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Learning and Development Officer

Also advertised as: L&D Specialist, Learning and Development Adviser, Learning and Development Officer, Learning Designer, Trainer, Training Coordinator

Designs and delivers training that helps staff do their jobs better.

What the job involves

L&D officers work out what people need to learn, build the training, deliver it and check whether it worked. If you have trained new starters, written a how-to guide or run a briefing, you already have the core of this job.

Typical responsibilities

  • Identify skills gaps with managers
  • Design training materials and e-learning
  • Deliver workshops and inductions
  • Evaluate whether training changed behaviour
  • Manage apprenticeship and funding programmes

Common employers

  • Large retailers
  • NHS
  • Manufacturers
  • Financial services
  • Training providers

Pay, hours and working environment

Typical pay

£25,000 – £30,000 a year

With experience

£34,000 – £45,000 a year

Typical hours

37.5 hours with some travel between sites

Working environment

Office, training rooms and site visits

Remote working

hybrid

Demand for this work

steady

Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.

Skills and qualifications

Core skills

  • Training delivery
  • Instructional design
  • Facilitation
  • Evaluation
  • Content writing

Transferable skills you may already have

  • Training new starters
  • Explaining tasks clearly
  • Writing procedures

Requirements employers ask for

  • Training delivery
  • Instructional design
  • Facilitation
  • Evaluation
  • Content writing
  • No formal qualification required

Useful but not essential

  • Training new starters
  • Explaining tasks clearly
  • Writing procedures
  • CIPD Level 3 or 5 in L&D
  • Level 3 Award in Education and Training

Helpful qualifications

  • CIPD Level 3 or 5 in L&D
  • Level 3 Award in Education and Training

Ways into this career

A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.

Apprenticeships and work-based routes

  • Learning and Development Practitioner (Level 3)
  • Learning and Skills Teacher (Level 5)

Degree and college routes

  • Related subject: Education
  • Related subject: Psychology
  • Related subject: HR
  • Related subject: Business

Where this career can lead

  1. next

    L&D Manager

  2. next

    Head of Learning

  3. next

    Organisational Development Lead

The good parts and the hard parts

What people enjoy

  • Rewarding to see people improve
  • Uses frontline training experience directly
  • Creative and varied

What people find hard

  • Budget is often first to be cut
  • Travel between sites

Common questions

Do you need a degree to become a learning and development officer?
No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. not_required
How much does a learning and development officer earn in the UK?
Typical advertised pay runs from £25,000 to £30,000 a year, rising towards £45,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
What skills transfer into this career?
Skills that transfer well include Training new starters, Explaining tasks clearly, Writing procedures.

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Where this information comes from

  • National Careers Service
  • Institute for Apprenticeships

Last reviewed 14 September 2026.

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