The Association for association professionals in Chicagoland

Summary/Objective
The Director of Knowledge and Learning Experiences (KLE) provides visionary leadership for IFT’s educational and professional development initiatives. This role is responsible for the design, development and execution of all knowledge and learning programs and IFT’s content and community strategies. The Director, KLE, works closely with volunteer content experts and staff to ensure IFT’s learning initiatives address the continuum of needs expressed by members throughout their professional careers.

Essential Responsibilities
• Designs, develops and implements IFT’s scientific educational content and community strategies including identifying and pursuing opportunities to grow revenue for IFT
• Creates knowledge and learning programs that enrich IFT’s role in science leadership and provides a continuum of education for the members throughout their careers
• Creates, manages and monitors budget for all KLE programs, products and services
• Oversees departmental budgets, ensuring financial targets are met
• Reviews and analyzes monthly financial reports for all managed programs, identifies variances, and implements corrective actions as needed Provides operational oversight of KLE to ensure the department is being run in accordance with best practices, process optimization and performance tracking
• Provides direction and management support of IFT’s scientific content strategy and Learning Management System
• Along with colleagues in the Science & Policy Initiatives (SPI) department, collaborates on the strategic development and execution of the content layout of IFT FIRST: Annual Event & Expo, the organization’s premier and most visible event annually
• Explores and implements scientific educational collaborations with related and allied organizations worldwide.
• Supports and monitors education-related sponsorships to ensure timely execution of content deliverables and adherence to agreement terms
• Identifies and develops key focus areas for IFT in the food sciences by studying emerging science, consumer and market trends (including public health national and globally) and trends in professional societies
• Identifies and pursues new potential revenue streams including new product development, corporate licensing agreements, sponsorships, grants, partnerships or reseller opportunities to grow revenue
• Develops close collaborative relationships with the marketing and sales business units, to assure the best support and awareness of KLE programs and initiatives
• Pairs entrepreneurial and creative strengths with proven executive skills to drive initiatives from start to completion while working closely and collaboratively with all IFT departments
• Partners with cross-functional staff teams to integrate educational offerings with other IFT offerings and resources
• Effectively manages volunteer Subject Matter Experts (SME) and other volunteers as needed.
• Identifies and pursues opportunities for revenue growth
• Directs strategic planning processes and programs for IFT Divisions (special interest groups) to ensure alignment with organizational priorities
• Leads the development and execution of high-level content strategies for Divisions
• Ensures compliance with industry and legal regulations and best practices, and adherence to IFT’s processes and procedures
• Responsible for overseeing the hiring, training, onboarding, and performance management of the KLE team
• Through effective management, cultivates an environment that allows for a strong and productive employee experience

Management Responsibilities
• Manages a team of 3

Other Duties
• This position, and all others at IFT, may be modified at any time. To ensure operational efficiency, and meet the changing needs of our customers and business, other duties may be assigned as needed.

Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $120,000 to 130,000 Per Year (commensurate with experience and qualifications)

Benefits: IFT offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to reward and energize our employees, so they can live a balanced life and maintain their well-being. We offer medical, dental, and vision plans at affordable rates. Life and Long Term Disability insurance is completely free to all employees. Most benefits begin the first of the month following employee’s start date. To learn more about IFT and our excellent benefits, please visit our careers page here: https://www.ift.org/about-ift/work-at-ift

Travel Required
• Occasional domestic travel is expected including the ability to attend occasional evening, weekend and overnight meetings.

Required Education and Experience
• Master’s degree in education, communications, nonprofit management, food science or related
• 7+ years of progressive experience developing, managing and growing association educational portfolios
• 7+ years of experience launching new, mission critical programs based on member needs
• Experience establishing effective relationships with volunteer leaders
• Experience leveraging principles of adult education
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to oversee multiple projects and deadlines

Preferred Experience
• Leadership role in association education
• Experience with a healthcare or scientific association
• Active participation in community building, component relations and digital learning environments

About Institute of Food Technologists

Since 1939, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has been a forum for passionate science of food professionals and technologists to collaborate, learn, and contribute all with the goal of inspiring and transforming collective scientific knowledge into innovative solutions for the benefit of all people around the world. As a scientific community grounded in purpose, IFT feeds the minds that feed the world.

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