DIRECTOR OF LEARNING + DEVELOPMENT
Reports to SVP, People + Culture, the position is exempt.
WHO WE ARE
Hotels Done Differently is not a slogan for us; it is who we are. It also fuels our vision that Human Resources programs and practices are to be done differently. Each hotel in our portfolio is an individual, representing the People, Place, and Character of its community. Aparium was founded in 2011 to bring lifestyle service and accommodations to underserved yet distinct and important cities while maintaining and celebrating the unadulterated character of each. Driven by the belief that the poetics of their surroundings should fuel all hospitality experiences, Aparium was born with an intense focus on unearthing the unforgettable moments unique to every city. We are a sophisticated hotel brand known for its singular ability to combine the business acumen of large hospitality companies with the charm of boutique hotels, bringing the disparate forces together in bustling, smaller markets.
WHO YOU ARE
You have chosen the people side of the business because you genuinely believe that every individual has the opportunity to achieve their potential when provided equitable opportunities, development tools, and resources. You understand and have experienced that wearing the recruiter hat and designing learning programs go together like peas and carrots. You become giddy when a person receives a promotion or a rockstar hire has occurred, as you know you had lent a hand in the process. You yawn at the all-day classroom approach and sincerely believe the 70-20-10 learning model and are a fan of micro-learning. Finally, you ache to be part of a progressive People + Culture team, who dreads the term HR and the negative connotation it brings because of traditional practices, and you too seek to modernize the approach of performance management systems and programs. You may have bent the rules in the past and set precedence because a person's individual need was more significant than a policy that did not offer flexibility in the decision-making.
THE ROLE
This newly created Director of Learning + Development role will play a strategic role in creating, implementing, and governing training programs to enhance the growth of employees. We are searching for a diverse leader who will be the primary architect of the framework and talent solutions that will be foundational to the continued success and growth of the organization. The position will collaborate with various departments to assess developmental needs, design curriculum, and measure the effectiveness of learning initiatives, ensuring that the organization remains competitive and agile.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Uphold and role model the company's principles of People, Place, and Character, and be comfortable ensuring others are also modeling our values that drive collaboration, intuition, and translocal hospitality.
- Build and maintain a trusting and transparent relationship with all stakeholders, explicitly developing rapport and respect with the hotel Directors of People + Culture, General Managers, and your peers at Headquarters (HQ) - we don't like the word "corporate".
- Design and implementation of learning + development strategies that are aligned with Aparium's goals and objectives to enhance employee skills, performance, and engagement
- Provide ongoing governance of the Service + Culture training for hotel and HQ associates, ensuring a successful onboarding experience and thorough training in all aspects of the art + science of Aparium.
- Conduct company-wide learning needs analysis to determine leadership skill gaps within the hotel portfolio and craft an overall strategy and roadmap to deliver on learning priorities for executive committee members, mid-level managers, and supervisory development needs.
- Design and develop the curricula for leadership development programs for executive committee members that drive the company's cultural pillars and expected leadership attributes and helps to facilitate succession planning across the organization.
- Utilize 3rd party systems when needed to develop blended learning programs that the Directors of People + Culture can utilize, recommend future programming needs, and identify third-party resources to support hotel or HQ development needs.
- Provide input on budget for learning + development programs ensuring that resources are allocated effectively to support strategic initiatives and maximize return on investment
- Willingness and ability to be based in the greater Chicago area and work from the office located in the West Loop the majority of the time when not traveling to our hotels.
- Willingness and ability to travel to the hotels up to 75% of the time to either facilitate learning programs, assist with hotel openings, conduct learning needs analysis, or facilitate organizational development interventions.
- The list of tasks and duties mentioned above is just the beginning of the adventure. Be prepared for more exciting challenges! You might be called on to tackle extra duties or tasks that aren't listed here, all to meet the ever-changing operational needs.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
- Ability to travel up to 75% of the time, sometimes a little less, or maybe a little more, and be based out of the greater Chicago area
- 3+ years of experience in on-the-job training in leadership roles, hands-on experience in curriculum development and instructional design; 10+ years of experience required without a relevant bachelor's degree. Experience must be within the hospitality industry.
- Proven experience in designing and implementing training programs, leading development initiatives, and managing educational projects.
- Proven experience in building consultative partnerships with diverse people and thought leaders across multiple functions and locations
- Demonstrated thought leadership and continuous learning throughout career and can substantiate continuous improvement efforts through past programs and initiatives.
- Excellent interpersonal, facilitation, coaching, communication, and consulting skills supported by Strong project management skills
HOW YOU LEAD
- Highly analytical in thought and recommendations; although will never act like the smartest person in the room, and continually seek out the facts; can express a point of view without it being driven by ego.
- Engages others in general conversation tactics to build rapport quickly and can lead and adapt communication and presentation tactics to engage the audience; displays adaptable interpersonal skills for a wide range of audiences and stakeholders.
- Approaches fact-finding and discovery missions in a collaborative effort; values input and experiences of others create additional insight to uncover deeper issues that need to be addressed or removed as a barrier to implementation.
- Values the importance of making decisions with integrity, maintaining confidentiality across internal workgroups, knowing how to use discretion when appropriate, understands the difference between transparency and confidentiality.
- Demonstrates the ability to identify strategic needs yet can be a "soldier" to ensure implementation and execution of a strategic plan.
- Passionate in driving results of their effort and others; can influence others to execute on the strategy through tactical methods; and is comfortable prioritizing their work and that of others.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Aparium Hospitality Services celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive environment for all employees to ensure they feel a sense of belonging. We do not discriminate and believe every individual should be proud of who they are, where they come from and take pride in who we serve. Aparium is an E-Verify employer
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