Training and Development Specialists

Business Operations & Enablement

Level 5544 of 1200 points

Job description

Training and Development Specialists

Job purpose

To assess training needs and to design, deliver and evaluate work-related training and development programmes for employees and customers, so that individual skills and organisational performance improve and training expenditure is justified by demonstrable effect.

Skills

Specialist command of education and training practice — curriculum and training design, instruction of individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects — applied through techniques including role play, simulation, team exercises, group discussion and lecture. Supported by knowledge of personnel and human resources practice, the psychology of learning and motivation, customer needs assessment, business and management principles, and a sound standard of written English for manuals and course material. Bachelor's degree is the norm, with a minority holding an associate's degree or a school-leaving qualification only, together with several years of related experience and on-the-job training.
Instructs and presents to groups, coaches individuals, and advises managers and instructors on developmental needs. Assesses needs through surveys, interviews, focus groups and consultation with managers, instructors and customer representatives, explains what the findings mean, and negotiates contracts with clients for training outcomes, fees and expenses. Evaluates instructors and refers them to skill development classes, and refers trainees to job placement or social services agencies where warranted.
Diagnoses why performance falls short and designs a response, selecting the mode of delivery — in person or virtual — to optimise effectiveness, cost and environmental impact. Where expected improvements are not seen, devises alternative methods, so a failed intervention is re-analysed rather than repeated, and designs programmes to develop executive potential among employees in lower-level positions. Problems are diagnostic and design-based, with professional method available but no prescribed answer.
Designs, plans and directs orientation and training programmes, schedules classes around the availability of classrooms, equipment and instructors, and coordinates the placement of participants. Determines own tasks, priorities and goals, and works to time pressure against agreed delivery dates, reporting programme status to management.
Delivers training in person and virtually using presentation and course-authoring applications, and prepares handouts and visual materials. No manual handling or dexterity demands.

Responsibilities

No line management of a permanent team, though selects and assigns instructors, supervises and evaluates their work, and coordinates others in delivering programmes. Carries responsibility for the skills and subsequent work outcomes of those trained.
Monitors training costs and prepares budget reports to justify expenditure, evaluates delivery modes for cost as well as effect, and negotiates fees and expenses in client contracts. Accounts for training spend within provision set above the role.
Ordinary care of a workstation, of training rooms and the audio-visual equipment used in them, and of the course materials and manuals held.
Owns the organisation's training record: procedure manuals, guides and course materials obtained, developed or evaluated; records of training activity; and measures of programme effectiveness reported to management. Accuracy matters because programme decisions and budget justification rest on it, and the material carries the organisation's authority on how work is done.

Effort required

Sustained design and analytical work — building curricula, interpreting needs assessment data, and judging whether a programme has worked — alternating with concentrated delivery of instruction to groups, which requires holding attention and adapting in the moment. Decisions are made regularly under time pressure, alongside a heavy volume of contact.
Public speaking and instructing adults calls for composure, and the work brings occasional conflict situations to handle. Feedback on instructors and on programmes that are not delivering has to be given directly to those concerned, and professional credibility is on display each time a session is run.
Predominantly seated, with time spent delivering training in close physical proximity to participants. No lifting or exertion.

Working conditions

Indoor, environmentally controlled office and training-room work, with no hazardous conditions or exposures recorded. Contact is heavy, including with external customers and the public, and takes place at close quarters when training; psychological demand arises from public speaking and occasional conflict situations.
Most incumbents work a standard week and about three-quarters are on a regular established schedule, with a minority on irregular patterns following delivery demands. Considerable freedom to make decisions and determine own tasks, priorities and goals within an agreed training remit, with decisions taken regularly that bear on colleagues and company results.

Skills

40% · 250 points▾

KnowledgeLevel 4 of 8
72 of 144 points
Factual and theoretical knowledge in broad contexts within a field of work. The job requires a range of thinking and practical knowledge to find solutions to specific problems in the job or study area.
Interpersonal and communication skillsLevel 4 of 5
77 of 96 points
Advanced communication and interpersonal skills. The job holder is required to manage complex interactions, mediate interpersonal conflicts and support group collaboration.
Problem-solving skillsLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Variable problems. The job involves dealing with different kinds of problems that require careful thinking, research into different options or adjusting existing ways of doing things. Guidance and resources may be limited.
Planning and organisational skillsLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate organisational skills required. The job requires the organising and prioritising of multiple tasks, with some level of adjustment to plans on the basis of changing circumstances or deadlines.
Physical skillsLevel 0 of 5
0 of 72 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any particular physical skills (although there is likely to be some physical activity).

Responsibility

35% · 191 points▾

PeopleLevel 2 of 5
58 of 144 points
Basic responsibility for people. Provides support, guidance or advice to individuals or small teams. This could include assisting with personal development, providing informal mentoring or guiding others through tasks with minimal decision-making power. It may involve contributing to others' sense of safety and comfort, but with limited decision-making authority or accountability for outcomes.
Goods and equipmentLevel 1 of 5
17 of 84 points
Limited responsibility for goods or equipment. The job involves the care and proper use of low-value tools or materials, with minimal responsibility for their maintenance or security.
InformationLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for information. The job involves managing information to ensure it is accurate, of high quality and secure. The job holder may make decisions about the handling of sensitive data.
Financial resourcesLevel 3 of 5
58 of 96 points
Moderate responsibility for financial resources. The job requires handling significant financial resources, including managing budgets, overseeing expenditures, being accountable for spending and participating in financial decision-making.

Effort

15% · 79 points▾

Mental effortLevel 3 of 5
36 of 60 points
High level of mental effort. The job involves frequent concentration on complex tasks that require considerable mental effort, such as interpreting complex data.
Psychosocial and emotional effortLevel 3 of 5
43 of 72 points
Moderate psychosocial and emotional effort. The job requires the regular management of emotional responses, such as dealing with sensitive or challenging individuals or situations.
Physical effortLevel 0 of 5
0 of 48 points
Not applicable. The job does not require any physical effort.

Working Conditions

10% · 24 points▾

Environment (physical, psychological or emotional)Level 1 of 5
17 of 84 points
Minimal exposure to hazards or stress. The job involves little or no exposure to physical hazards (e.g. chemicals, moving equipment, noise) and minimal emotional or psychological risks (e.g. occasional routine tasks with no emotional burden). There is minor exposure to dust, dirt, fumes, noise, waste, poor lighting, etc.
Organisational environmentLevel 1 of 5
7 of 36 points
Minimal organisational demands. The job requires standard working hours with no night shifts or irregular schedules. There is little or no need for travel or digital connectivity beyond typical working hours.