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Learning and Development Manager

Written by: Annie Hayes
Published on: 8 Jul 2016

Learning and development manager

Making the most of people’s talents and developing them to their full potential is the core purpose of the Learning and Development Manager. You will be passionate about helping people learn and better themselves but tied to this will be a strong focus on not just what the learner desires but what the organisation needs. You will be capable of both assessing training needs, crafting learning content and implementing it – just being able to do one of these things won’t be sufficient – you will need to be capable of delivering the entire package. Presentation skills, diplomacy and the ability to influence senior management are essential if you are to thrive as an L&D manager.

Key duties:

  • Assess both individual, departmental and organisational learning and development needs.
  • Analyse key people data and liaise with senior management and HR to decipher wants from needs.
  • Manage training budgets and forecast current and future costs. Advise on the right course of action.
  • Identify skills gaps and future learning requirements.
  • Curate learning content and assess relevant learning and development options.
  • Consider relevance of blended learning options such as coaching, mentoring, on-the-job training, classroom training, e-learning and simulation. Make recommendations to decision makers.
  • Deliver learning and development strategies.
  • Co-ordinate the logistics of training sessions.
  • Identify external training partners.
  • Evaluate success of learning interventions and report to senior management.
  • Keep abreast of latest learning and development products and approaches.
  • Update senior management and decision-makers on latest thinking.

Qualifications:

  • Degree level or postgraduate qualifications are desirable, particularly in a relevant field including an MSC degree in training management and development.
  • A CIPD qualification is preferred, either Level 3 Foundation Certificate or Diploma in L&D (Level 3 QCF) or a Level 5 Intermediate Certificate or Diploma in L&D (Level 5 QCF).
  • National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) are an alternative – a level 3 offers a Certificate in learning and development and a level 4 offers a Diploma for the advanced learning and development practitioner.

Previous experience:

  • Previous experience of managing learning and development initiatives is an advantage.
  • Experience of designing, implementing and evaluating a variety of training solutions.
  • Strong communication and organisation skills.
  • Adept at influencing others, problem solving and offering pragmatic solutions.
  • Presentation skills is useful.
  • Analytical and reporting skills is preferred.

Expected salary:

£20,000 - £60,000

Salary will vary between organisation and sector an average salary is around £35,000.

Hours:

Typical working hours: 9.00 – 5.30pm

 

You may be required to work more flexible hours when required, particularly when delivering a training programme.

Career steps:

  • Head of Learning and Development
  • Leadership Development Manager
  • Talent Management Manager
  • Organisational Development Manager

What they say:

Whilst no day is the same it is normally planned. Whereas working in HR is very reactive, learning and development is very considered. So we put a lot of time into planning. To do my job you need a variety of skills because no two days are the same. To deliver training you need to be creative, be able to motivate people and display some showmanship. Getting to the point when you are delivering the training, however, requires analytical skills – you need to be able to decipher labour turnover figures and be comfortable with a spreadsheet. You also need to be able to analyse business needs and work out how staff are going to be able to deliver those strategies. The impact of changing behaviours is a difficult thing to prove to business and you have to be a lot more commercial these days and ensure it is the right change. This is when you need to be in the reflective, analytical mode.”

Kier Campion, L&D Manager, Arcadia