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.
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Job brief
We are hiring a Training and Development Specialist to build programs that measurably improve how people do their work. You will find the real skill gaps, design courses and workshops around them, deliver them in the room and online, and check afterwards whether anything actually changed.
This suits somebody who is as interested in the evaluation as in the delivery, and who would rather cancel a popular course that changes nothing than keep running it. Managers should end up better at developing their own people because you were here.
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
- Has designed and delivered training in a company, as a specialist, trainer, or learning lead
- Has run a full cycle from needs analysis through design, delivery, and evaluation
- Facilitates confidently for groups at every level, including skeptical ones
- Applies adult learning principles and a design method such as ADDIE
- Has worked in a learning management system and an authoring tool
- Measures impact beyond satisfaction scores and reports it credibly
- Keeps several programs running at once without losing the thread of any
- A degree 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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