instructional design best practices in collaboration with internal and external subject matter experts.
• Digital Accessibility: Ensures trainings, educational materials, websites, multimedia content, and digital communications comply with the Massachusetts Digital Accessibility Standards, WCAG, Section 508, and other applicable accessibility requirements.
• Evaluation: Evaluates the efficacy of training materials and makes recommendations for improvement.
• Research: Maintains knowledge of latest trends and best practices in adult learning, training, facilitation, and curriculum design. Independently conducts research to inform training and curriculum development.
• Project Management: Provides project management support, including scheduling debriefs, effective coordination and sharing of evaluations to inform project feedback and improvements, and proactive tracking and management of project deadlines to ensure deliverables are met. 
• Coaching: Provides coaching & training support to Training Specialists. 

Required:

• Proven ability to design both in-person and asynchronous curriculum for adults. 
• Experience in learning design for both in person and asynchronous trainings. 
• Experience working with state agencies and managing and supporting partner organization expectations. 
• Knowledge of childhood trauma/ACES/positive childhood experiences and resilience.
• Ability to make persuasive presentations to various interdisciplinary audiences. 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft 365 Suite, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other commonly used computer software applications.
• Ability to work at a high level of productivity, including handling a variety of tasks simultaneously, and ability to stay on task with frequent interruptions.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a team.
• Ability to travel across Massachusetts for training sessions as needed.

Minimum Entrance Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy/political science, psychology, sociology, human services, or social work

• At least four (4) years of experience, including training and facilitation and curriculum design

   

Preferred Entrance Requirements:

• Master's degree in related field
• Experience in training in languages other than English
• Experience working with state agencies and managing and supporting partner organization expectations
• Experience training and facilitating on childhood wellbeing related topics
• Experience with instructional design and e-learning authoring tools (Articulate Storyline and Rise 360 preferred), Learning Management
• Systems (LMS), Adobe Creative Cloud, Microsoft Office Suite, and other technologies used to develop, deliver, and manage educational programs and digital content.
• Working knowledge of the Massachusetts Digital Accessibility Standards, WCAG, Section 508, and accessible design principles, including experience evaluating and remediating digital documents, multimedia, websites, and other electronic content.