Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Learning & Development Specialist

🎯 Role Definition

The Learning & Development (L&D) Specialist designs, develops, delivers, and measures high-impact learning experiences that increase employee capability, engagement, and performance. This role partners with business leaders and HR stakeholders to conduct needs analysis, build curriculum and blended learning journeys (classroom, virtual instructor-led, microlearning, and e‑learning), manage the Learning Management System (LMS), and use learning analytics to continuously improve programs. The L&D Specialist plays a central role in onboarding, leadership development, compliance training, and career-pathing initiatives that support organizational goals.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Training Coordinator or Training Administrator
HR Generalist with training responsibilities
Instructional Designer or E‑Learning Developer

Advancement To:

Senior Learning & Development Specialist
Learning & Development Manager
Talent Development Manager or Director of Learning & Development

Lateral Moves:

Organizational Development Consultant
Learning Technologies Specialist
Leadership Coach or Performance Consultant

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct comprehensive training needs analysis and skills gap assessments by partnering with business leaders, HR partners, and subject matter experts to define learning objectives aligned with strategic goals and performance metrics.
Design end-to-end learning programs (onboarding, leadership development, technical upskilling, compliance) that include learning pathways, competency frameworks, and measurable outcomes to drive employee performance and retention.
Author and develop engaging e‑learning modules, interactive scenarios, microlearning assets, and assessments using tools such as Articulate Storyline, Rise, Adobe Captivate, and video-authoring platforms to support blended learning strategies.
Implement instructional design methodologies (ADDIE, SAM) and adult learning principles (andragogy, experiential learning) to create learner-centered content that ensures knowledge transfer and behavior change.
Create detailed curriculum outlines, facilitator guides, participant workbooks, job aids, cheat sheets, infographics, and post-training reinforcement materials to maximize retention and on-the-job application.
Facilitate instructor-led training (ILT), virtual instructor-led training (VILT), workshops, cohort-based leadership programs, and experiential learning sessions with strong classroom presence and virtual facilitation skills.
Administer and maintain the Learning Management System (LMS) — configure user roles, upload and tag content, manage enrollments, automation, compliance tracking, and generate reports for stakeholders.
Define and implement evaluation frameworks (Kirkpatrick Levels 1–4, ROI measures) and KPI dashboards to measure training effectiveness, learner satisfaction, behavior change, and business impact.
Collect, analyze and interpret learning analytics and engagement data (completion rates, assessment scores, sentiment feedback) to iterate on content and demonstrate program ROI to senior leadership.
Partner with subject matter experts to curate and validate content, ensuring technical accuracy, relevance, and alignment with current business processes and regulatory requirements.
Build and manage blended learning journeys that integrate ILT, e‑learning, mentorship, on-the-job exercises, and social learning to support diverse learner preferences and schedules.
Lead onboarding and new-hire learning experiences by creating ramp plans, orientation modules, role-specific training tracks, and cross-functional introductions that accelerate time-to-productivity.
Design and deliver leadership and manager development programs focused on performance conversations, coaching skills, feedback, change leadership, and people management capabilities.
Manage external vendor relationships and third-party providers (coaches, providers, content libraries) — negotiate contracts, oversee delivery, and assess vendor quality against performance metrics and budgets.
Maintain compliance training programs — ensure content is current, mandatory completions are tracked, and audit-ready reports are available for regulatory reviews.
Develop and maintain competency models and career path frameworks that help employees and managers plan development actions and internal mobility.
Create assessments, proficiency checks, and certification programs to validate capability attainment and support talent calibration and succession planning.
Use adult coaching and facilitation techniques to support individual and team development, providing targeted feedback, action planning, and follow-up reinforcement.
Collaborate with HR Business Partners and People Analytics to align learning initiatives with talent strategies, performance management cycles, and succession planning.
Lead program rollout planning and change management activities — communication plans, manager enablement, pilot testing, and phased deployments to ensure adoption and sustained behavior change.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of learning technologies, industry best practices, microlearning trends, and instructional UX to continuously modernize the learning portfolio.
Manage project timelines, budgets, scope, and resource allocation for multiple concurrent learning initiatives, applying basic project management discipline to ensure on-time delivery.
Collect qualitative feedback through focus groups, post-training surveys, and interviews to surface improvement opportunities and inform future curriculum decisions.
Produce executive-level summaries and dashboards that connect learning investments to business outcomes (productivity, quality, retention, time-to-fill) for senior stakeholders.
Ensure all digital learning assets meet accessibility standards (WCAG), SCORM/xAPI compliance, and are optimized for mobile and on-demand learner experiences.

Secondary Functions

Provide ad-hoc reporting, cohort analytics, and exploratory analysis to answer stakeholder questions about training effectiveness and learner behavior.
Support LMS housekeeping tasks: user provisioning, course archiving, content tagging, and compliance audits.
Coordinate logistics for in-person and virtual training events including scheduling, room setup, equipment, and learner communications.
Assist with budgeting, invoice reconciliation, and vendor contract administration related to training programs and external providers.
Maintain and curate a central learning content library and knowledge repository for on-demand access.
Help draft internal communications and change communications that promote learning launches, enrollment deadlines, and program benefits.
Participate in cross-functional project teams to integrate learning requirements into broader HR and business initiatives.
Mentor junior L&D team members and provide input on hiring, onboarding, and training of new L&D staff.
Monitor industry vendors, new platforms, and competitive benchmarks to inform the L&D technology roadmap and procurement decisions.
Contribute to the organization’s learning strategy and long-range roadmap by providing operational insights, learner feedback, and performance data.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Instructional design expertise: ADDIE, SAM, backward design, learning outcome mapping.
Learning Management System (LMS) administration (e.g., Cornerstone, Workday Learning, SuccessFactors, Moodle).
E‑learning authoring tools: Articulate Storyline, Rise, Adobe Captivate, Camtasia.
SCORM and xAPI (Tin Can API) packaging and tracking for e‑learning interoperability.
Learning analytics and reporting: experience with dashboards, SQL or analytics tools, Excel/PivotTables, and data visualization for L&D metrics.
Needs analysis and competency modeling: task analysis, role-based learning paths, and performance gap diagnostics.
Virtual classroom and webinar platforms: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, and virtual facilitation best practices.
Assessment design: formative and summative assessments, rubrics, quizzes, and certification workflows.
Content production skills: basic video production, audio editing, and microlearning asset creation.
Project management fundamentals: timeline creation, stakeholder coordination, scope management, and budget tracking.
Knowledge of adult learning theory (andragogy), behavior change models, and coaching frameworks.
Familiarity with HR systems and integration points (HRIS, performance management, talent platforms).

Soft Skills

Strong facilitation and presentation skills with the ability to deliver engaging classroom and virtual sessions.
Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills; able to partner with senior leaders and cross-functional teams.
Coaching mindset and the ability to provide constructive feedback and development guidance to managers and employees.
Analytical and metrics-driven approach with attention to detail in program measurement and continuous improvement.
Exceptional written communication for clear learning content, job aids, and executive summaries.
Creativity and instructional design intuition to craft learner-centered experiences that drive behavior change.
Strong organizational and time management skills; able to manage multiple projects and competing priorities.
Empathy and learner-centric orientation to design inclusive and accessible learning for diverse audiences.
Change management aptitude to drive adoption and embed new behaviors in day-to-day work.
Collaborative team player who works well with SMEs, vendors, HR partners, and people managers.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Instructional Design, Education, Organizational Psychology, Business, Communications, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Instructional Design, Organizational Development, Adult Education, Learning Technologies, or MBA is a plus.
Certifications such as CPLP, ATD CPTD, SHRM-CP/SCP, or e‑learning/tool-specific certifications (Articulate, Cornerstone).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Instructional Design / Learning Sciences
Human Resources / Organizational Development
Adult Education / Educational Technology
Psychology / Organizational Behavior
Business Administration / Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive experience in Learning & Development, training delivery, or instructional design.

Preferred: 5+ years designing and delivering end-to-end learning programs, LMS administration experience, proven success with e‑learning authoring tools and learning analytics, and demonstrable experience partnering with business leaders to drive measurable performance improvements.