Director of Training & Development-988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in Greenville, South Carolina at Mental Health America of Greenville

Every interaction matters. The Director of Training & Development helps shape the people who answer some of life’s hardest calls. This role ensures staff are prepared not only with knowledge and technical skill, but with compassion, empathy, resilience, and confidence to support individuals during moments of crisis and vulnerability.

The impact of this position reaches beyond training rooms and manuals. It directly supports the mission of saving lives, strengthening hope, and ensuring every person who contacts 988 is met with dignity, care, and human connection.

Position Summary:

The Director of Training & Development is responsible for leading the vision, strategy, design, implementation, and continuous improvement of all training and workforce development initiatives for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline program. This mission-focused leadership role ensures all staff are equipped to provide compassionate, inclusive, high-quality support to individuals experiencing emotional distress, mental health challenges, substance use concerns, or suicidal crisis.

This position oversees all onboarding, training coordination, continuing education, mentoring, and staff development efforts across the organization. The Director develops and maintains training systems that align with 988 standards, American Association of Suicidology (AAS) best practices, quality assurance goals, compliance requirements, and organizational values.

The ideal candidate is both strategic and hands-on: someone who can see the big picture while also managing the day-to-day tactical operations of training delivery, scheduling, curriculum development, evaluation, and staff support. This leader must be comfortable facilitating difficult conversations and training on sensitive subjects with empathy, professionalism, and confidence.

This role requires a strategic, compliant, and future-focused leader who can anticipate organizational training needs, support evolving 988 standards, and build sustainable workforce development systems that prepare staff for both current and emerging challenges. The Director manages training team initiatives, serves as part of the organization’s leadership and strategic planning team, and collaborates across departments to strengthen organizational effectiveness, employee readiness, and service quality.

This is an in-person position. The role primarily operates during daytime business hours; however, schedule flexibility is required during onboarding, staff training, program implementation, and other operational needs within a 24/7 crisis service environment.

Leadership & Strategy

Essential Functions:

• Lead the overall strategy, development, and implementation of training and workforce development initiatives for the 988 program.
• Serve as a member of the organization’s leadership and strategic planning team.
• Provide leadership and support to staff involved in training and development.
• Lead supervisors and support leadership teams in workforce development strategies and staff performance improvement initiatives.
• Manage and support quality improvement projects related to workforce development, service delivery, and training effectiveness.
• Ensure all training initiatives remain aligned with accreditation standards, organizational policies, compliance requirements, and 988 operational expectations.
• Develop forward-thinking training strategies that support workforce sustainability, retention, and service excellence.
• Must meet all CIS required training with an excellent rating

Training & Onboarding

• Design, coordinate, and facilitate onboarding and orientation for all new staff and volunteers.
• Develop and manage training schedules, mentoring assignments, shadowing opportunities, and competency evaluations.
• Provide coaching, mentorship, developmental support, and constructive feedback to employees, volunteers, supervisors, and leadership staff.
• Recruit, interview, and train 988 suicide & crisis lifeline volunteers
• Maintain flexibility in scheduling to support onboarding and training needs within a 24/7 operational environment.

Curriculum Development & Training Delivery

• Develop, write, maintain, film, and continuously improve training manuals, presentations, exercises, learning tools, and instructional materials.
• Deliver engaging training across multiple learning modalities including in-person, virtual, self-paced learning, role-play, group facilitation, and mentorship.
• Deliver inclusive, accessible, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive training experiences for staff and volunteers with varying abilities and skill levels.
• Facilitate difficult conversations and provide training on emotionally sensitive topics with professionalism, empathy, and confidence.
• Represent the organization through professional presentations, trainings, and educational outreach within the community.
• Build community collaboration and secure in-service training from individuals with lived experience and professionals who support a variety of topics.

Continuing Education, Evaluation & Quality Improvement

• Oversee continuing education and professional development initiatives for staff and volunteers.
• Analyze performance metrics, quality assurance data, staff trends, training outcomes, and operational reports to identify training needs and skill gaps.
• Use data-driven evaluation methods to assess training effectiveness and recommend improvements to onboarding and workforce development initiatives.
• Lead and support quality improvement initiatives related to workforce development and service delivery.

Experience/Qualifications:

• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in training development, workforce development, organizational learning, quality improvement, compliance administration, or related leadership roles required.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of supervisory experience required.
• Experience leading initiatives related to Training Compliance & Organizational Accountability, Operational Compliance & Workforce Readiness, Accreditation & Compliance Administration, Standards Management & Organizational Compliance, and Compliance, Quality & Workforce Development Leadership.
• Experience developing, facilitating, coordinating, and evaluating training programs required.

Knowledge Skills & Abilities:

• Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to manage both big-picture planning and day-to-day training operations.
• Excellent facilitation, presentation, and communication skills.
• Proficiency in data analysis, training evaluation, and performance measurement.
• Ability to effectively train diverse audiences with varying experience, abilities, confidence, and learning needs.
• Comfortable using multiple technologies, digital training platforms, and learning systems.
• Ability to provide constructive feedback, coaching, mentorship, and performance support.
• Strong understanding of compliance standards, quality improvement principles, and organizational accountability.
• Must meet all CIS required training with an excellent rating

Core Competencies:

• Strategic Leadership
• Workforce Development
• Training Compliance & Organizational Accountability
• Operational Compliance & Workforce Readiness
• Accreditation & Compliance Administration
• Standards Management & Organizational Compliance
• Compliance, Quality & Workforce Development Leadership
• Inclusive Facilitation
• Quality Improvement
• Data Analysis & Evaluation
• Regulatory Readiness
• Change Management
• Future Workforce Development

We are an Equal Opprtunity Employer and we particpate in E-Verify