Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Training and Development Manager

🎯 Role Definition

We are seeking an experienced Training and Development Manager to lead the design, delivery, and evaluation of enterprise-wide learning initiatives. The Training and Development Manager will own the learning strategy and roadmap, manage a team of designers and facilitators, administer the Learning Management System (LMS), partner with business leaders to close skill gaps, and measure training effectiveness through data-driven KPIs. The ideal candidate blends instructional design expertise, operational rigor, and stakeholder influence to create scalable, high-impact learning experiences that improve performance, retention and leadership capability.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Learning & Development Specialist / Instructional Designer
HR Business Partner with L&D focus
Organizational Development Specialist

Advancement To:

Director of Learning & Development
Head of Talent & Organizational Development
VP of Human Resources / Chief People Officer (for larger firms)

Lateral Moves:

Talent Development Consultant
Organizational Development Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop and execute a comprehensive learning and development strategy aligned to corporate goals, workforce planning, and succession plans, prioritizing programs that drive measurable business outcomes such as productivity, retention and leadership bench strength.
Lead the end-to-end design and delivery of blended learning programs (classroom, virtual instructor-led, e-learning, microlearning, on-the-job training) using adult learning principles and instructional design frameworks (ADDIE, SAM, Bloom's Taxonomy).
Manage and configure the Learning Management System (LMS): user administration, course deployment, learning pathways, compliance tracking, reporting, and integrations with HRIS and talent platforms.
Oversee the creation of curriculum and certification pathways for leadership development, technical skills, compliance, sales enablement and onboarding, ensuring content accuracy, currency and alignment to competency models.
Supervise, mentor and grow a team of instructional designers, trainers, facilitators and vendors; set objectives, conduct performance reviews, and build capability in digital learning design and facilitation.
Lead training needs analysis (TNA), competency gap assessments, and stakeholder interviews to translate business priorities into prioritized learning solutions and development roadmaps.
Design and implement onboarding and new-hire assimilation programs that reduce time-to-productivity and improve new-hire retention metrics.
Build and manage relationships with senior stakeholders and subject-matter experts to co-create content, sponsor programs, and secure executive buy-in for L&D initiatives.
Establish and track learning KPIs (participation, completion rates, learner satisfaction, behavior change, performance impact, ROI) and produce actionable dashboards and executive summaries that demonstrate value.
Lead vendor selection, contract negotiation and vendor management for external training providers, learning content libraries, and technology partners, ensuring cost-effectiveness and quality delivery.
Create a content development process and governance model to ensure consistency, version control, accessibility (WCAG where applicable), and brand alignment across all learning materials.
Implement blended assessment strategies (pre/post-tests, simulations, on-the-job evaluations, 360 feedback) to validate skill acquisition and behavior change following training interventions.
Manage the training budget: forecasting, cost tracking, vendor invoicing, and optimization of spend against strategic priorities and ROI targets.
Design and scale leadership and succession programs, including high-potential identification, leadership workshops, coaching, stretch assignments and talent reviews.
Drive continuous improvement and learning innovation (microlearning, mobile learning, social learning, AI-enabled personalization) to improve learner engagement and content relevance.
Ensure compliance training programs meet regulatory and internal audit requirements; maintain training records and support compliance reporting during audits.
Partner with HR, People Analytics and Business Units to link learning outcomes to performance management, career paths and compensation discussions.
Facilitate train-the-trainer sessions and instructor enablement to expand internal delivery capacity and maintain instructional quality.
Lead change management communications and adoption campaigns for new learning initiatives, tools and processes, aligning messaging and deployment to minimize disruption.
Conduct ROI and impact analysis for major programs, prepare business cases for new investments, and present evidence-based recommendations to senior leadership.
Champion a culture of continuous learning by launching learning campaigns, communities of practice, lunch-and-learns, and recognition programs that increase learning participation and knowledge sharing.
Create and maintain a prioritized training calendar, scheduling resources and coordinating logistics for multi-location rollouts and global audiences.

Secondary Functions

Maintain up-to-date learning content libraries and taxonomy, tagging content for discoverability and reuse across roles and geographies.
Support ad-hoc learning-related projects such as performance improvement initiatives, competency model updates, or employee engagement interventions.
Collaborate with IT and HRIS teams to troubleshoot integrations, single sign-on, and data feeds between LMS and HR systems.
Provide coaching and development support to managers to improve coaching frequency, performance conversations and career development planning.
Facilitate pilot programs and proof-of-concepts for emerging learning technologies (AI tutors, VR simulations, adaptive learning) and evaluate scalability.
Produce quarterly and annual reports on learning impact, utilization, diversity of participation and recommendations for strategic adjustments.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Instructional design expertise (ADDIE, SAM, learning science) and curriculum development for adult learners.
Learning Management System administration and reporting (examples: Cornerstone, Workday Learning, SuccessFactors LMS, Docebo, Moodle).
E-learning authoring tools (e.g., Articulate 360, Rise, Storyline, Adobe Captivate) and rapid content development methodologies.
Data-driven evaluation: experience with learning analytics, dashboards, A/B testing, pre/post assessments, and ROI calculation frameworks (Kirkpatrick, Phillips ROI).
Project and program management skills: planning, resource allocation, risk management and cross-functional delivery using agile or waterfall methods.
Vendor selection and contract negotiation for content libraries, external trainers and technology platforms.
Familiarity with HR systems integration (HRIS, ATS) and single sign-on / identity management concepts.
Budget development and financial stewardship for training portfolios including cost-benefit analysis.
Knowledge of compliance training requirements and record-keeping best practices across jurisdictions.
Experience with virtual learning platforms (Zoom, WebEx, Teams), simulation tools, microlearning platforms and mobile learning delivery.
Competency modeling and succession planning methodologies, including talent assessment tools and 9-box grids.
Basic multimedia production skills (audio/video editing, storyboard creation) and accessibility standards (WCAG).

Soft Skills

Excellent stakeholder management and executive presence; ability to influence leaders and secure sponsorship for learning programs.
Strong facilitation and presentation skills for virtual and live classrooms.
Coaching and mentoring skills to develop others and enable managers as talent developers.
Strategic thinking with the ability to translate business needs into pragmatic learning solutions.
Excellent written and verbal communication; experience creating clear, persuasive learning business cases and executive reports.
Analytical mindset and curiosity; comfortable with data to inform decisions and measure impact.
Change management and adoption expertise to drive uptake of new programs and technologies.
Collaboration and cross-functional partnership skills; able to work effectively with HR, IT, Business Units and external partners.
Prioritization and time management to balance program delivery, continuous improvement and operational demands.
Adaptability and innovation orientation; open to piloting new approaches and iterating based on feedback.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

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

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Learning & Technology, Education, or MBA/MA in a related discipline.
Relevant certifications such as CPLP, SHRM-SCP, ATD Certified Professional, or instructional design certifications.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Human Resources / Talent Management
Organizational Development / Industrial-Organizational Psychology
Education / Adult Learning / Instructional Design
Business Administration / Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

5–10+ years in learning & development, training, instructional design, or organizational development.

Preferred:

7+ years of L&D experience with at least 2–3 years in a managerial or lead role.
Demonstrated experience implementing and administering an LMS at enterprise scale, designing leadership programs, managing vendor relationships, and delivering measurable learning outcomes across multiple geographies.