Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a Strategic Learning Partner

🎯 Role Definition

As a Strategic Learning Partner, you are the critical link between our business strategy and our talent development initiatives. More than a trainer, you are a trusted consultant and performance architect, deeply embedded within the business units you support. You will proactively diagnose skill gaps, performance challenges, and future-state learning needs. By partnering with senior leadership, you'll design, implement, and measure high-impact, scalable learning solutions that directly contribute to achieving key business objectives, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and driving employee growth. This is a highly visible role that requires a blend of business acumen, L&D expertise, and exceptional relationship-building skills to influence change and unlock the full potential of our workforce.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Instructional Designer
L&D Program Manager / Specialist
HR Business Partner / Generalist with a focus on talent

Advancement To:

Senior or Principal Learning Partner
Manager / Director of Learning & Development
Head of Talent Management or Organizational Development

Lateral Moves:

HR Business Partner (HRBP)
Organizational Development (OD) Consultant
Change Management Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Act as a strategic L&D consultant and primary point of contact for assigned business units, building deep relationships with leaders to understand their strategic priorities, talent challenges, and performance goals.
Conduct comprehensive learning needs analyses and performance-gap assessments using a variety of methods, including data analysis, interviews, focus groups, and surveys to identify critical skill and knowledge gaps.
Translate business needs into a cohesive and actionable learning strategy and roadmap for your client groups, ensuring alignment with a broader organizational talent strategy.
Design and develop innovative and engaging blended learning journeys, incorporating a mix of digital learning, virtual instructor-led training (vILT), in-person workshops, social learning, and on-the-job application.
Architect comprehensive development programs, including leadership pipelines, onboarding experiences, technical upskilling, and professional skills curricula, from conception to execution.
Partner with subject matter experts (SMEs) across the business to co-create, curate, and validate learning content, ensuring it is relevant, accurate, and aligned with business context.
Manage the full lifecycle of learning projects, including defining scope, creating project plans, managing budgets, allocating resources, and communicating with stakeholders to ensure on-time, high-quality delivery.
Facilitate high-stakes workshops, leadership offsites, and team development sessions for various audiences, from individual contributors to senior executives, with confidence and credibility.
Champion a culture of continuous learning by promoting learning resources, coaching managers on employee development, and creating communication campaigns εταιfor key initiatives.
Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and robust measurement strategies to evaluate the effectiveness and business impact of learning programs, reporting on ROI and making data-driven recommendations for improvement.
Manage and cultivate relationships with external L&D vendors, consultants, and content providers to ensure we have access to best-in-class learning solutions and expertise.
Stay at the forefront of L&D trends, learning technologies, and adult learning theories, acting as an internal thought leader and champion for modern learning practices.
Collaborate closely with HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, and other People team members to create integrated talent management solutions that span the entire employee lifecycle.
Utilize the Learning Management System (LMS) and Learning Experience Platform (LXP) to deploy, track, and optimize learning experiences for employees.
Develop and manage the learning and development budget for your assigned client groups, ensuring fiscal responsibility and maximizing the return on investment.
Serve as a performance consultant, going beyond training requests to diagnose root causes of performance issues and recommend holistic solutions, which may or may not involve training.
Curate and map learning content to competency frameworks and career pathways violência to provide employees with clear guidance for их professional growth.
Lead the design and implementation of large-scale, enterprise-wide learning initiatives, such as new manager training, sales enablement programs, or digital transformation upskilling.
Coach and mentor junior members of the L&D team, sharing best practices in instructional design, facilitation, and business partnering.
Create and maintain a portfolio of learning solutions, continuously reviewing and iterating on content to ensure it remains fresh, relevant, and impactful.
Drive the adoption of a "leader-led" development mindset by equipping managers with the tools and skills to coach, mentor, and develop their own teams effectively.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to uncover learning-related trends.
Contribute to the organization's broader data strategy and roadmap by providing a learning analytics perspective.
Collaborate with business units and tech teams to translate data and learning needs into engineering requirements for our HR systems.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within a cross-functional People & aTechnology team.
Assist in the administration and governance of our learning technology stack, including the LMS and LXP.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Instructional Design & Adult Learning Theory: Deep expertise in models like ADDIE/SAM and principles of andragogy to create effective learning experiences.
Data Analysis & Measurement: Ability to analyze learning and business data (e.g., engagement, performance, retention) to measure program ROI and drive insights.
Learning Technology Management: Proficiency with Learning Management Systems (LMS), Learning Experience Platforms (LXP), and virtual delivery platforms (e.g., Zoom, MS Teams).
Project & Program Management: Strong skills in managing complex projects from inception to completion, including scoping, budgeting, and resource allocation, often using Agile or similar methodologies.
E-learning Authoring Tools: Familiarity with tools like Articulate 360 (Storyline, Rise), Camtasia, or Vyond for creating digital learning content.
Survey & Assessment Tools: Experience using tools like Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, or similar platforms to conduct needs analysis and evaluate learning effectiveness.

Soft Skills

Strategic Consulting & Business Acumen: The ability to understand business fundamentals, think strategically, and translate business goals into talent development actions.
Stakeholder Management & Influence: Proven ability to build credibility and influence senior leaders, SMEs, and cross-functional partners without direct authority.
Exceptional Communication & Facilitation: Superior verbal, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to facilitate engaging and impactful learning sessions for all levels of the organization.
Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking: Adept at diagnosing the root cause of performance issues and thinking creatively to design and recommend the right, holistic solutions.
Adaptability & Resilience: Thrives in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment and can pivot quickly in response to changing business needs.
Collaboration & Teamwork: A natural collaborator who works effectively with HRBPs, business leaders, and other team members to achieve shared goals.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Education:

Master’s Degree in a relevant field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Adult Learning & Education
Organizational Psychology or Development
Human Resources Management
Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

5-8+ years of progressive experience in Learning & Development, Talent Management, or a closely related HR function.

Preferred:

At least 3 years of experience in a strategic, client-facing role such as a Learning Partner, L&D Business Partner, or Senior Instructional Designer with significant stakeholder management responsibilities. Experience working within a fast-growing tech, consulting, or complex global organization is a strong plus.