The GGSC is Hiring a Director of Training!

May 15, 2024

The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley (GGSC) is looking for a Director of Training to teach “the science of a meaningful life” to practitioners, leaders, and organizations across sectors, applying this science to enhance social and emotional well-being and transform institutions.

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume as a single attachment to ggsctraining@berkeley.edu with the subject line “Director of Training Application.” We strongly encourage you to apply by June 21, 2024. The review process for applications will begin on June 24.

Please note: Due to the robust interest in this position, our team is not able to set up phone calls to discuss it with individual candidates. However, we hosted a webinar on June 14 to answer some of the main questions that prospective candidates have asked about it. You can watch a recording of the webinar and also read the transcript of it to learn more about the position.

About the Greater Good Science Center

The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley (GGSC) studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society. Over more than two decades, the GGSC has provided a bridge between scientists and the public, turning research findings into practical resources that support well-being for all. Since its founding, the Center has highlighted the importance of building social connection not only within communities but across groups, offering practical strategies for overcoming bias and prejudice, expanding one’s circle of care, and promoting diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

The GGSC’s organizational culture prioritizes independence, rigor, and the well-being of its members. Staff members enjoy autonomy and flexibility while working in a culture that encourages teamwork, connection, and collaboration. The GGSC welcomes a diversity of experiences and perspectives to inform its work and strives to operate internally by the values that drive its public-facing programs: empathy, compassion, joy, forgiveness, appreciation, and cooperation. Recognizing that the science we cover has been shaped by systemic biases and inequities, we aim to address and correct for these prejudices whenever possible—a goal on which we elaborate in our Diversity Statement.

About This Position

This position will serve as the GGSC’s Director of Training, which will teach individuals and organizations the GGSC’s research-based practices for kindness, connection, and resilience—with a particular focus on helping organizations weave these skills more deeply into their programs and workplace culture. They will design trainings—in person and virtual—that are open to individuals, customize programs for specific organizations, and also facilitate communities of practice for practitioners who want to go deeper in their application of GGSC resources. The Director of Training’s work will target practitioners and leaders across sectors, with a particular focus on business and health care. The successful candidate must possess a strong grasp of relevant science, particularly the science linking prosocial states and behaviors to individual and societal well-being. They must also have an excellent ability to communicate this science in a clear and engaging way, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a knack for making the science feel practical and actionable.

This is a full-time (100% time) staff position, providing UC Berkeley’s robust benefits package. It will start with a two-year contract, with the goal of extending well beyond that once additional funding is secured through a combination of earned income and grants. Proximity to the GGSC’s office at UC Berkeley is strongly preferred, although remote or hybrid-remote working arrangements are possible.

Responsibilities

Training Design & Delivery

  • Develop a variety of workshops and trainings teaching the science of social and emotional well-being, translating scientific findings into practical activities and exercises. This work will draw, in part, on the practices featured on the GGSC’s Greater Good in Action (GGIA) website, with a particular focus on “training the trainers”—i.e., teaching these skills to people whose professional role gives them the opportunity—and even the responsibility—to teach the same skills to many other people who they supervise or support
  • Create and customize trainings for specific organizations that want to integrate these science-based insights into their workplace culture and support the well-being of their employees, clients, and/or customers
  • Deliver these trainings in person and virtually to practitioners and leaders across sectors, with a particular focus on business and health care
  • Develop and facilitate occasional communities of practice for practitioners who want to meet regularly (e.g., monthly) as they go deeper in their application of GGSC resources, learning from each other at the same time that they’re learning from the science
  • Collaborate with the GGSC’s Science Director to determine how to measure the impact of these trainings, mainly by using items from existing scientific scales
  • Identify trends and audience needs that the GGSC should target through its trainings, particularly in the business and health care sectors, such as through occasional interviews, focus groups, and surveys and by attending external events

Other Public Speaking

  • Develop a range of shorter talks—most between 30 and 90 minutes—on GGSC themes, including the science and practice of gratitude, purpose, empathy, and more
  • Customize and regularly (~2x/month) deliver these talks in different settings— including at conferences, to other organizations, and on college campuses—in response to external invitations and occasionally for GGSC-sponsored events, both in-person and virtually
  • Provide feedback on talks developed by other GGSC staff upon request and ensure consistency of their design and content

Online Resource Development

  • Write occasionally (5-6 articles per year) for the GGSC’s online magazine, Greater Good, focusing on the implications of GGSC science for workplaces
  • Identify, create, and update research-based practices for the GGIA website (~6 practices per year), with a particular focus on making these practices feel inclusive and relevant to diverse audiences

Operations

  • Work with Operations & Events Coordinator to respond to requests for talks and other presentations and decide which invitations to accept
  • Attend GGSC staff meetings and participate in discussions about the organization’s operations and strategic direction

Required Qualifications

  • Excellent public speaking, facilitation, and training skills
  • Deep knowledge of the science of social and emotional well-being (e.g., the science of happiness, resilience, and prosocial behavior), including knowledge of current and seminal research findings, and an ability to relate the practical implications of that research to real-world contexts, particularly workplaces and health care settings
  • Deep familiarity with adult learning theory and best practices
  • Experience developing corporate trainings and workshops, preferably those that tailor science-based practices to professional contexts
  • Strong writing skills, particularly for making scientific research understandable to non-academic audiences
  • Strong interpersonal communication, presentation, and project management skills
  • Skill at making training content feel relevant, accessible, and inclusive to diverse audiences
  • Ability to adapt one’s communication and presentation style to a variety of audiences across sectors
  • Ability and willingness to travel (~2 nights/month)
  • Proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite, Google Workspace, and virtual presentation platforms (e.g., Zoom)

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience working in the business and/or health care field
  • Advanced degree in psychology, neuroscience, education, sociology, public health, or a related field
  • Familiarity with scientific scales and other tools that assess individual and organizational well-being
  • Knowledge of organizational psychology
  • Experience developing business plans
  • A good graphic design sense, and/or experience working with graphic designers on slide presentations and other training materials
  • Familiarity with—and affinity for—the Greater Good Science Center’s mission and programs strongly preferred

Salary & Benefits

This is a monthly paid (exempt) position. Annual salary is commensurate with experience, within the range of $105,000–$120,000.

This position also offers UC Berkeley’s wide array of high-quality benefit plans, including comprehensive health plans, a valuable pension plan, and optional retirement savings opportunities.
For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University of California, please visit: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

How to Apply

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume as a single attachment to ggsctraining@berkeley.edu with the subject line “Director of Training Application.” Please submit your cover letter and resume as a single attachment when applying.

We strongly encourage you to apply by June 21, 2024. The review process for applications will begin on June 24.

Equal Employment Opportunity
The University of California, Berkeley, is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.