Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Employee Development Specialist

🎯 Role Definition

An Employee Development Specialist designs, delivers, and measures learning and career development initiatives that improve employee skills, engagement, retention, and organizational performance. This role partners with business leaders, HR colleagues, and external vendors to assess learning needs, develop competency-based programs (classroom, virtual, and e-learning), coach leaders, manage learning technologies, and ensure development activities align with strategic talent and succession plans. The ideal candidate combines instructional design and facilitation skills with data-driven measurement, stakeholder management, and a strong understanding of organizational development practices.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

HR Generalist with exposure to training and employee relations
Training Coordinator or Learning Administrator experienced in LMS operations
Talent Management Associate or Organizational Development (OD) analyst

Advancement To:

Learning & Development Manager / Talent Development Manager
Senior Organizational Development Specialist / Leadership Development Manager
Director of Employee Development or Head of Learning & Development
Chief Learning Officer (senior progression for enterprise roles)

Lateral Moves:

HR Business Partner focused on performance and talent strategy
Talent Acquisition Specialist with employer branding and candidate experience focus
Change Management Consultant or OD Consultant

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct comprehensive training needs analyses by partnering with business leaders and HR partners to identify skill gaps, competency requirements, and priority learning objectives aligned to organizational strategy.
Design end-to-end learning solutions—including instructor-led training, virtual instructor-led training (VILT), e-learning modules, microlearning, job aids, and blended programs—using adult learning principles and instructional design models (ADDIE, SAM).
Develop leadership and management development curricula (first-time manager programs, high-potential accelerators, succession readiness paths) that build managerial capability, strategic thinking, and people leadership skills.
Create competency frameworks and role-based development maps that define success criteria, career pathways, and measurable outcomes for key functions and leadership levels.
Facilitate interactive workshops, leadership labs, coaching sessions, and experiential learning activities to drive application of skills and on-the-job behavior change.
Implement and administer Learning Management System (LMS) activities including course uploads, enrollment management, learning paths, reporting, user provisioning, and integration with HRIS platforms.
Partner with subject matter experts and external vendors to curate or procure high-quality content, negotiate contracts, and manage vendor performance and budgets for learning programs.
Build and deliver onboarding, orientation, and early-career development programs that accelerate time-to-productivity, create role clarity, and reinforce company culture and values.
Design and implement mentoring, coaching, and peer learning programs to build internal talent pipelines and enhance knowledge transfer across functions.
Measure training effectiveness using Kirkpatrick/Phillips frameworks and other evaluation methods; define KPIs, gather pre/post assessments, and produce actionable insights and executive-level reports.
Lead talent review sessions and succession planning processes by preparing materials, facilitating discussions, and documenting development actions and critical role readiness.
Create assessments, simulations, and competency-based evaluations to verify capability development and inform promotion and rotation decisions.
Collaborate closely with HR analytics and business intelligence teams to track learning impact on performance, retention, promotion rates, and productivity, and to perform ROI and cost-benefit analyses.
Manage program budgets, timelines, and project plans; maintain clear communication across stakeholders and ensure on-time delivery and quality assurance of learning initiatives.
Maintain compliance training programs and certification tracking for regulated roles, ensuring training meets legal, safety, and industry standards.
Drive continuous improvement of learning operations by collecting participant feedback, analyzing completion rates, and iterating on content, delivery, and learner experience.
Develop internal communications and change management plans to promote adoption of development programs, encourage enrollment, and increase learner engagement.
Create and maintain a centralized repository of learning content, program calendars, and career development resources to support employee self-directed learning.
Provide one-on-one coaching to leaders and high-potential employees to accelerate leadership readiness, improve performance, and support individual development plans.
Lead cross-functional projects to integrate learning into talent planning processes such as performance reviews, promotions, and mobility decisions.
Design and execute diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) learning initiatives that promote inclusive leadership behaviors and support a culture of belonging across the organization.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of industry trends, adult learning science, e-learning technologies, and best practices to inform strategy and vendor selection.
Prepare and present executive summaries, dashboards, and insights to senior leadership on program outcomes, development gaps, and strategic recommendations.
Support competency-based hiring and internal mobility by aligning development programs with recruitment criteria and career ladders.
Oversee credentialing and continuing education programs tied to professional development pathways and external certifications.

Secondary Functions

Assist with ad-hoc talent and learning data requests; provide exploratory analysis and visualizations to support business decisions.
Contribute to the organization’s long-term learning strategy and roadmap, advising on technology investments, content needs, and capability priorities.
Collaborate with HRIS and IT teams to integrate learning systems, streamline data flows, and ensure secure learner data management.
Participate in agile project planning and sprint reviews for continuous learning product improvements and rollout of new functionality.
Support internal communications and employee engagement campaigns to increase program adoption and measurable learning outcomes.
Curate external learning resources and industry partnerships to expand development offerings and bench strength.
Ensure quality control of training materials, accessibility compliance (WCAG), and consistent branding across learning deliverables.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Learning Needs Analysis & Instructional Design: Proficiency in conducting TNA, building learning objectives, writing storyboards, and applying ADDIE, SAM, or other design models.
Learning Management System (LMS) Administration: Hands-on experience administering LMS platforms (e.g., Cornerstone, Workday Learning, SuccessFactors, Moodle) including reporting and integrations.
E-learning Development Tools: Practical skills using Articulate Storyline, Rise, Adobe Captivate, Camtasia, or similar to develop interactive digital learning.
Training Measurement & Evaluation: Expertise applying Kirkpatrick levels, ROI analysis, pre/post testing, and data-driven evaluation to measure program effectiveness.
Leadership & Management Development Design: Ability to design leadership curricula, succession plans, competency matrices, and leadership assessment tools.
Facilitation & Workshop Delivery: Skilled in virtual and in-person facilitation techniques, adult learning engagement strategies, and experiential learning design.
Talent Management & Succession Planning: Experience coordinating talent reviews, creating development plans, and aligning learning to succession goals.
Project Management: Strong project scoping, planning, timeline management, vendor oversight, and budgeting experience (PMP or Agile familiarity is a plus).
Data Literacy & Reporting: Able to extract and analyze learning data, build dashboards (Excel, Power BI, Tableau), and interpret metrics for stakeholders.
Coaching & Mentoring Techniques: Formal coaching skills and ability to design and run mentoring programs and coach leaders through performance and development conversations.
Content Curation & Vendor Management: Experience evaluating, selecting, and managing third-party learning vendors and learning content subscriptions.
Compliance & Certification Management: Knowledge of tracking and reporting compliance training and maintaining regulated certification records.
HR Systems Integration: Familiarity with HRIS, single sign-on (SSO), API integrations, and data governance related to learning systems.

Soft Skills

Strong stakeholder management and consultative partnering to influence leaders and build credibility across business units.
Excellent written and verbal communication for instructional content, executive presentations, and cross-functional collaboration.
High emotional intelligence and active listening skills to coach employees and navigate sensitive development conversations.
Creative problem solving and learner-focused mindset to design impactful, scalable learning experiences.
Adaptability and resilience to manage change, fast-paced priorities, and evolving organizational needs.
Strategic thinking with the ability to translate organizational objectives into measurable learning outcomes.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail for program documentation, scheduling, and compliance tracking.
Collaborative team player mindset with a bias toward continuous improvement and learner-centric innovation.
Facilitation presence and public speaking confidence to lead groups, panels, and executive briefings.
Cultural sensitivity and commitment to inclusive learning practices that accommodate diverse audiences and learning styles.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Education, Psychology, Business Administration, or a related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree or advanced certificate in Organizational Development, Human Resource Management, Adult Education, Instructional Design, or MBA.
Professional certifications such as CPLP/ATD, SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, PHR/SPHR, or certifications in coaching are advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Human Resources Management
Organizational Development / Psychology
Instructional Design / Adult Education
Business Administration / Leadership Studies
Learning Technologies / Educational Technology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive experience in learning & development, instructional design, or talent development.

Preferred:

5+ years designing and delivering employee development and leadership programs in a corporate environment.
Proven experience administering an LMS, managing vendor relationships, and using data to measure learning outcomes.
Experience working with cross-functional stakeholders and senior leaders to translate business needs into learning initiatives.
Prior exposure to succession planning, performance management linkage, and DEI-informed learning design.