Program Development Director Jobs in Gardner, KS

Position Summary:

The Director of Education is responsible for developing and executing Surgical Solutions' enterprise learning and development strategy. Reporting to the VP of Human Resources, this leader oversees the Education team and partners closely with Operations, Talent Acquisition, and business leaders to design scalable training programs that build workforce capability across all service lines.

This role combines strategic program development with hands-on operational engagement, regularly traveling to customer sites to understand workflows, identify performance opportunities, and ensure training reflects operational best practices. The Director of Education leads new hire onboarding, ongoing clinical and leadership development, competency programs, and career pathway initiatives while helping Surgical Solutions recruit and develop individuals with little or no prior industry experience into highly skilled healthcare professionals.

1. EDUCATION STRATEGY & PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
   • Develop and execute the company's education strategy in alignment with organizational goals and future growth.
   • Design, implement, and continuously improve company-wide onboarding, education, competency, and professional development programs.
   • Establish standardized curricula, facilitator guides, learning materials, competency assessments, and certification pathways across all service lines.
   • Ensure educational programs are scalable, consistent, and support operational excellence across the organization.
2. LEADERSHIP & TEAM DEVELOPMENT
   • Lead, coach, and develop the Education team while establishing clear priorities, goals, and performance expectations.
   • Foster a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, innovation, and accountability.
   • Develop educators and trainers through coaching, feedback, and professional development.
3. TALENT DEVELOPMENT & HR PARTNERSHIP
   • Partner with HR and Talent Acquisition to build workforce development strategies that support recruiting, onboarding, and retaining high-performing employees.
   • Develop structured training pathways that enable Surgical Solutions to hire and develop individuals with limited healthcare experience.
   • Build career progression programs, preceptor programs, and professional development opportunities that improve retention and employee engagement.
   • Support succession planning through leadership development initiatives for frontline leaders and emerging managers.
4. OPERATIONAL PARTNERSHIP
   • Travel regularly to customer sites to observe workflows, identify education needs, and ensure training programs reflect operational realities.
   • Partner with Operations leadership to identify performance gaps and develop educational solutions that improve quality, efficiency, customer satisfaction, and employee performance.
   • Support customer implementations, transitions, and new account launches by developing and delivering education plans that ensure operational readiness.
   • Serve as an onsite educator when needed to support critical business initiatives.
5. COMPETENCY, COMPLIANCE & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
   • Oversee onboarding, competency validation process, and annual competency programs across all service lines.
   • Ensure educational programs comply with applicable regulatory and accreditation standards.
   • Measure program effectiveness through competency, quality, retention, customer satisfaction, and operational performance metrics.
   • Continuously improve learning programs using data, feedback, and industry best practices.
6. EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS & INNOVATION
   • Develop partnerships with educational institutions, workforce organizations, and professional associations to strengthen talent pipelines.
   • Evaluate and leverage learning technologies and digital tools that improve education delivery, engagement, and scalability.
   • Stay current on industry trends and emerging best practices to continually enhance the education function.

IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE:

• CRCST certification (or ability to obtain within 120 days).
• Additional certifications such as CHL, CER, CIS, CNOR, or other healthcare education credentials.
• Bachelor's degree in Nursing, Education, Healthcare Administration, Organizational Development, Adult Learning, or a related healthcare field.
• Minimum five (5) years of progressive experience leading clinical education, workforce development, or organizational learning initiatives.
• Minimum two (2) years of leadership experience managing educators, trainers, or learning professionals.
• Experience designing enterprise-wide learning programs, onboarding, and competency management.
• Strong understanding of Sterile Processing, Operating Room, Endoscopy, or other perioperative healthcare environments.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative partnerships across Human Resources, Operations, and executive leadership.
• Excellent communication, presentation, facilitation, coaching, and organizational skills.
• Strong analytical skills with experience measuring learning outcomes and using data to improve programs.
• Ability to travel approximately 35–50% to customer locations.

A successful Director of Education will:

• Build a scalable education function that supports company growth.
• Create innovative pathways to recruit and develop new talent.
• Standardize onboarding and education across all customer accounts.
• Improve employee readiness, competency, and retention.
• Develop future leaders through structured learning programs.
• Serve as a trusted partner to HR, Operations, and executive leadership.
• Continuously improve organizational capability through education, coaching, and workforce development.