Learning & development specialist

What does a learning & development specialist do?

A learning and development specialist plans, builds and runs training for staff in an organisation.

The job covers finding out which skills people lack, creating programmes to close the gap, and checking whether the training worked.

The role usually sits in the human resources team. You find it in factories, logistics firms, banks, hospitals and public agencies. In production settings, you also coordinate competency assessments for operators and technicians and support workplace safety and environmental training.

You work with line managers, HR business partners, subject matter experts, external training providers and the learners themselves. In Singapore, you also handle course funding and approvals through SkillsFuture schemes run by the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA).

What the work involves

• Interview managers and review performance data to find out what training the organisation needs.
• Design and write course content, from slide decks and handbooks to e-learning modules and short videos.
• Run workshops and coaching sessions, or book and brief external trainers.
• Schedule sessions, enrol learners and track attendance and completion in the learning management system.
• Collect feedback and assessment results, then report on whether the training changed how people work.
• Coordinate pilots of new programmes and update staff development plans with managers.

Pay in Singapore

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Skills a learning & development specialist needs

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Learning & development specialist job description

We are looking for a learning and development specialist to plan, deliver and evaluate training programmes for our staff.

You will analyse training needs, build competency-based courses, run workshops and manage training records. You will work with HR, operations and department heads to support staff development plans and keep our programmes useful and up to date.

Responsibilities

• Run training needs analyses with department heads and turn the results into a yearly training plan.
• Design competency-based courses, including learning objectives, activities, materials and assessments.
• Build e-learning modules and job aids using authoring tools such as Articulate.
• Deliver workshops and on-the-job coaching, or brief and manage external trainers.
• Coordinate competency assessments for production or frontline teams.
• Administer the learning management system, including enrolments, records and completion reports.
• Evaluate training results through feedback, assessments and business measures, and recommend changes.
• Support staff development plans and career conversations with managers.
• Manage training budgets and apply for available SkillsFuture funding where eligible.
• Follow workplace safety and health and environmental requirements, and include them in training where relevant.

Requirements

• Diploma or degree in human resource management, education, psychology, business or a technical field related to the industry.
• Typically 2 to 4 years in training, instructional design or HR operations for specialist roles.
• Experience designing and running training for adult learners, in person and online.
• Working knowledge of a learning management system and an e-learning authoring tool such as Articulate Storyline or Rise.
• Clear written and spoken English, and comfort presenting to groups of different sizes.
• A recognised training or workshop-leading qualification is often preferred, as is familiarity with SkillsFuture schemes.

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Learning & development specialist career path

Most people start in training coordination or as an HR executive and move into specialist work.

From there, you can lead a training team or head the function.

1. Training coordinator or L&D executive

   Entry

   You schedule courses, manage the learning management system, handle records and support trainers on the day.

2. Learning and development specialist

   Mid · SkillsFuture title

   You run needs analyses, design and deliver programmes, coordinate assessments and evaluate results.

3. Senior learning and development specialist

   Senior

   You own larger programmes, coach junior staff and advise managers on staff development plans.

4. Learning and development manager

   Lead

   You set the training framework, manage the budget and team, and report on results to senior leaders.

5. Head of learning and development

   Head

   You link capability building to business plans and lead the organisation's approach to talent development.

Steps marked "SkillsFuture title" follow the career pathway in the SkillsFuture Skills Framework. The others are titles commonly used in Singapore.

Related jobs and their pay

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Learning & development specialist interview questions

We wrote these questions from the skills this job needs. They are not an official question bank.

1. How would you run a training needs analysis for a production team?

   What a good answer covers

   • Start with business goals and performance data such as errors, rework or safety incidents
   • Interview managers and observe or survey operators
   • Separate skill gaps from problems caused by tools, process or staffing
   • Rank needs by impact and urgency
   • Present findings and a proposed plan to stakeholders

2. Walk me through how you design a course from the first request to the final assessment.

   What a good answer covers

   • Clarify the audience, the task they must do and the measurable objectives
   • Choose content and activities that match each objective
   • Build the assessment before the full content so it tests the objective
   • Pilot with a small group and revise
   • Plan how you will evaluate results after the course

3. How do you measure whether a training programme worked?

   What a good answer covers

   • Name levels of evaluation, such as the Kirkpatrick model: reaction, learning, behaviour, results
   • Use quizzes or practical assessments to show learning
   • Agree work measures with managers before the course starts
   • Check behaviour on the job some weeks later
   • Report honestly when results are weak and explain what you would change

4. When would you choose Rise over Storyline for an e-learning module?

   What a good answer covers

   • Rise suits quick, responsive, mobile-friendly content with a set layout
   • Storyline suits custom interactions, branching scenarios and software simulations
   • Consider the audience's devices, the time available and the update schedule
   • Check that the output works in the company's LMS
   • Give a real example of each choice

5. Completion rates for a compulsory online course are low. What data do you pull from the LMS and what do you do?

   What a good answer covers

   • Check enrolment, start, drop-off point and time spent per module
   • Compare completion across departments and shifts
   • Look for causes such as access, course length or unclear deadlines
   • Fix the cause, for example shorter modules or protected learning time
   • Set up automated reminders and track the change

6. How would you use ChatGPT when building a course, and what checks do you apply?

   What a good answer covers

   • Use it for first drafts of outlines, quiz questions and scenario ideas
   • Give it clear context about the audience and objectives
   • Check every fact with a subject matter expert and company documents
   • Never paste confidential or personal data into a public tool
   • Follow the organisation's policy on AI tools

7. When is an AI-generated training video a good choice, and when is it not?

   What a good answer covers

   • Good for short, stable how-to content that needs quick updates or several languages
   • Poor for sensitive topics, safety-critical demonstrations or content needing a real person's credibility
   • Review script and output for accuracy and tone
   • Get consent and check rights if a real person's likeness or voice is used
   • Test with learners before wide release

8. How do you plan a half-day workshop for 20 adults with mixed experience?

   What a good answer covers

   • Set clear outcomes and open with a short activity to find out what people already know
   • Keep input short and alternate with practice, discussion and case work
   • Use pair or group tasks so experienced staff can help newer ones
   • Build in breaks and a way to gather questions
   • Close with an action plan and feedback form

1. A manager asks for a course because staff keep making mistakes. How do you respond?

   What a good answer covers

   • Ask for examples and data before agreeing to build anything
   • Check whether the cause is skill, unclear procedures, tools or workload
   • Offer non-training fixes such as job aids or process changes where they fit
   • Agree what success looks like and how it will be measured
   • Propose a short pilot if training is the right answer

2. A new production line starts soon and 40 operators need to be assessed as competent with little downtime. How do you plan it?

   What a good answer covers

   • Define the competencies with the engineers and supervisors
   • Split operators into small groups across shifts
   • Combine short classroom sessions with supervised practice on the line
   • Use a checklist-based assessment with trained assessors
   • Track results and arrange retraining for those who are not yet competent

3. Your pilot session gets poor feedback two days before roll-out. What do you do?

   What a good answer covers

   • Read the comments and group them by cause, such as content, pace or delivery
   • Talk to a few participants to get detail
   • Fix what you can in the time left and tell stakeholders about the change
   • Decide with the sponsor whether to delay if the problem is serious
   • Record the lessons for future pilots

1. Tell me about a time you changed a programme because of feedback or results.

   What a good answer covers

   • Describe the original programme and the evidence of the problem
   • Explain what you changed and why
   • Show how you checked that the change helped
   • Be honest about what you would do differently

2. Describe a time you worked with a stakeholder or participant who did not want to be there.

   What a good answer covers

   • Explain how you found out the reason for the resistance
   • Show how you made the content relevant to their work
   • Give an example of staying calm and respectful in the room
   • State the outcome, even if it was only partly good

1. Your company wants to send staff on SkillsFuture-funded courses this year. How would you plan and manage this?

   What a good answer covers

   • Match courses to the training needs analysis and staff development plans
   • Check current eligibility and application steps for the relevant schemes with SWDA
   • Pick approved training providers and confirm what costs the schemes cover
   • Keep records of attendance and claims for audits
   • Review results afterwards before sending the next group

2. Your LMS stores learner names, NRIC details and assessment results. What PDPA points do you consider?

   What a good answer covers

   • Collect only the personal data you need and state the purpose
   • Limit who can see records and results
   • Protect data with access controls and care when sharing with vendors
   • Keep data only as long as needed and dispose of it properly
   • Refer questions to the organisation's data protection officer

Common questions about a learning & development specialist job

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