Associate Director of Training & Education

Associate Director of Training & Education - Lyons w/flexible work location Are you passionate about designing impactful learning experiences that empower individuals and strengthen communities? The Center for Rural Affairs is seeking an Associate Director of Training and Education to lead and expand high quality and data driven training initiatives for external audiences across rural communities Read on. We might be looking for you. In this role, you'll lead the development and delivery of engaging training and coaching programs that range from group workshops to one on one learning experiences. The training will be scalable, culturally responsive, and align with the Center's mission. You'll collaborate with teams to translate complex topics into practical accessible tools and resources, build partnerships to expand training reach, and use data to evaluate impact and continuous improvement. As a member of the program leadership team, you'll help shape strategy, mentor staff, and foster a culture of learning and innovation. Your work will directly support individuals, organizations, and communities in obtaining the knowledge and skills needed to create lasting change. Who We Are The Center for Rural Affairs is a dynamic, energetic non-profit organization working to build a better rural future for all. We've done this work for more than 50 years and we do it from rural places with a flexible work environment. The Center focuses on capital access, community capacity, and policy advocacy strategies with work in areas of food systems, community resources, small business support, and environment and resilience. The Center's work is rooted in our mission-aligned values. We believe that a diversity of people and ideas strengthens our work, our workplace, and our communities. We take equal opportunity seriously and we welcome applicants from a variety of backgrounds. Additional information can be found at www.cfra.org. What You'll Do The Associate Director of Training & Education reports to the Chief of Programs and will work closely with program directors and related staff, and has the following responsibilities: Oversee the creation of toolkits, guides, online modules, and blended learning formats, maintaining high-quality instructional design standards, incorporating measurable learning outcomes, and ensuring curriculum is culturally responsive, accessible, and equity-centered. Support the evaluation and maintenance of learning management software, ensuring consistency and usability for staff as well as external users. Work with Center staff across the organization to develop effective and engaging cohort and classroom-based training opportunities as well as one-on-one coaching and mentorship programs for external clients and program participants. Assist staff with translating complex information into accessible training and education resources, ensuring materials are tailored for external learners with varying levels of experience. Establish metrics and evaluation frameworks for all external training programs, tracking criteria such as participation, knowledge gains, behavioral change, and long-term outcomes, as well as use data to refine curriculum, demonstrate impact, and produce reports highlighting the outcomes of external education and training initiatives. Ensure alignment with the Center's values, mission, and organizational priorities. Who You Are & Keys to Success (the must-haves) To be successful in this job, you will excel in five areas: Relationship building: You know how to talk with people to learn what needs they have through conversation and inquiry. People trust you because you're efficient with their time and have their best interests in mind. You're able to build networks, as well as alliances, and find points of collaboration even when there are competing interests on your time. You develop and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders.

Drive to achieve results:

You know how to leverage your strengths to achieve your own ambitious goals, and you anticipate hurdles as merely a momentary inconvenience. You possess a competitive drive and are creative in approaches. You set a high bar and meet it because you think three (or 30) steps ahead to come up with pragmatic, yet innovative, solutions. You have an affinity for the details.

Inclusive leadership and management:

You approach leadership in your work with a mindset of "power with" rather than "power over" and include others with lived experience and expertise in your decision-making. You use resources wisely and can provide clear direction to staff, partners, or contractors to leverage time and resources for impact.

Setting and managing priorities:

You have experience managing multiple projects and keeping tasks from slipping through the cracks. You use resources wisely and can provide clear direction to staff, partners, or consultants to leverage time and talent for impact. You understand the importance of effective delegation and empower others by assigning responsibilities that align with their strengths to maximize efficiency and results.

Commitment to social justice:

You recognize and address barriers to accessing capital, resources, and information. You recognize how your own identities show up in the work, and welcome, reflect on, and act on feedback with an eye toward continuous learning about difference to overcome barriers. You recognize that investment in communities, people, and entrepreneurship are pathways to better outcomes. You're a leader (or willing to become a leader) in incorporating the Center's Values effectively into internal processes, external programming and communications, and work relationships, as well as identifying opportunities to build your own capacity to center these values into your work. If you were here right now, you would be: Learning from current Center staff about training and education projects, assessing and replicating best practices, and supporting staff in troubleshooting and improvement of education delivery. Partnering with program staff to design and deliver high-quality training and coaching for external audiences, including entrepreneurs, community leaders, and partners. Standardizing curriculum, tools, and delivery methods to ensure consistency, scalability, and effectiveness across training programs. Expanding access to training by identifying opportunities for new formats, platforms, and partnerships. Evaluating training impact using data and participant feedback, and using those insights to continuously improve programs. Using data-driven storytelling to share the impact the Center's external education and training initiatives are having on individuals, small businesses, and rural communities. You have experience with the following: Coaching, curriculum development, training delivery, needs assessment, and building partnerships. Leading and building effective formal and informal networks inside and outside the organization. Fostering a culture of continuous learning among your colleagues across an organization. Building effective teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals, along with creating a feeling of belonging and strong team morale. Working effectively with diverse groups of individuals and valuing differences. Aligning and prioritizing work to meet commitments and organizational goals. Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences. Strategically creating competitive and out-of-the-box strategies that show clear connections between vision and action. Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity. Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances, developing yourself and others. What Else You Should Know This is a full-time exempt position based in Lyons, Nebraska with a flexible work location. This position will require occasional travel by car to meet with community partners and colleagues, and include both overnight and out-of-state travel on occasion. A more flexible location may be considered for the right candidate.

Compensation and benefits:

This position has a salary range of $70,000 - $76,000 with top-notch benefits that have a cash value of $10,000 to $29,500, depending on family status and tenure with the Center. Benefits include employer-sponsored health, dental and vision coverage, employer contributions to a Health Savings Account, 6% employer matching contributions to a retirement plan, a fantastic Employee Assistance Program, 12 paid holidays plus paid time off between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day, Friday Summer Hours from May through August, and vacation and sick pay. The Center for Rural Affairs is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-Verify, is committed to the full inclusion of all individuals, and takes steps to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. How to Apply If you would like to work for an organization that has a national reputation as one of the top organizations in the country working to make rural communities more vibrant, apply by sending your resume, cover letter, and three professional references. In the cover letter, please include: How your personal and/or professional experiences have positioned you for success in this role and any additional work, skills, or expertise you want us to know about. Please describe how your past leadership roles make you the right candidate for this role. Let us know how you heard about this position and tell us why you want to work for the Center.