Professional Development Specialist

JOB LOCATION

Cityof AuroraColorado

It is an exciting time to work for the City of Aurora were growing and looking for dedicated and collaborative individuals to join our team of talented and valued employees. Excellent organizations have a set of principles or core values that are used to implement their mission and vision. Those values represent the touchstone for the organization guiding the decisions of the individuals and the organization. At the City of Aurora we demonstrate our excellence by modeling the CORE 4 Values of:IntegrityRespect Professionalism andCustomer Service and we welcome all who share these values to apply.

Why Work for Aurora

• Make a difference in the lives of real people every day
• Diverse community
• Competitive total compensation package
• Well-Funded General Employees Retirement Plan
• Light rail station minutes away
• On-site fitness center and overall employee well-being programs Internal educational programs to assist with career advancement
• Access to innovation workspaces

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Hiring Range: $34.41820-$43.02275/ hourly ($71590 - $89487 annually depending on experience and education beyond the minimum qualifications)

Full Salary Range of the Professional Development Specialist: $34.41820 - $53.77844/ hourly ($71590 $111859/annually)

The deadline to submit applications is Sunday July 6th 2025. Please note the City of Aurora will conduct ongoing screenings of applications on a first-come first-serve basis; as soon as we determine a qualified pool of applicants exists this position may be closed without notice.

Bilingual team members may also qualify for additional compensation.

In addition to progression the City of Aurora provides:

• annual cost of living increases (averaging 3% per year)

• annual high-performance bonuses

• Aurora911 also provides all team members (and their immediate families) with direct access to psychological services and wellness/resiliency resources at no cost to the employee.

• Highly competitive total compensation package

• Well-Funded General Employees Retirement Plan

• On Site Fitness Center and overall employee well-being programs

• Peer Support

• Formal Mentoring opportunities

• Free Secure Parking

• Free electric vehicle (EV) charging

Career Enrichment Opportunities

Aurora911 provides opportunities to participate in a growing variety of specialty assignments including but not limited to:

Peer Support

Recruitment Team and Career Counseling

Culture Advocacy

Recognition and Team Building

Community Engagement and Education

Continuing Education

The City of Aurora offers a generous tuition reimbursement program for employees as well as a robust employee learning system which offers a variety of in-person learning and thousands of on demand virtual learning sessions for a wide variety of topics.

Aurora911 also offers continuing education and development for technical and human skills including leadership development and access to industry-specific certifications through APCO and NENA.

OVERVIEW OF POSITION / DEPARTMENT

The Mission of Aurora911is to get theRightResources to theRight Placeat theRight Timefor Everyone Every Time.

Aurora911s Vision: We are igniting a worldwide transformation in public safety communications fueled by innovation and heartfelt compassion. We will bridge diverse communities and nurture an Aurora where respect is foundational integrity unites us in mutual trust and teamwork is our North Star.

Aurora911 is staffed by public safety professionals who are trained to receive and triage 9-1-1 and non-emergency telephone calls as well as dispatching police fire paramedic and alternative response resources. Our dedicated 9-1-1 professionals gather and analyze critical life-safety information from callers and send the information via computer to police fire and/or paramedic dispatchers who are responsible for coordinating the response of field responders. The Aurora911 team works in partnership with Aurora Police Department Aurora Fire Rescue Falck ambulance Aurora Mobile Response Team Information Technology and other city departments to ensure the safety and quality of life for residents businesses and visitors in the City of Aurora.

Aurora911 processes 9-1-1 and non-emergency calls from the citizens and visitors in the City of Aurora. Over 600000 telephone calls for service are received annually the majority of which result in the deployment of police fire emergency medical responders and clinicians.

The Professional Development Specialist is a self-motivated organized highly responsible team contributor who provides education cultivates technical and human skills and facilitates continued growth for all members of the department. This position is responsible for providing basic instruction (practical and academic) cross-disciplinary training remedial instruction continuing education and quality assurance related to service delivery technical skills human skills protocol mastery and leadership development. This position is selected through application and competitive process which includes qualified internal and external candidates.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives direction from the Professional Development Supervisor

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the direction of the Professional Development Supervisor the Professional Development Specialist performs the following functions in alignment with Aurora911s strategic goals and department needs:

Instructional Delivery & Curriculum Design

• Designs delivers and evaluates educational content across multiple platforms including in-person virtual and blended formats

• Facilitates Aurora911s Basic Training Academy including curriculum development classroom instruction skills practice and learner evaluation

• Creates and distributes continuing education curriculum for technical protocol and human skill development

• Develops and implements customized training for cross-disciplinary or specialized team needs

• Applies principles of adult learning and diversity awareness to ensure inclusive and accessible instruction

Quality Assurance & Performance Improvement

• Conducts and reviews quality assurance assessments across all protocol disciplines (EMD EFD EPD)

• Translates QA findings into targeted educational strategies to drive performance improvement

• Identifies root causes of performance issues and designs remedial learning plans to address them

Certification & Compliance

• Monitors and maintains certification records for all Aurora911 team members

• Supports departmental compliance with applicable laws protocols and standards

• Assists with protocol testing implementation and system upgrades to ensure certification readiness

Mentorship & Remediation

• Provides coaching and one-on-one support to team members requiring remedial instruction

• Fosters a culture of learning feedback and growth through mentorship and constructive feedback

• Supports employee career development and succession readiness through education and guidance

Innovation & Accreditation

• Participates in accreditation and re-accreditation efforts by supporting documentation training and standards alignment

• Contributes to instructional innovation by incorporating new technologies and evidence-based learning strategies

• Recommend updates to curriculum based on emerging industry best practices and department needs

Administrative & Operational Support

• Maintains detailed records of educational activities learner progress and certification compliance

• Delivers public education presentations or internal communications as assigned

• May provide operational support to the communications center contingent on certification and departmental need

• Other duties as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & WORKING CONDITIONS

An equivalent combination of education training and experience that demonstrates the required knowledge skills and abilities may be considered.

Education:

• Bachelors Degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Education Communications Psychology Information Technology or other areas which are relevant to the 9-1-1 environment..

Experience:

• Three years experience in curriculum development in text and media formats

• Three years experience in classroom instruction consisting of individual and group environments.

• Two years previous experience in 9-1-1 classroom instruction highly preferred.

• Two (2) years experience in Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement

• International Academy of Emergency Dispatch Priority Dispatch ProQA EMD EFD EPD highly preferred.

Licenses and Certifications:

• Required through training throughout employment.

• NCIC/CCIC Certification

• NIMSCertification

• Certification in CPR and First Aid

• Crisis Intervention

• Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) Certification

• Emergency Fire Dispatcher (EFD) Certification

• Emergency Police Dispatcher (EPD) Certification

• Quality Assurance certifications for all protocol disciplines

• Communication Training Officer Instructor (CTO-I) Certification completed within the first year of promotion (if assigned to CTO instruction)

Knowledge:

• Principles and theories of adult learning cross-generational learning and multicultural learning

• Principles and application of diversity awareness including implicit and explicit bias

• Principles of de-escalation and interacting with people in crisis

• Curriculum design and instructional development for both in-person and virtual learning environments

• Accreditation processes and documentation requirements for emergency communications standards (e.g. IAED APCO NENA)

• Quality assurance and quality improvement frameworks in protocol-based dispatch environments

• Emergency dispatch protocols (EMD EFD EPD) structured call processing and protocol-based decision-making

• Operations workflows and responsibilities of a public safety communications center

• Public safety telecommunications equipment including CAD radio and emergency phone systems

• Instructional technology tools and modern learning platforms (e.g. LMS e-learning modules digital delivery tools)

• City and department policies procedures and applicable federal state and local regulations

• Principles of customer service and conflict resolution

• Modern office technology including spreadsheet word processing and presentation tools

• Proper recordkeeping and documentation standards

• English usage spelling grammar and punctuation

Skills:

• Develop and deliver engaging educational content in a variety of formats (e.g. classroom virtual small group one-on-one)

• Conduct structured performance evaluations and translate findings into actionable training strategies

• Design instructional materials using modern tools and adapt curriculum for varied learning styles

• Use data and QA findings to identify trends and build targeted learning interventions

• Manage time tasks and projects effectively under minimal supervision

• Communicate clearly confidently and compassionately in both oral and written form

• Facilitate public speaking engagements and presentations for internal and external audiences

• Navigate and troubleshoot public safety communications technology including CAD and protocol platforms

• Maintain accurate records and generate reports related to training certifications and compliance

• Use emotional intelligence and self-awareness to foster safe and productive learning environments

• Model professional standards and positive behavior aligned with Aurora911s values

Abilities:

• Promotion of a positive workplace environment based on open communication recognition and modeling the desired in-bounds behaviors of Aurora911s Core Values.

• Promote and contribute to a positive workplace culture through mentorship accountability and transparency

• Work independently while managing competing priorities and adapting to changing demands

• Coach and mentor others toward performance improvement and leadership development

• Identify root causes of performance issues and create corrective education plans

• Build trust and rapport across teams generations and learning styles

• Intervene and redirect unprofessional or out-of-bounds behavior in a respectful constructive way

• Demonstrate emotional regulation in high-stress or emotionally charged training environments

• Interpret and apply department policies accreditation standards and regulatory requirements

• Empower team members through training that encourages growth innovation and continuous learning

• Maintain confidentiality and integrity when handling sensitive personnel and performance data

• Cultivate a culture of psychological safety and feedback within the training and coaching environment

Essential Personnel:

• Members of Aurora911 are considered essential personnel and are subject to recall extended shifts and other forms of mandatory overtime to ensure continuity of emergency services to the city.

• Members of the Professional Development Team will be responsive to the training and professional development needs of all team members. This will require a flexible schedule and the ability to adjust on short notice to provide in-person training to members of a 24-hour operation who require in-person training and remediation.

• Periodic paid breaks of up to 20 minutes in duration may be given during a continuous work shift dependent upon shift length and operational work volume.

Physical Demands:

• Light physical activity requiring lifting pushing or pulling up to 10 pounds with or without assistance.

• Occasional lifting carrying walking and standing.

• Sitting for length periods of time

• Use of a headset and radio to communicate for the entire work shift.

• Frequent hand/eye coordination to operate computer screens and keyboard.

• Frequent use of hands and fingers to handle feel or operate computer and radio.

• Vision with normal color vision to read computer screen.

• Clear speech communication to effectively communication with citizens and public safety organizations

• Hearing and listening to maintain communication to handle and dispatch emergency calls.

• Vision to read reports and other written material.

• Frequent speech communication and hearing to maintain communication with employees and citizens.

Work Environment:

• Essential duties performed primarily in a clean comfortable environment.

• Work may occur in a hybrid of office/home locations determined by department need.

• Various noise levels with period of high activity and volume

Equipment Used:

• Computer and other standard office equipment which includes multiple monitors.

• This position may require the incumbent to occasionally use personal equipment (e.g. vehicle cell phone tools etc.) in the course of their employment.

For Veterans preference: Please show all of your employment history including military service and related documentation (DD214) on the application.

The City of Aurora is an equal opportunity employer. We are required by state and federal agencies to keep certain statistical records on applicants. It will not be used in any way to discriminate against you because of your sex race age sexual orientation creed national origin disability or military status gender identity unless related to a bona fide occupational qualification as defined by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunity Commission.

Despite the changes in Colorado law the City of Aurora maintains a drug-free workplace. A positive test of marijuana is grounds for disqualification and ineligibility for employment with the city for one year or termination once hired.

Drug Testing Thorough Criminal Background Check and Employment References:
As a condition of employment all applicants selected for employment with the City of Aurora must undergo a thorough criminal background check and drug screening. Employment references will be conducted on finalists for City of Aurora vacancies.