MANAGER OF HUMAN RESOURCES – LEARNING & ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Job Description

DESCRIPTION

THE PORT OF LONG BEACH IS SEEKING A MANAGER OF HUMAN RESOURCES

- LEARNING & ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

(This is an at-will position)

Salary Range : $144,271 - $201,981

THE ROLE

The Manager of Human Resources - Learning & Organizational Development leads the implementation and ongoing delivery of the Port's in-house enterprise learning and development initiative, Port of Long Beach University (Port U). Reporting to the Managing Director of Organizational Development, with a dotted-line relationship to the Human Resources Division, this position translates the established Port U framework into high-impact learning programs and experiences that build employee and organizational capability.

The Manager serves as the Port's lead practitioner for adult learning and learning program implementation, overseeing the development, coordination, and delivery of curricula, learning pathways, leadership development, and other professional development initiatives. The position partners extensively with leaders, subject-matter experts, HR professionals, and external learning providers to bring Port U programs to life and ensure they are relevant, engaging, and effectively applied in the workplace.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is an experienced learning and development practitioner who knows how to turn a framework into a sustainable, high-quality learning experience for employees across the Port-while using data, feedback, and emerging best practices to continuously improve its impact.

You must be organized, highly collaborative, and comfortable managing multiple initiatives simultaneously. You must be able to take a broad objective and turn it into a work plan, identify the people and resources required, establish milestones, solve problems, and get the work across the finish line.

You are equally comfortable working with senior leaders and frontline employees. You know how to engage subject-matter experts, even when learning and facilitation are outside their normal roles. You can provide structure without creating unnecessary bureaucracy and can adapt when circumstances change.

You understand adult learning and can distinguish between simply delivering information and creating an experience that actually supports learning and behavior change. You are a strong communicator and relationship builder who earns credibility through responsiveness, follow-through, and expertise.

Most importantly, you are a doer. You enjoy taking an established vision and making it work in the real world.

WHY JOIN THE PORT OF LONG BEACH

The Port of Long Beach is a complex, innovative organization with a workforce performing highly specialized and consequential work. Developing that workforce is central to the Port's continued success.

Port U represents an important investment in the Port's people. The framework is in place. The opportunity now is to implement it well-to create learning experiences that employees value, leaders support, and the organization can demonstrate are making a difference.

The person selected for this position will have a direct role in shaping how employees across the Port experience learning and professional development.

If you are an experienced learning and development professional who enjoys turning strategy into action, building strong partnerships, and creating meaningful learning experiences for adults, we invite you to bring your expertise to Port U.

CANDIDATE CONNECT (INFORMATION SESSION)

To learn more about this exciting career opportunity and the Port of Long Beach, please join our virtual information session on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, @ 5:00 pm PDT via MS Teams. This is a unique opportunity to hear first-hand about the position, speak directly with hiring leaders, ask questions, and learn why the Port of Long Beach is your employer of choice! Candidates are not required to be on camera. To join audio only, call + 1 323-451-1087 , Phone Conference ID: 462 012 016# Click here to join.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

HOW YOU GET TO CONTRIBUTE:

Implement Port U’s Learning Framework

• Lead day-to-day implementation of Port U’s learning framework, priorities, and model.
• Translate organizational priorities into annual plans, programs, curricula, learning pathways, and employee development experiences.
• Establish and maintain processes for planning, delivering, scheduling, and evaluating learning programs.
• Coordinate multiple initiatives to ensure timely, high-quality delivery aligned with organizational and workforce needs.
• Identify implementation challenges and recommend practical solutions and refinements based on data and stakeholder feedback.

Lead and Develop Staff

• Plan, assign, supervise, and evaluate staff work while establishing clear expectations, priorities, and performance standards.
• Coach and develop staff in learning program management, adult learning, instructional design, facilitation, and customer service.
• Foster a collaborative, innovative, and service-oriented team and effectively allocate resources across competing priorities.

Apply Adult Learning Principles

• Apply adult learning, instructional design, and learning experience design principles to create relevant, practical, and engaging learning experiences.
• Ensure learning objectives, instructional methods, activities, materials, and assessments are aligned.
• Incorporate a range of learning approaches, including instructor-led, facilitated, digital, self-directed, cohort-based, coaching, mentoring, and experiential learning.
• Partner with subject-matter experts and facilitators to translate technical and organizational knowledge into effective learning experiences.
• Coach internal facilitators and subject-matter experts on effective adult learning and facilitation practices.
• Promote learning that supports application, practice, reflection, and transfer of knowledge to the workplace.

Manage Learning Programs and Projects

• Manage the full lifecycle of assigned learning programs, from planning and implementation through delivery and evaluation.
• Develop and monitor project plans, timelines, milestones, resources, budgets, risks, and deliverables.
• Coordinate internal contributors, subject-matter experts, facilitators, vendors, consultants, and other learning partners.
• Manage external learning providers and ensure services, scopes of work, and deliverables align with Port U objectives.
• Evaluate learning content, resources, technology, and delivery methods for quality, relevance, accessibility, and effectiveness.
• Support effective use of learning management systems, digital content, and other learning technologies.
• Maintain program documentation, processes, standards, and implementation tools.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and improve employee and facilitator experiences.
• Monitor trends in adult learning, instructional design, leadership development, and learning technology, and recommend practical applications.

Support Succession Planning and Leadership Development

• Support succession planning by identifying talent and development needs and creating targeted learning opportunities to strengthen leadership pipelines and organizational readiness.

Evaluate and Continuously Improve

• Establish practical methods to evaluate learning programs and experiences.
• Analyze participant feedback, participation data, assessment results, and other measures to assess effectiveness and application.
• Identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement and recommend adjustments to programs and delivery methods.
• Develop reports, dashboards, presentations, and other communications that demonstrate program activity, outcomes, and improvement opportunities.
• Use evidence and stakeholder feedback to continuously improve Port U’s implementation while maintaining alignment with the established framework.

These are just a few examples. You will be able to do so much more.

REQUIREMENTS TO FILE

Minimum Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Adult Learning, Education, Instructional Design, Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, or a closely related field. Education may be substituted for lengthy experience and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible full-time professional experience in learning and development, adult learning, instructional design, organizational development, talent development, leadership development, employee development, or a closely related field.
• A minimum of three years of experience managing, supervising, or leading learning and development, organizational development, talent development, or related programs and/or staff.
• Demonstrated experience implementing learning and development programs for adult learners.
• Demonstrated knowledge of adult learning principles and instructional design practices.
• Experience managing multiple learning programs, projects, or initiatives from planning through implementation and evaluation.
• Experience partnering with organizational leaders, managers, and subject-matter experts to implement learning programs.
• Strong project management, facilitation, written communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.

Desirable:

• Advanced degree in Adult Learning, Organizational Development, Education, Human Resources, Business Administration, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, or a related field.
• Experience establishing or leading a corporate university, professional academy, leadership academy, workforce development initiative, or comparable enterprise learning program.
• Experience implementing an established learning framework or enterprise learning strategy.
• Experience with instructional design and learning experience design.
• Experience designing or implementing leadership development programs.
• Experience managing cohort-based learning programs, academies, professional development programs, or career development initiatives.
• Experience working with learning management systems or learning experience platforms.
• Experience evaluating learning programs and using data to improve program effectiveness.
• Experience working with internal subject-matter experts to develop and deliver learning content.
• Experience managing learning consultants, vendors, facilitators, or educational partners.
• Experience in a complex public-sector, transportation, infrastructure, maritime, industrial, or similarly specialized organization.
• Professional certification or advanced training in adult learning, instructional design, organizational development, human resources, or a related field.

WHAT SUCCESS WILL LOOK LIKE:

The successful candidate will take an established Port University framework and create a consistent, high-quality, sustainable learning operation around it.

In the first year, success will include:

• Establishing effective implementation processes and operating rhythms for Port U.
• Launching and/or expanding priority learning programs consistent with the established framework.
• Building strong working relationships with departments, leaders, subject-matter experts, and facilitators.
• Creating a reliable process for moving learning initiatives from concept through design, delivery, and evaluation.
• Establishing clear methods for monitoring participation, learner experience, program quality, and outcomes.
• Identifying opportunities to improve the framework's implementation based on actual experience and data.
• Increasing awareness, access, and engagement with Port U across the organization.

Over time, Port U will become an integrated part of how employees learn and develop at the Port-not simply a collection of classes or training events.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

The final filing date for this recruitment is Friday, September 11, 2026 @ 11:59 PM PST.

The Port reserves the right to extend the closing date without notice to accept additional applications. Individuals determined to be qualified and best aligned to the position will be invited to participate in the selection process.

The selection process may include an interview, panel interview, presentation, practical exercise, or other assessment designed to evaluate the candidate's knowledge of adult learning, program implementation, project management, communication, and ability to work effectively with organizational stakeholders.

Candidates should be prepared to discuss specific examples of learning and development programs they have implemented, including their role, the organizational need, their implementation approach, challenges encountered, and how they evaluated the results.

A practical exercise may ask candidates to develop an implementation approach for a Port U learning initiative. The exercise will focus on the candidate's ability to translate an established framework into an actionable plan, identify stakeholders and resources, anticipate implementation challenges, and design an effective adult learning experience.

HOW TO APPLY:

To be considered for this opportunity, applicants must submit a resume and cover letter (as PDF attachments) demonstrating how their experience aligns with the Port U learning and development mission.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to describe specific examples of:

• Building or transforming an organizational learning function;
• Designing learning experiences for adult learners;
• Developing leadership or professional development programs;
• Using data to evaluate learning effectiveness; and
• Partnering with executives, managers, and subject-matter experts to solve organizational capability challenges.

Submissions should be emailed to [email protected] . Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered.

If you require accommodation because of a disability in order to participate in any phase of the application/selection process, please contact (562) 283-7500 or email [email protected] .

The City of Long Beach offers its employees opportunities to grow personally and professionally.As a permanent employee, you are eligible to receive fringe benefits that include:

Retirement:California Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) defined benefit retirement plan, which is coordinated with Social Security. The benefit is 2.5% or 2.7% (depending on hire date) @55 for "Classic" members and 2% @62 for new members as defined by PEPRA, subject to the compensation limitations set by PERS. Both the City and the employee contributes toward CalPERS retirement contributions. The city also participates in Social Security.

Health and Dental Insurance:The City offers the choice of HMO and PPO plans. The city pays major portion of the premium for employee and dependents depending on the health/ dental plan selected.

Life Insurance:City-paid term life insurance policy equal to three (3) times annual salary to a maximum of $500,000.

Disability Insurance:City-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance.

Management Physical:Annual City-paid physical examination.

Vacation:Twelve (12) vacation days after the first year of service; 15 days after four years, six months of service; 20 days after 19 years, six months of service.

Executive Leave:Forty (40) hours Executive Leave per year. The City Manager has discretion to grant an additional 40 hours each year.

Sick Leave: One day earned per month; unlimited accumulation; conversion upon retirement to cash credit toward health and/or dental insurance premiums, or to pension credits.

Holidays:Eleven (11) designated holidays per year, plus four personal holidays to be used at the employee's discretion.

Transportation Allowance:Monthly allowance is allocated by classifications below;

• Department Head $650.00
• Deputy Director/Manager/Director (Harbor/Utilities) $550.00
• Division Officer/Superintendent/ Chief of Staff / Administrator / Principal DCA $450.00
• Assistant to Executive / Executive Assistant / Executive Secretary/ Executive Support Staff $300.00

Deferred Compensation Plan:Optional for employee contribution to a supplementary retirement savings program available through Mission Square Retirement formerly ICMA-RC Retirement Corporation).

• Classic CalPERS Members: The City will contribute a maximum of up to two percent (2%) of base salary* for all qualified Classic CalPERS members.
• Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) CalPERS Members: Effective the second full pay period following City Council adoption, the City contribution will increase from two percent (2%) to three percent (3%) of base salary* for all qualified PEPRA CalPERS members.

Flexible Spending Account (FSA):Optional election for employees to reduce taxable income for payment of allowable childcare or medical expenses.

Flexible/Hybrid Work Schedule:Available (subject to City Manager approval).

Paid Parental Leave: The City provides one hundred and sixty (160) hours of Paid Parental Leave at 100% of salary, for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child, regardless of the gender, marital status or sexual orientation of the parent.

Closing Date/Time: 9/11/2026 11:59 PM Pacific