Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Learning and Development Analyst

🎯 Role Definition

The Learning and Development Analyst is responsible for designing, delivering, and measuring targeted learning programs that increase employee capability, close skills gaps, and align workforce performance with strategic business objectives. This role blends learning needs analysis, instructional design, LMS administration, learning analytics, stakeholder engagement, and project management to drive measurable improvements in productivity, retention, and organizational capability.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Training Coordinator or Training Administrator transitioning into analytical program ownership.
HR Generalist with a focus on talent development and employee performance programs.
Instructional Designer or eLearning Developer moving toward analytics and program management.

Advancement To:

Senior Learning & Development Analyst (L&D Analytics Lead).
Learning & Development Manager or Talent Development Manager.
Organizational Development (OD) Lead or Head of Learning & Development.

Lateral Moves:

HR Business Partner (with emphasis on performance and capability building).
Performance Consultant or Change Management Specialist.
Talent Acquisition Specialist focusing on skills-based hiring and competency modeling.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct comprehensive learning needs analysis and skills gap assessments across functions and levels, using quantitative data (LMS reports, performance metrics) and qualitative inputs (stakeholder interviews, focus groups) to prioritize development initiatives and inform curriculum design.
Design, develop and maintain competency frameworks and learning paths aligned to business goals, role requirements, and succession planning to ensure consistent capability development across the organization.
Create end-to-end learning program plans—defining objectives, scope, modalities (instructor-led, virtual ILT, eLearning, blended), timelines, resources and success metrics—while coordinating with subject-matter experts and business leaders.
Build high-quality instructional materials and eLearning assets leveraging adult learning principles, storyboarding, SCORM/xAPI standards, and authoring tools (e.g., Articulate Storyline, Captivate) to deliver engaging and accessible learning experiences.
Administer and optimize the Learning Management System (LMS), including course setup, enrollment rules, learning pathways, compliance tracking, user support, and integration with HRIS to ensure accurate learning records and automated workflows.
Develop robust learning analytics dashboards and regular reports (completion rates, assessment scores, ROI proxies, behavior change indicators) to demonstrate program impact, inform continuous improvement, and present insights to HR leaders and business stakeholders.
Pilot and scale new learning technologies and microlearning approaches—including mobile learning, video-based learning, social learning, and AI-assisted solutions like LLM-driven content summaries—to increase reach and retention of knowledge.
Facilitate instructor-led and virtual training sessions and coach internal trainers, ensuring consistent delivery quality, participant engagement, and alignment with learning objectives and performance outcomes.
Manage vendor relationships for external training providers and certification programs, overseeing procurement, SOWs, delivery quality, and post-training evaluation to ensure vendor performance and cost-effectiveness.
Implement assessment strategies (pre/post-tests, practical exercises, on-the-job assessments) and certification pathways to validate skill acquisition and support career pathing and talent mobility.
Lead evaluation cycles for learning programs using Kirkpatrick or similar frameworks, synthesizing evaluation data to recommend improvements, inform budget allocation, and quantify learning ROI.
Coordinate change-management and communication plans to support adoption of new processes, systems, or ways of working driven by learning initiatives, collaborating with internal communications and leadership sponsors.
Manage cross-functional L&D projects using agile or waterfall methodologies—tracking milestones, budgets, risks, dependencies and resource allocation—to deliver on time and on budget.
Curate and maintain a content library of reusable learning assets (job aids, templates, FAQs, micro-modules), enabling scalable and consistent on-demand learning for frontline and remote workers.
Partner with HR data and people analytics teams to integrate learning metrics into broader talent dashboards, contributing to workforce planning, succession planning and capability forecasting.
Provide individualized learning recommendations and career development support driven by performance data, competency assessments, and employee development plans to accelerate internal mobility.
Design and implement compliance and mandatory training programs that ensure regulatory requirements are met while minimizing business disruption through flexible delivery models and targeted interventions.
Manage program budgets and procurement for learning initiatives, monitoring spend against plan and reporting on cost-per-learner and cost-efficiency improvements.
Champion diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in learning content and instructional design choices, ensuring culturally inclusive materials and equitable access to development opportunities for all employees.
Continually research and adopt best practices in adult learning, instructional design, learning technology, and learning analytics to keep the L&D function innovative and evidence-driven.
Drive feedback loops with learners and managers—collecting NPS, qualitative feedback and behavioral indicators—to iterate on course content, format and delivery cadence for higher transfer of learning.
Support talent review and succession planning processes by providing learning readiness assessments and capability gap remediation plans to prepare high-potential employees for promotion or stretch assignments.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc reporting requests and exploratory learning analytics to answer business questions on adoption, skill decay and program effectiveness; extract, clean and visualize data for non-technical stakeholders.
Contribute to the organization’s learning strategy and roadmap by synthesizing market trends, internal capability gaps, and business priorities to recommend strategic investments in upskilling and reskilling.
Collaborate with business unit leaders, HR partners and IT to translate learning needs and technical requirements into efficient, scalable learning solutions and system integrations.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies (where applicable) for L&D product development to prioritize features, clarify acceptance criteria, and accelerate time-to-value for learning experiences.
Provide subject matter support for internal knowledge communities and employee resource groups, helping to scale peer-to-peer learning and mentoring programs.
Assist in change-control and versioning of learning assets and policies, maintaining audit trails and ensuring compliance with internal quality standards and external regulatory obligations.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Learning Needs Analysis and Competency Framework Design
Instructional Design and Curriculum Development using adult learning principles
eLearning development (Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, Camtasia) and content authoring best practices
LMS Administration and configuration (implementation experience with systems like Cornerstone, Workday Learning, SuccessFactors, Docebo, Moodle)
Learning Analytics, Dashboarding and Reporting (Power BI, Tableau, Excel — including advanced functions and data visualization)
SCORM/xAPI and LMS interoperability standards; familiarity with LTI integrations and tracking completion/activity data
Assessment design and evaluation methodologies (Kirkpatrick, ROI estimation, pre/post testing)
Project Management and Agile delivery practices for L&D initiatives
Vendor management and RFP/SOW evaluation for external training services and certifications
Basic data manipulation and analysis (Excel advanced, SQL or familiarity with querying learning databases)
Experience with virtual delivery platforms (Zoom, Teams, WebEx) and virtual facilitation tools (Miro, Mentimeter)
Familiarity with AI-enabled learning tools, LLM-assisted content generation and personalization techniques

Soft Skills

Strong stakeholder management and business partnering — able to influence leaders and align learning to strategic priorities
Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to translate data into compelling stories and actionable recommendations
Consultative mindset and performance-oriented approach to diagnose root causes and prescribe learning interventions
Analytical thinking and attention to detail with a bias for measurement and continuous improvement
Project organization, time management, and ability to manage competing priorities across multiple programs
Facilitation and coaching skills to engage adult learners and enable behavioral change
Creative problem-solving and instructional creativity to design engaging, performant learning experiences
Change management and resilience to lead adoption of new practices and technologies
Collaborative team player who can work across HR, IT, and business units to deliver integrated solutions
Cultural sensitivity and commitment to inclusive learning design

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Psychology, Education, Instructional Design, Business Administration, Data Analytics or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree or graduate certification in Instructional Design, Organizational Development, Learning Technologies, Education, or an MBA with HR focus.
Certifications such as CPLP, ATD, SHRM, or specific tool certifications (Articulate, Cornerstone, Workday Learning).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Human Resources Management
Instructional Design / Educational Technology
Organizational Psychology / Development
Data Analytics / Business Intelligence
Adult Education / Learning Sciences

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years in Learning & Development, instructional design, or training analytics; may vary by company size and complexity.

Preferred:

3+ years designing and delivering corporate learning programs, administering an LMS, and producing learning analytics that demonstrate impact.
Proven experience with eLearning authoring tools, assessment design, and stakeholder-facing program management.
Demonstrated track record of partnering with business leaders to align learning to measurable performance outcomes and business KPIs.