Learning & Development Specialist

About the organization

World Relief is a Christian humanitarian organization working with churches to respond to major global crises. Established after World War II to serve people affected by the war in Europe, it has spent eight decades partnering with local churches and communities across more than 100 countries to help families and communities flourish. Its work today centers on disaster and humanitarian response, community resilience, and services and advocacy for refugees and immigrants.

Role overview

World Relief is hiring a Learning & Development Specialist to help strengthen staff support across its Chicagoland offices. This position focuses on recruitment, onboarding, training, professional growth, and cultural intelligence for a staff group of more than 200 people. The role is intended for someone who can build learning opportunities, support sustainable work practices, and help staff thrive both professionally and personally.

This is a part-time role of 32 hours per week. It is hybrid, with remote work combined with required in-person attendance for trainings and events. The role is primarily attached to one office, but the person in this position must be flexible to work across all three Chicagoland locations when needed.

Key responsibilities

• Build and coordinate the annual learning roadmap for all Chicagoland staff and managers in partnership with the Senior Director of Programs, Home Office Human Resources, and local stakeholders.
• Work with managers to identify individual strengths and development needs, then suggest learning options that support growth, career movement, and changing role expectations.
• Assist working groups that are shaping training needs and learning initiatives.
• Organize and deliver training for all staff and for specific programs by selecting providers, supporting instructional design, managing logistics, and conducting follow-up debriefs.
• Monitor and share data on training delivery and participation, and help assess whether learning is being applied in the workplace through manager and staff feedback.
• Support rollout of required compliance trainings led by Home Office Human Resources, including PSEAH and Non-Harassment sessions.
• Develop and update practical how-to guides for common workplace tasks and make sure learning support aligns with change management during system changes and strategic transitions.
• Help other specialists create effective guides for their teams.
• Update and maintain Chicagoland Employee Resources pages and related training links on SharePoint so staff can easily find key documents.
• Manage relationships with external learning providers such as LinkedIn Learning and outside leadership coaches, while monitoring and encouraging staff participation.
• Plan and facilitate monthly staff meetings that use time well, strengthen culture, and build unity across the Chicagoland region.
• Work with internal partners to make events inclusive, mission-aligned, and well organized.
• Lead planning and execution of annual staff events such as summer picnics and Christmas parties with a planning team.

Requirements

• A mature personal Christian faith.
• Commitment to World Relief’s mission, vision, and values.
• A desire to serve and equip the Church to support vulnerable communities.
• Ability to affirm or acknowledge World Relief’s Core Beliefs, Statement of Faith, Christian Identity, and the National Association of Evangelicals’ For the Health of the Nation document.
• At least 2 years of experience in training coordination or adult education.
• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent background.
• Strong planning, organization, and project management abilities.
• Careful attention to detail, strong follow-through, and accountability.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Comfort with online learning tools and HR compliance training.
• Ability to collaborate across departments and with outside vendors and partners.
• Familiarity with SharePoint page design, or the ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Ability to work well with diverse groups, showing cultural awareness, inclusion, and a commitment to continued learning.
• Preferred background includes nonprofit or mission-driven organizations, instructional design, adult learning principles, training evaluation, and the ability to adapt creatively to changing needs.

Additional information

The role is suited to someone who enjoys building community, encouraging staff development, and contributing to a mission-driven workplace. World Relief offers a competitive benefits package and an employee discount program for part-time employees working 25 or more hours per week. The organization has received a Gold-level Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation for its well-being efforts, including leadership and culture, program foundations and execution, and whole-person health.

Reasonable accommodations may be provided so that individuals with disabilities can perform essential job functions. World Relief is an equal opportunity employer and follows EEO/AA practices for M/F/D/V. The workplace is drug-free, and pre-employment substance abuse testing is required. For World Relief staff, strong commitment to the mission, vision, and values is essential, and Christian faith is a prerequisite for employment under U.S. federal Title VII guidelines.

Ideal profile

The right candidate will be energetic, resourceful, adaptable, and motivated by helping people grow while supporting a collaborative, inclusive, and mission-centered culture.