About the Training and Development Specialist role
A Training and Development Specialist builds the programs that make employees better at their jobs. They assess skill gaps, design courses and workshops, deliver training in person or online, and measure whether any of it actually changed behavior on the job. Their portfolio typically spans onboarding, compliance training, technical upskilling, and soft skills such as communication, feedback, and management basics for first-time leaders.
The role requires both instructional craft and business sense. A strong specialist starts from a needs analysis rather than a course catalog, applies adult learning principles when designing content, and evaluates programs with models such as Kirkpatrick instead of relying on satisfaction surveys alone. Many specialists also administer the learning management system, coordinate external trainers, and coach managers on developing their teams.
In your posting, describe your workforce, the learning platforms and authoring tools you use, and the expected mix between designing content and delivering it in the room. Also state whether the role owns onboarding, since that is a large program in itself, and mention the budget or team the specialist can draw on, because candidates need to understand the true scope before applying.
Training and Development Specialist job description template
Job brief
We are looking for a Training and Development Specialist to design and deliver learning programs that raise performance across the company. You will identify training needs with managers, build engaging content for classroom and online formats, run sessions yourself when needed, and measure the impact of every program. To succeed in this role, you should know adult learning principles well, be a confident facilitator, and care as much about behavior change as about training completion rates.
Responsibilities
- Assess training needs through surveys, interviews with managers, and performance data
- Design courses, workshops, and e-learning modules based on adult learning principles
- Deliver engaging training sessions in person and virtually
- Build and maintain the onboarding program for new hires
- Administer the learning management system, including enrollments, content, and reporting
- Coordinate external trainers and vendors and evaluate their quality
- Measure training effectiveness using feedback, assessments, and on-the-job behavior change
- Manage the training calendar and ensure completion of mandatory compliance training
- Advise managers on development plans and coaching for their team members
Requirements and skills
- Proven experience as a Training and Development Specialist, L&D Specialist, or Corporate Trainer
- Hands-on experience designing curricula and running a full training cycle from needs analysis to evaluation
- Strong facilitation and presentation skills for groups at all levels
- Working knowledge of adult learning theory and instructional design methods such as ADDIE
- Experience with a learning management system and e-learning authoring tools
- Ability to measure training impact and report results to stakeholders
- Strong organizational skills for managing multiple programs at once
- BSc in Human Resources, Education, Psychology, or a related field
Nice to have
- CPTD, ATD, or similar training certification
- Experience with video production or modern content formats such as microlearning
- Experience building leadership or manager development programs
- Familiarity with skills frameworks and competency mapping
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