The Training/Development Specialist II provides training and technical assistance to community rehabilitation and Home and Community Based Waiver providers to advance competitive integrated employment, meaningful community inclusion, and quality of life for people with disabilities. The individual will develop and deliver training, provide hands-on mentoring and technical assistance, and help people with disabilities, families, professionals, and service-provider organizations translate evidence, policy, and person-centered values into sustained daily practice.

This is a proactive field-building role. The individual seeks out opportunities and develops relationships throughout Utah. Success requires initiative, consistent follow-up, and a relentless commitment to improving services and outcomes rather than waiting for work to arrive.

The Training/Development Specialist II must possess the knowledge and experience required to independently perform complex training, mentoring, technical assistance, evaluation, and project-development work. Responsibilities may affect provider practices and disability-service systems at local and state levels. The individual must be able to navigate complex service systems, navigate resistance to change, and support partners through initial engagement, measurable implementation, and sustained improvement.

This position reports to the Principal Investigator of the Project in the IDRPP Research and Training Division. This classification has no supervisory responsibilities. Project assignments, reporting relationships, and coordination responsibilities may be refined based on final program structure and negotiated project requirements.

This position is eligible for hybrid telework in the state of Utah. The successful applicant will be expected to work at least three days per week at the USU Salt Lake Campus. 

Exempt positions are eligible for excellent benefits including: 13 paid holidays, earn 22 days of paid vacation leave and 12 days of sick leave per year, 50% tuition reduction for employees and dependents, competitive health benefits packages and a generous contribution into your retirement. View more information here: Summary of Benefits 2025-2026.

• Provides training and technical assistance to director support professionals, people with disabilities and their families on disability employment, community inclusion, person-centered practices, provider transformation, training, mentoring, and related assigned areas.
• Proactively identifies, contacts, and cultivates relationships with providers, communities, employers, families, professionals, and system partners throughout Utah, including stakeholders who may be hesitant, difficult to reach, or early in readiness for change.
• Develops, adapts, and delivers accessible, evidence informed training for people with disabilities, families, direct support professionals, provider leaders, educators, support coordinators, and public partners.
• Provides statewide mentoring and technical assistance that helps participants apply learning in actual service, employment, workplace, and community settings.
• Delivers one-on-one, onsite, virtual, and group training through workshops, communities of practice, coaching sessions, and other formats for both small groups and large audiences.
• Uses a systematic improvement process through training and technical assistance data to make data-based decisions to assess strengths and needs, establish jointly owned goals, develop action plans, coach implementation, identify barriers, measure progress and fidelity, and refine supports until practices are sustained.
• Incorporates person-centered planning and thinking tools, including Charting the LifeCourse and other tools selected with DHHS/DSPD and project stakeholders, into training and technical assistance as appropriate.
• Develops curricula, facilitator and participant materials, implementation toolkits, case studies, activities, assessments, online modules, and other digital learning content using Microsoft Office and Articulate, among other computer-based tools.
• Aligns training and technical assistance with applicable evidence, federal and state policy, and project guidance, including WIOA, the HCBS Settings Rule, Employment First, and DHHS/DSPD requirements.
• Collects and analyzes qualitative and quantitative information to document participation, learning, implementation progress, practice change, and organizational outcomes.
• Develops reports, presentations, proposals, publications, briefs, tip sheets, and other media for partners, funders, and professional audiences.
• Attends meetings, trainings, and conferences and serves on advisory boards, councils, and workgroups as requested.
• Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in rehabilitation counseling, special education, social work, psychology, public health, education, disability studies, or a closely related field, plus at least two years of relevant experience.
• Professional experience in training, technical assistance, employment services, disability services, provider support, program implementation, or a closely related area.
• Experience with people with disabilities and families, competitive integrated employment, provider transformation, person-centered planning, assistive technology, online course development, learning-management systems, evaluation, or statewide service delivery.
• Knowledge of the HCBS support systems in Utah.

Preferred Qualifications

• A master's degree in a relevant field is preferred.
• Ability to write technical papers and reports.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of competitive integrated employment supported and customized employment, community inclusion, person-centered practices, and service delivery in home and community-based settings.
• Possess the ability to present in small and large group settings.
• Knowledge of evidence-based training, mentoring, coaching, implementation, adult-learning, and continuous-improvement practices.
• Knowledge of applicable disability employment and community-services policies and initiatives, which may include WIOA, the HCBS Settings Rule, Employment First, and DHHS/DSPD guidance.
• Skill in curriculum and instructional-material development for in-person and online learning environments.
• Skill in building trust, navigating resistance, influencing without formal authority, and maintaining respectful persistence through change.
• Skill with computers, presentation and productivity software, virtual-learning platforms, learning-management systems, databases, and related technologies.
• Ability to communicate effectively across formats and with varied audiences, including people with disabilities, families, practitioners, provider executives, employers, and government partners.
• Ability to independently organize statewide fieldwork, manage multiple priorities and relationships, follow through on commitments, and contribute to an accountable team.

Along with the online application, please attach:

1. Resume/CV to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV".
2. Cover Letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application.
   1. This letter should outline how you meet the minimum and preferred qualifications. 
3. Names and contact information for at least three professional references to be provided at the beginning of your application in the candidate profile.

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Frequent statewide travel, including travel to urban, rural, and frontier communities, is required; occasional overnight travel is expected. A valid driver’s license and the ability to travel independently throughout the state are required. The employee may experience variable schedules, weather, road conditions, and accessibility considerations associated with field work. Employees may be required to lift and move up to 30 pounds and retrieve and transport training materials or equipment. Reasonable accommodations will be considered consistent with applicable law and university policy.

The Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice (IDRPP) is Utah’s federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). The IDRPP opened its doors in 1972 and was the first UCEDD program in the U.S. to focus on the educational and social needs of children and adults with disabilities. Over the past 50 years the IDRPP has grown into one of the largest UCEDD programs in the nation and is recognized as a pioneer in research, training, technical assistance, and services for children and adults with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who serve them.

The IDRPP is committed to hiring people with disabilities, veterans, and diverse individuals from all communities and backgrounds.  We value visible and invisible differences, and we recognize that diversity makes us stronger.  We welcome applicants who bring something different and unique to our organization.  We value creativity, loyalty, and hard work.  We believe that we can change the world and make it a better, more inclusive place for everyone, and we want to hire people who also believe that they can make a difference.

Mission:

We are working together to create inclusive communities and improve the lives of children and adults with disabilities and their families through sustainable innovation, collaborative research, responsive service, and interdisciplinary training and education.

Values:

We Innovate: We lead by developing dynamic, sustainable, forward-thinking programs and services.

We Include: We demonstrate how to effectively work toward inclusive communities in our planning, programs, and services. We celebrate diversity in ability, race, ethnicity, culture, language, gender, sexual orientation, politics, and religion.

We Collaborate: We forge partnerships. Working together makes us more effective and responsive to the current needs of our clients and communities.

We Care: We do what we do because we care. We are making the world a better place for people with disabilities and their families.

Funding Statement

The Institute for Disability Research, Policy, & Practice is one of the largest research and outreach centers at USU, and we are largely funded through grants, contracts, and fee-for-service programs. All staff positions at the IDRPP are contingent upon funding, and all senior staff at the IDRPP with graduate degrees are responsible for helping to generate funding to support our operations and growth.

College Highlights

The Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services is home to eight departments and is committed to providing the best learning opportunities and educational research in the state of Utah. Our programs are strengthened by an on-campus elementary laboratory school and five stand-alone centers, including the Sorenson Legacy Foundation Center for Clinical Excellence. The college offers clinical services to the community across the human lifespan and provides students with real-world service and research opportunities.

Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utah’s premier land-grant, public service university. As an R1 research institution, Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge and serving the public good through innovative research and scholarly activities that are grounded in reciprocal engagement with local, regional, and global communities. USU prepares students to be active, civically engaged leaders who are prepared to address critical societal challenges. Dedicated to providing a high-quality and affordable education, USU remains a leader in research, discovery, and public impact.

USU enrolls over 29,800 students, both online and in person at locations throughout the state. Utah State’s 30 locations include a main campus in Logan, Utah, residential campuses in Price and Blanding, and six additional statewide campuses, along with education centers serving every county. USU educates students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries. For over 100 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns, serving every county in the state.

Competing at the NCAA Division I level in 16 sports, USU is a proud member of the Pac-12 Conference, officially joining on July 1, 2026. The Aggies capped a historic final season in the Mountain West by capturing nine combined regular-season and tournament titles in 2025–26, with five teams advancing to postseason play. This tradition of excellence extends to the classroom, where 232 student-athletes earned academic honors, and to the community, where USU ranked second nationally in Division I service hours, with nine teams placing in the top 10 for community service.

Utah State is dedicated to fostering a community where all individuals feel respected, valued, and supported and where diversity of thought and culture are cultivated. We seek to recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach, and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be successful. Forbes recognized our commitment to employees when they named Utah State the best employer in Utah in 2023. Learn more about USU. 

The university provides a Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is committed to providing access and a reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, contact the university’s ADA Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at (435) 797-0122 or hr@usu.edu. 

*updated 07/2026

In its programs and activities, including in admissions and employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law.

Utah State University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination including harassment in employment including in hiring, promotion, transfer, or termination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy or any other federal, state, or local law.

Utah State University does not discriminate in its housing offerings and will treat all persons fairly and equally without regard to race, color, religion, sex, familial status, disability, national origin, source of income, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Additionally, the University endeavors to provide reasonable accommodations when necessary and to ensure equal access to qualified persons with disabilities.

In all circumstances, Utah State University follows state and federal laws related to sex-segregated spaces.

The following office has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USU’s non-discrimination policies:

Civil Rights & Title IX Office

Old Main Room 405

1475 Old Main Hill, Logan UT 84322

titleix@usu.edu

(435) 797-1266

For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit crtix.usu.edu or contact:

U.S. Department of Education

Denver Regional Office

303-844-5695| OCR.Denver@ed.gov

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

800-421-3481 |  OCR@ed.gov

*updated 08/2026