Learning and Development Director Job at Aspen Dental

The Aspen Group (TAG) is one of the largest and most trusted retail healthcare business support organizations in the U.S. and has supported over 16,000 healthcare professionals and team members at more than 1,200 health and wellness offices across 46 states in three distinct categories: Dental care, urgent care, and medical aesthetics. Working in partnership with independent practice owners and clinicians, the team is united by a single purpose: to prove that healthcare can be better and smarter for everyone. TAG provides a comprehensive suite of centralized business support services that power the impact of four consumer-facing businesses: Aspen Dental, ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers, WellNow Urgent Care, Chapter Aesthetic Studio and our newest addition AZPetVet. Each brand has access to a deep community of experts, tools and resources to grow their practices, and an unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality consumer healthcare experiences at scale. As a reflection of our continued growth, we have an exciting opportunity to join our Learning & Development team as a L&D Director, Learning Technology.

Job Summary:

This Director is an important part of the Learning and Development team and has accountability for The Aspen Group learning technology strategy as well as oversees all of the systems within our learning tech “ecosystem”. We are at the beginning of a multi-year journey to modernize and reimagine learning and this leader will play a large role in shaping our future in technology.

This leader will lead a team of learning technology professionals and will have accountability for the daily function of our learning platforms and systems. This role will partner closely with the leaders in L&D and other key stakeholders to research, identify, validate, test, implement, integrate and sustain a variety of learning technologies including but not limited to LXP, LMS, LRS, CMS, VR/AR, virtual teaching platforms, eLearning development tools, performance measurement systems, automators, etc.

The Director, Learning Technology is a proven leader of others, with exceptional learning technology expertise. This leader is a strong collaborator who can navigate a multiple of partnerships and priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. This leader is service-minded and consistently provides an exceptional experience for our learners. This leader also excels at adult learning theory and modern ways to bring learning to life at scale. This leader must also be hands-on with a willingness to dive into the work as needed, unafraid to roll-up their sleeves to get projects done.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Create and execute the learning technology strategy for The Aspen group; combining insight on industry learning technology trends and aligning those with the L&D strategy, capabilities and needs.
• Evaluate existing learning technology systems/solutions for impact and alignment with organizational needs. Ensure learning solutions meet/exceed technical standards and provide recommendations that increase reach, impact, and future capability requirements.
• Create an integrated learning technology “ecosystem” that connects related systems that provide downstream data with a wide array of learning technologies.
• Enable and enhance our ability to deliver impactful development experiences via integration of modern learning technologies and platforms.
• Use data to measure success: learn, iterate, and improve; analyze trends and develop proactive actions to improve the experience for future learners.
• Collaborate with each brand in order to understand their learning technology needs so we identify learning technology solutions and systems that enable all of our businesses; optimizing support and efficiency.
• Build relationships with key technology partners and stakeholders including L&D, IT, Employee Experience, Operations and Clinical Teams
• Frequently engage with key stakeholders, cross-functional partners, and senior leaders in order to ensure relevancy and gain sponsorship for learning technologies solutions (short-term and long-term).
• Initiate and manage relationships and contracts with learning technology vendors.
• Keep pace with both business and functional L&D knowledge and apply this effectively to optimize learning technology and improve the learner’s experience.
• Advise and guide the entire L&D team on this strategy, including guidance on the use of appropriate and new technologies.
• Lead cross functional teams as new learning technologies are developed through the entire cycle, from proposals through development, testing, and deployment.
• Lead governance and manage the day-to-day operations of the current Learning Management System as well as other learning technologies that are instituted.
• Lead the Learning Technology team; providing direction, coaching and support to optimize the performance and potential of each team member.
• Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of L&D talent through continuous talent management, development planning, talent assessment + succession planning and performance management.
• Manage the technology-related budget and provide input to the overall L&D budget.
• Be ready to “roll up your sleeves” and perform technology execution tasks when needed.
• Partner with others to solve business problems and as a member of the Learning and Development extended leadership team contribute expertise and support beyond learning technology as needed.

Requirements/Qualifications:

• Education Level: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s Degree preferred.
• A minimum of 7+ years of relevant learning technology experience in a fast-paced organization with a distributed workforce.
• A minimum of 5+ years leading a team of L&D professionals.
• Proven experience and expertise with LXP, LMS, LRS, xAPI, virtual and augmented reality, virtual classroom systems, Workday, Camtasia, Articulate Storyline, Kahoot, Smartsheet, Zoom, Teams, etc.
• Advanced understanding of adult learning theory and principles.
• Demonstrated ability to translate development needs into technical requirements and test against those requirements.
• Strong ability to create process, organizational systems and operating procedures.
• Exceptional project management skills and proven experience planning large-scale global programs for technical audiences.
• Well versed in digital learning, just-in-time / micro-learning, and blended learning strategies and advanced understanding of design and delivery methods.
• Advanced problem solving, decision-making, and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills at all levels in the organization and extremely flexibility to be proactive in a fast paced, ever changing environment.
• Proven experience managing technology vendors.
• Ability to travel as needed.
• Health insurance