UK

United Kingdom · Learning and development · Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Learning and Development Specialist

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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  • Experience bandMid-Level (2-5 years)
  • Direct reportsNo direct reports
  • Reports toLearning & Development Manager
  • UK framework levelUsually a coordinator, or early in a professional job

Also advertised as L&D Specialist · Learning Designer · Training Specialist · Instructional Designer (Junior)

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

SFJ Awards Level 3 Certificate In Learning and Development SFJ Awards · Level 3 · covers 4 of 10 standards
OCNLR Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training OCN London · Level 4 · covers 4 of 10 standards
City & Guilds Level 4 Diploma in Learning and Development City & Guilds Limited · Level 4 · covers 3 of 10 standards
TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Specialist Support for Teaching and Learning in Schools (RQF) Training Qualifications UK Ltd · Level 3 · covers 1 of 10 standards
IAO Level 3 Diploma In Specialist Support for Teaching and Learning in Schools Innovate Awarding · Level 3 · covers 1 of 10 standards
Focus Awards Level 3 Diploma in Playwork (RQF) Focus Awards Limited · Level 3 · covers 1 of 10 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Identify individual learning and development needs SFJ Awards Level 3 Certificate In Learning and Development
Support learning and development within own area of responsibility TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Specialist Support for Teaching and Learning in Schools (RQF)
Support learners with cognition and learning needs IAO Level 3 Diploma In Specialist Support for Teaching and Learning in Schools
Provide learning opportunities for colleagues Focus Awards Level 3 Diploma in Playwork (RQF)

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
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Your Plan Illustration

Built for Learning and Development Specialist

4 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Identify individual learning and development needs SFJ Awards · covers 4 of 10 standards Level 3
  2. Support learning and development within own area of responsibility Training Qualifications UK Ltd · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 3
  3. Support learners with cognition and learning needs Innovate Awarding · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 3
  4. Provide learning opportunities for colleagues Focus Awards Limited · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 3
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Learning and Development Specialist?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • Prompt Engineering for L&D Content
  • Basic Data Visualisation & Storytelling (Power BI/Tableau)
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Learning and Development Specialist plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

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3What this role really is

A Learning and Development Specialist builds training that helps people do their jobs better. This means turning an idea for training into something concrete, such as an e-learning module, a workshop, or a job aid. It is hands-on work, and you can see the direct effect on how people learn and grow.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Cornerstone OnDemand / Docebo (LMS/LXP) Intermediate

Managing course catalogues, enrolling users in programmes, pulling standard completion and satisfaction reports, and troubleshooting basic user access issues.

Articulate 360 (Rise 360) Intermediate

Creating simple, effective e-learning modules from scratch using templates, adding interactive elements, quizzes, and multimedia. You'll be comfortable making basic edits to existing Storyline files too.

Camtasia / Vyond Basic

Performing simple screen recordings and basic edits (trims, callouts) in Camtasia for software tutorials. Creating basic animated videos from Vyond templates for explainer content.

Miro / Asana / Slack/MS Teams Intermediate

Participating actively in Miro brainstorming sessions, managing your personal tasks and updating project status in Asana, and communicating effectively in team channels on Slack or MS Teams.

Microsoft Excel (Power Query, PivotTables) Intermediate

Using VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP to combine data, creating PivotTables to analyse learner data (e.g., completion rates by department), and building basic summary charts to visualise findings.

Workday HCM / SAP SuccessFactors (HRIS) Basic

Viewing employee data and organisational structures to understand your learning audiences and identify who needs which training. You won't be configuring the system, just using it to inform your work.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Content Design & Development Follows templates and detailed instructions; all content reviewed by Senior L&D Specialist. Independently designs and develops content within project scope; seeks feedback for complex sections; final review by L&D Manager. Designs complex learning programmes; sets content standards; peer review for quality; manager consultation for strategic alignment.
LMS Administration Performs basic user enrolment and course setup under direct supervision. Manages course catalogue, user groups, and runs standard reports independently; escalates complex issues to IT/Manager. Configures learning paths, manages integrations, troubleshoots advanced issues; makes recommendations for system improvements.
Training Facilitation Co-facilitates sessions; manages logistics; supports lead facilitator. Facilitates smaller, pre-designed workshops (10-20 people); adapts delivery based on audience engagement. Leads complex workshops; designs and facilitates new programmes; coaches other facilitators.
Project Scope & Timelines Follows assigned tasks and reports progress; any changes escalated immediately. Manages project timelines for individual learning initiatives; consults L&D Manager on any significant deviations or scope changes. Defines project scope and timelines for workstreams; negotiates with stakeholders; informs L&D Manager of progress.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

LMS Course Setup Accuracy
How accurately courses, users, and reports are set up in the Learning Management System.
Target · 98% accuracy on all new course deployments and user enrolments.

Successfully set up 15 new courses for the Q2 product launch training, with only 1 minor error in a user group assignment, quickly corrected. That's a 93% accuracy rate, so we'd look to improve on that next time.

Learner Satisfaction (Level 1 Evaluation)
Average score from 'smile sheet' surveys after training sessions or e-learning modules.
Target · 4.5/5 average satisfaction score.

Your 'Introduction to Our New CRM' e-learning module scored an average of 4.6/5 across 200 learners, with specific positive comments about its clarity and practical examples.

Learning Project Completion Rate
Percentage of assigned learning projects completed on time and within agreed scope.
Target · 90% of projects delivered on time.

Out of 10 assigned projects this quarter, 9 were delivered by their deadline, including the tricky 'Data Privacy Refresher' module which had tight legal review cycles.

Learner Support Ticket Resolution
How quickly and effectively you resolve basic technical or content-related queries from learners.
Target · 95% of tickets resolved within 24 hours.

You handled 30 learner queries this month, mostly about LMS access or quiz retakes, and all but one were sorted within a day. The one that took longer needed IT support, which you escalated properly.

Content Quality & Engagement
How clear, accurate, and engaging your learning materials are, and whether they hold learners' attention.
  • Positive feedback in open-ended survey comments about clarity and relevance
  • low drop-off rates in e-learning modules
  • active participation in workshops
  • colleagues asking to use your templates or designs as examples.
Stakeholder Collaboration & Communication
How well you work with Subject Matter Experts and other teams to gather information and get buy-in for your projects.
  • SMEs readily providing content and feedback
  • project updates are clear and timely
  • managers feel informed about the progress of their team's training
  • no major surprises or miscommunications during project delivery.
Application of Adult Learning Principles
How effectively your designs incorporate principles like relevance, self-direction, and problem-centred learning.
  • Learning objectives are clearly linked to job tasks
  • activities encourage active participation and practice
  • learners can see the 'what's in it for me' (WIIFM)
  • feedback from learners mentions practical applicability.
Proactive Problem Identification
Your ability to spot potential issues with a learning programme or process before they become big problems.
  • You flag a potential technical glitch with a new e-learning before launch
  • you notice a common learner struggle and suggest a content tweak
  • you propose a better way to collect feedback based on past experience.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Making a Tangible Difference

You'll get a real kick out of seeing someone apply something they learned from your course, or hearing feedback that your training helped them solve a problem at work.

A sales rep tells you they closed a deal using a technique from your 'Objection Handling' module. That's a good day.

Solving Problems Creatively

You love the challenge of taking a tricky business problem and designing a clever, engaging learning solution for it. It's like putting together a puzzle, but with people's skills.

A department has a consistent error rate; you design a simulation that lets them practice the correct process in a safe environment, and the error rate drops.

Continuous Learning & Growth

You're always learning new tools, new instructional design techniques, or new ways to make learning stick. This role offers plenty of opportunities to experiment and grow your own skills.

You spend your lunch break watching a tutorial on advanced Articulate Storyline features, or reading up on the latest microlearning trends.

What frustrates people
  • Being treated like an 'order taker' for training, without a chance to properly analyse the need.
  • Waiting weeks for feedback from a busy Subject Matter Expert, stalling your project.
  • Low enrolment or completion rates for voluntary programmes you've worked hard on.
  • Having to use a clunky, outdated LMS that makes innovative learning difficult.
  • Dealing with learners who are clearly just 'checking the box' for mandatory training.
What this role does not give you
  • A purely strategic, high-level role; you'll be hands-on with content creation.
  • Complete freedom from administrative tasks; there's always some LMS admin.
  • A guaranteed 'wow' factor for every single piece of learning you create; some stuff is just necessary.
  • A quiet, uninterrupted environment for design work; expect frequent check-ins and ad-hoc requests.

8Who you work with

This role directly improves employee capability and performance by delivering targeted learning interventions. Your work helps reduce errors, speed up onboarding, and ensures our teams have the skills they need to meet business objectives. Essentially, you're building the foundations for a smarter, more effective workforce, one project at a time.

Inside the business
  • Department Heads (e.g., Sales, Marketing, Operations)
  • Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) across all teams
  • HR Business Partners
  • IT Support Team (for LMS issues)
Outside the business
  • LMS/LXP vendors (for basic support queries)
  • Content providers (e.g., LinkedIn Learning)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • At least 2 years of hands-on experience in a dedicated L&D or training role, where you've actually built and delivered learning content.
  • Demonstrable experience using an LMS (any major platform is fine) for course administration and reporting.
  • Proven ability to create engaging e-learning modules, ideally using a tool like Articulate Rise or similar authoring software.
  • Experience facilitating training sessions, either virtually or in-person, for groups of up to 20 people.
  • A portfolio or examples of learning materials you've designed and developed (e.g., e-learning modules, workshop outlines, job aids).

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced E-learning Development (Articulate Storyline)

While Rise is great for quick, responsive content, Storyline allows for much more complex, interactive simulations and custom scenarios. As our learning needs become more sophisticated, you'll need to build more bespoke, high-impact modules. This is important within 12 months.

Variables and Triggers · Custom Interactivity · Accessibility Features · Motion Graphics and Animations

  • This week: Watch a few 'Storyline for beginners' tutorials, focusing on variables and triggers.
  • This month: Try to recreate a simple Rise module in Storyline, adding one custom interactive element.
  • Month 2: Take an existing Storyline file and try to add a new, more complex interaction or a branching scenario.
  • Month 3: Seek out a mentor (internal or external) who is an expert in Storyline and ask for their advice and feedback on your work.

Quick win: Download a free Storyline template and spend an hour customising it. Just get your hands dirty.

Performance Consulting (Basic Application)

The L&D role is shifting from 'order taker' to 'performance consultant'. You'll need to get better at asking the right questions to uncover the real business problem, and then determining if training is even the right solution. Sometimes, a process change or a new tool is what's actually needed. This is critical within 6 months.

Root Cause Analysis Techniques · Performance Gap Analysis · Non-Training Interventions · Consultative Questioning

  • This week: Read a chapter or two from a book on performance consulting (e.g., 'Performance Consulting' by Dana Robinson).
  • This month: For every new training request, challenge yourself to ask 'why' at least three times before starting design work.
  • Month 2: In a project meeting, try to reframe a training request into a business problem. For example, 'We need a sales training' becomes 'Our sales cycle is too long, how can we shorten it?'
  • Month 3: Discuss with your manager how you've applied basic performance consulting principles and what impact it's had on your projects.

Quick win: Next time someone asks for training, ask them: 'What problem are we trying to solve with this training?' and 'How will we know if it's worked?'

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Attending industry webinars and virtual conferences on instructional design and learning technology.
  • Joining relevant online communities or forums (e.g., LinkedIn groups for L&D professionals) to share ideas and learn from others.
  • Taking online courses on platforms like Coursera or Udemy in areas like data visualisation, advanced Excel, or specific software tools.
  • Reading key L&D books and blogs (e.g., Cathy Moore, Will Thalheimer) to stay current with best practices.
  • Seeking out opportunities to shadow senior L&D colleagues or Subject Matter Experts to deepen your understanding of the business.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

Prompt Engineering for L&D Content

AI tools are getting incredibly good at drafting content, summarising research, and even generating ideas. If you can 'talk' to these tools effectively, you'll be able to produce high-quality learning materials much faster than your peers. It's about working smarter, not harder.

  • Clear Instruction Prompts
  • Contextual Prompts
  • Iterative Prompting
  • Output Validation

Basic Data Visualisation & Storytelling (Power BI/Tableau)

Moving beyond just presenting raw numbers, you'll need to tell a compelling story with data. This means creating clear, impactful dashboards and visualisations that show the 'so what?' of our learning programmes, not just the 'what'. This is critical within the next 12 months.

  • Dashboard Design Principles
  • Chart Selection
  • Data Storytelling
  • Interactivity

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Instructional Design Models (ADDIE, SAM)
  • Adult Learning Theory (Andragogy)
  • Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation (Levels 1 & 2)
  • Needs Analysis (Basic TNA)
  • Competency Mapping (Basic)

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    L&D Coordinator / Training Administrator

    1-2 years

    Skills to master

    • LMS administration, scheduling, logistics management, basic content uploading, learner support, attention to detail.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You've mastered all the administrative aspects of L&D and can run the 'back end' smoothly.
    • You're proactively identifying small improvements to processes and suggesting solutions.
    • You're starting to get curious about the 'why' behind the training, not just the 'how' of delivery.
    • You've taken initiative to learn basic e-learning authoring or content design in your own time.
  2. 2

    Junior Instructional Designer

    1-3 years

    Skills to master

    • E-learning authoring (Articulate Rise/Storyline), basic instructional design principles, content writing, visual design for learning, basic project management.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You can independently design and build simple e-learning modules from a clear brief.
    • You're getting positive feedback on the clarity and engagement of your learning content.
    • You're comfortable working with SMEs to extract information and turn it into learning materials.
    • You're keen to learn more about adult learning theories and evaluation methods.
  3. 3

    HR Generalist with L&D Focus

    2-4 years

    Skills to master

    • Understanding of HR processes, employee relations, basic training delivery, talent management principles, communication skills, business partnering.

    You're ready to move on when

    • You've taken on all L&D-related tasks within your HR role and genuinely enjoy them.
    • You're passionate about employee development and can link it to business outcomes.
    • You've delivered some internal training programmes and received good feedback.
    • You're looking to specialise purely in learning and development rather than broader HR.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to managing larger learning programmes, leading an L&D team, or setting strategy as a director of learning and development.

16Pay and demand

Pay & demand

Typical pay £36,357 a year Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 (provisional), under the Open Government Licence v3.0

The figure is the median for full-time employees in the ONS occupation this job title codes to (Other vocational and industrial trainers), from the April 2025 survey, about six months old when published, as ASHE always is. It is that occupation's middle, not this role's. Half earn more.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Learning and Development Specialist is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

The record names a next step, but the catalogue has no page for it yet:

  • Senior Learning & Development Specialist / Instructional Designer

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Identify individual learning and development needs, worked against Learning and Development Specialist.

Identify individual learning and development needs Level 3

Applied to your work in Learning and Development Specialist

The objective of this unit is to enable learners to understand and apply the principles of learning needs analysis for individuals. Learners will be able to conduct a learning needs analysis, analyse the findings, and agree on individual learning and development needs with relevant parties, ensuring effective communication throughout the process.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

Start my Learning and Development Specialist plan, free
See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Learning and Development Specialist
  • Instructional Design Models (ADDIE, SAM)
  • Adult Learning Theory (Andragogy)
  • Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation (Levels 1 & 2)
  • Needs Analysis (Basic TNA)
  • Competency Mapping (Basic)
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

17The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Learning and Development Specialist is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Senior Learning & Development Specialist / Instructional Designer

    3-5 years in current role

    Level 3

    • End-to-End Programme Design Owning multi-part learning programmes, not just single modules.
    • Advanced Authoring (Storyline Expert) Building complex simulations and interactive scenarios.
    • Level 3 & 4 Evaluation Designing for and measuring on-the-job behaviour change and business impact.
    • Performance Consulting Proactively diagnosing business problems and recommending non-training solutions.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, L&D involves a fair bit of repetitive work – drafting content, summarising feedback, digging for research. What if you could offload a chunk of that to AI? We're not talking about replacing you, but giving you a super-powered assistant to free up your time for the really creative and impactful stuff.

Imagine spending less time on the tedious bits and more time designing truly innovative learning experiences. Our AI Hub is all about giving you the tools to do just that, helping you automate the mundane so you can focus on what you're best at: making our people smarter.

Content Generation Assistant

Use AI to whip up first drafts of quiz questions, learning objectives, video scripts, or even course descriptions. Just feed it your source material – a policy document, a technical manual – and watch it generate content in minutes, saving you hours of staring at a blank page.

Feedback Analysis Engine

Got hundreds of open-ended comments from learner surveys? Instead of manually sifting through them, feed them into an AI tool. It'll instantly identify key themes, gauge sentiment (positive or negative), and pull out actionable suggestions, letting you get to insights much faster.

Research & Summarisation Partner

Need to get up to speed on the latest thinking for 'effective feedback models' or 'best practices for virtual facilitation'? Ask AI to summarise academic papers, industry blogs, and articles. You'll get a curated brief with key takeaways and sources in minutes, not hours of searching.

Personalised Learning Pathfinder

We're exploring AI-powered LXP features that can automatically recommend relevant articles, videos, and courses to employees. This means less admin time for you manually assigning things, and more engaging, tailored learning paths for our people based on their role and skill gaps.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Learning and Development Specialist?

Common routes in include L&D Coordinator / Training Administrator (1-2 years), Junior Instructional Designer (1-3 years) and HR Generalist with L&D Focus (2-4 years). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Learning and Development Specialist progress to?

This role can lead on to Senior Learning & Development Specialist / Instructional Designer (3-5 years in current role), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Learning and Development Specialist?

Increasingly, Prompt Engineering for L&D Content and Basic Data Visualisation & Storytelling (Power BI/Tableau). These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

Read the Zavmo manifesto to understand how you will be taught Meet your tutors

Or try another one

18Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 3

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in learning and development

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

The skills involved transfer to broader HR roles, talent management, and organisational development. Some people specialise further, in learning technology or leadership development, across other industries.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my Learning and Development Specialist plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.