Senior Specialist- Learning and Development

Company Description

Walden

More than 50 years ago, Walden University was founded to support adult learners in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and communities. Students from across the U.S. and more than 115 countries are pursuing a certificate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree online at Walden.

We offer more than 100 online degrees and certificate programs. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org). Visit WaldenU.edu for more information, and follow Walden on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

We operate on a hybrid schedule with four in-office days per week (Monday–Thursday). This approach enhances creativity, innovation, communication, and relationship-building, fostering a dynamic and collaborative work environment.
 

Job Description

Reporting to the Manager, Learning and Development, the Senior Specialist will operate as a Learning & Development generalist, supporting the end-to-end design, development, and facilitation of learning solutions within a function that serves several business units across Walden University. This individual will lead and support project-based work across the full instructional lifecycle—from needs assessment and instructional design through delivery and evaluation—with a continued focus on impactful facilitation and learner experience. 

This role will plan, design, and facilitate multiple colleague onboarding programs across teams, ensuring alignment to business priorities and a consistent, high-quality experience. In addition, this individual will manage cross-functional learning projects, including product partnerships and new program launches, collaborating closely with stakeholders to support major initiative rollouts. 

The Senior Specialist brings a strong consultative skillset, enabling effective partnership across the business to assess needs, recommend learning strategies and modalities, establish timelines, and guide execution. They will contribute to and, at times, lead the creation of learning resources, media, and instructional materials, while also facilitating sessions and reinforcing adoption through effective delivery. 

This individual will play a key role in supporting the project workflow and evolving business needs for the Walden University Learning, Development, and Enablement function, with a broad focus spanning product knowledge, process, skill development, and technical learning. They will partner with and guide team members to ensure consistency, quality, and scalability across learning solutions. The Sr. Specialist role also serves as a role model for our Covista WE values. 

• Serve as a strategic training partner on product, technology, and student recruitment requests for training or instructional resources directed to the enrollment and student success teams. This includes evaluating requests through a consultative lens, recommending and developing a scope of work, partnering with subject matter experts and stakeholders across the enterprise, and executing the design, development, and delivery of instruction or resources. 
• Serve as a primary L&D partner in designing and implementing the Walden University learning and development programming. This includes (but is not limited to) setting up and launching online, in-person, or hybrid training, acting as a consultative point-of-contact for leaders of stakeholder groups, and pulling completion reports and other applicable data to inform decision-making and continuous improvement. 
• Provide additional support as needed within the Walden University learning, development, and enablement function, such as facilitating instructor-led onboarding and technology sessions, while demonstrating a high level of professionalism and business acumen. 
• Lead colleague onboarding and training programs for enrollment and student success teams, partnering with business leaders to align learning strategies with operational goals and performance outcomes. 
• Provide additional support as needed within the Walden University learning, development, and enablement function, such as facilitating instructor-led onboarding and technology sessions, while demonstrating a high level of professionalism and business acumen. 
• Ensure a seamless, student-centered process to deliver exceptional business performance results in partnership with cross-functional teams, building strong internal relationships and influencing outcomes. 
• Work collaboratively across the L&D team to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery, reinforcing excellence in both team-produced learning solutions and alignment with institutional branding, standards, and business objectives. 
• Manage multiple projects and deliverables according to established plans, monitoring and reporting progress to LDE leaders; ensures milestones are met and work is delivered by all team members in alignment with agreed SLAs. 
• Represent the LDE team during meetings and participate in institutional activities and events, serving as a polished and professional representative of the function. 
• Employ continuous development in the field of learning and development by staying current on industry trends, best practices, and innovations through journals, articles, and seminars, and applying insights to enhance business impact. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree Required. Master's Degree Preferred
• 5+ years of professional experience as a training specialist (or similar role).
• Demonstrated experience conceptualizing and creating instructional resources in Rise 360, Storyline, or similar e-learning tools based on best practices for instructional systems design, development, and delivery.
• Excellent oral and written English communication skills, including delivering/leading training in both on-ground and virtual environments.
• Strong technical aptitude, with demonstrated experience with creating learning resources focused on technology and systems processes.
• Demonstrated ability to work in and adapt instruction within a remote work environment, including facilitation of training using Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or other platforms.
• Effectively navigate within a highly regulated environment.
• Adaptability to continued changes and shifts in business priorities and demonstrated ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects at any given time.
• Highly focused on job priorities and customer needs.
• Deadline-oriented, with the ability to handle multiple projects at any given time.
• Ability to self-manage time and priorities in a remote work environment.
• Microsoft Office Suite skills required (MS Word, MS Excel, MS Teams, MS PowerPoint, etc.)

Additional Information

In support of the pay transparency laws enacted across the country, the expected salary range for this position is between $53,520 and $96,736. Actual pay will be adjusted based on job-related factors permitted by law, such as experience and training; geographic location; licensure and certifications; market factors; departmental budgets; and responsibility. Our Talent Acquisition Team will be happy to answer any questions you may have, and we look forward to learning more about your salary requirements. The position qualifies for the below benefits.

Covista offers a robust suite of benefits including:

• Health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance
• 401k Retirement Program + 6% employer match
• Participation in Covista’s Flexible Time Off (FTO) Policy
• 12 Paid Holidays
  
  For more information related to our benefits please visit:
  https://careers.covista.com/benefits
  
   

Equal Opportunity – Minority / Female / Disability / V / Gender Identity / Sexual Orientation