Learning and Development Officer

As a learning and development officer you will usually work for an organisation or agency although you may also work as a freelance consultant.

It is your role to proactively assess the professional learning and development needs of organisational personnel and ensure that in line with any organisational objectives, policies and procedures and statutory requirements, all employees are equipped with the information and skills they need to be efficient and productive.

Typical Responsibilities for the Learning and Development Officer

As a learning and development officer, your responsibilities will vary widely depending on the scale and industry of your employer or client, however most will expect you to fulfil the following:

Communication

You will be required to work with employees in every area of an organisation and must be a skilled communicator who can interpret the needs and objectives of business leaders, departmental managers and individual personnel, identify any barriers to learning, and develop effective training and development programmes which address them.

You may be expected to contribute your knowledge to the overall organisational strategy for professional development and provide regular verbal or written progress reports to senior management on the opportunities, challenges, effectiveness and ROI of any plans you implement.

Project Management

The learning and development requirements across an organisation will vary and you will need exceptional project management skills to ensure that planned training sessions for individuals and departments are carried out with minimum disruption to daily practice.

You will need a highly organised approach to plan a calendar of training that supports any organisational objectives, as well as the flexibility to respond to the learning and development needs of individuals.

Whether you run training sessions yourself or employ the services of an external agency, you will need to identify specific training needs and plan the most effective methods of meeting them, agree training schedules and budgets with business leaders and solicit feedback from trainees.

Training

Although you may not run all training projects yourself, you will need to have a thorough understanding of training methodologies, technologies and resources and how they can be applied to achieve the best results.

You may be required to develop induction and training materials for new employees, conduct appraisals to identify needs, devise professional development plans and regularly review training programmes to identify opportunities to improve them.

Furthermore, you will be expected to create an environment in which individuals are enabled to access additional learning opportunities to further their own professional development.

Learning and Development Officer Salary Range

Depending on the requirements of your employer, your experience and the region you work in, as a learning and development officer you can expect to earn £20k to £47k+, plus enjoy various benefits and bonus packages.

What skills do you need to be a Learning and Development Officer?

Sound knowledge of training methodologies, technologies and their applications
Project management
Training facilitation
Excellent organisation and time management
Excellent verbal and written communications
Budget management
Report writing
Flexibility to travel or work outside of regular office hours

Qualifications for a Learning and Development Officer Role:

Formal qualifications are not essential for this role but a degree or equivalent professional certifications from the CIPD are desirable.

Experience needed to be a Learning and Development Officer:

Most employers will ask that you have experience of working in their specific industry, however if you want to enter a new sector it’s more important that you can demonstrate a successful track record of planning and delivering training programs and possess transferable skills.

Career Progression:

As an experienced learning and development officer, your career could progress naturally into any of the following roles:

Learning and Development Manager
Training and Development Specialist
Training Director

Does this sound like a role you may be interested in? Click here to browse a range of available roles in Manchester and London.

Building your career in Crewe

Situated in Cheshire East, Crewe is heaven for trainspotters. In the 19th century, it was the epicentre of locomotive innovation and became an extremely wealthy and prestigious town as a result. The Crewe Heritage Centre retells this story with depth and enthusiasm.

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