Executive Director of Learning & Support

Executive Director of Learning & Support Overview

National Louis is a 135+ year old university that has been grounded in the values of innovation, access, excellence, and equity from its inception. As an institution, we believe in providing access to educational opportunity and that education is our greatest lever for social and economic mobility. We are a student-focused community that is committed to continuous improvement and superior student service.

We believe that through education we are able to empower change and build healthy communities. Our hard-working community is based on collaboration and respect for all team members and students.

What You Will Do:

Launched in 2021 at National Louis University, Accelerate U (AU) provides affordable, Pell-eligible workforce training in healthcare and technology that gets Chicagoland learners on a pathway to a good job and a college degree in about six months. With an ambitious goal of serving 1,000 learners annually and adding 2-3 new training pathways each year, AU is on the move and poised to grow significantly in the years to come.

The Executive Director of Learning & Support (ED) is one of the most important leadership roles at Accelerate U. Reporting to the Vice President of Workforce Pathways and serving as a core member of the AU leadership team, the ED holds executive responsibility for the full AU learning experience, from how we design and launch new programs to how we coach and support learners through to employment.

The ED leads a team spanning program design, curriculum, operations, career coaching, and data, and is ultimately accountable for the quality, consistency, and continuous improvement of everything AU delivers to its learners.

Accelerate U exists to open doors for people who have been historically locked out of opportunity and the ED is the person most responsible for making sure we do that well. This is a role for someone who leads with both head and heart: a strategic thinker who is equally at home in the data as they are in a conversation with a learner or a coach.

We are growing, we are ambitious, and we are looking for an ED who is energized by that, someone who will bring vision and rigor to our work, invest deeply in the people around them, and help us build something that is genuinely excellent and continues to expand its reach and impact.

Strategic Leadership & Vision Setting

• Set the strategic direction for AU's program model, with a learner- and outcome-centered focus spanning program design, execution, and coaching and support.
• Engage deeply with AU learners and colleagues to understand their needs and inform program design that drives long‑term success.
• Build systems for continuous learning, including program evaluation and a learning agenda that captures key insights for ongoing improvement.
• Hold direct reports accountable for strong programmatic outcomes tied to student success.
• Represent AU in institutional spaces across NLU, including Academic Cabinet, the Provost's Office, and Assessment and Accountability functions.
• Contribute as a meaningful member of the Accelerate U leadership team helping to shape and grow team culture.

New Program Design & Implementation

• Lead AU's process for researching, prioritizing, and designing new training pathways, maintaining a 2-3 year development queue.
• Manage all aspects of new program development—from early ideation through implementation planning, hiring, and pilot execution—in close partnership with the Senior Manager of Program and Learning, Director of Employer Engagement, and Vice President of Workforce Pathways.
• Lead implementation and execution of each new track to ensure a smooth launch, taking on responsibility for the launch and successful…