Learning & Development Specialist

Job Summary

• To provide advice and support in the development and implementation of area of specialisation planning and associated service delivery processes, methods and techniques; enabling the provision of sound learning and development services.

Job Description
Learning & Development Specialist
Overall Job Purpose

• The role primarily leads and support all Learning and Development management practices across the business in partnership with People Business Partners (PBP) and business leaders will deliver the full spectrum of Learning management practices as defined within Absa. The role is accountable for the crafting of annual L&D Calendar in consultation with the business leaders, performance coaching, partnering with group to roll out learning, leadership, and talent development.
• The role leverages analysis of ongoing programs and development interventions to ensure quality at design, development, and delivery stages. This role also engages with peers, relevant professionals, and institutions in the market and at Group to stay abreast with best-in-market practices that supports the maturity of a learning organization.

Main Accountabilities And Approximate Time Split
Learning and Leadership Development Implementation – 50%

• Creation of content, curriculum, e-learning, collateral, and other learning materials that will drive colleague behavior-change using various learning theories inclusive of job aids, facilitator and participant guides, on-the-job training systems, tutorials, and demonstration models.
• Development of L&D interventions and learning that incorporate overall business objectives such as the business’s financial goals and are aligned to the design and development standards at Absa.
• Development of interactive learning solutions that drive measurable results for the business and guarantee that those solutions are instructionally sound and are up to the business’s quality standard
• Provides consulting support to PBPs when required, to identify Learning and Leadership needs through Performance consulting, to address people development needs required to meet business strategic objectives.
• Identify learning solutions and other non-learning issues relevant to business performance improvement and capability building.
• Undertake learning demand planning, delivery and Project manage the implementation of learning and leadership programmes in country.
• Facilitate learning and leadership programmes and team interventions.
• Provide advisory to business leaders, people managers and individual employees on skills development and career paths.
• Build leadership teams and People manager capabilities to own and drive the learning and leadership development agenda as a business priority and support progressive learning culture.
• Monitors L&D plans, solutions, vendors, and employee feedback to drive continual improvement.
• Aligns the learning agenda with the needs and directions of the Clusters/divisions.
• Support development and implementation of a digitally enabled Absa Group learning curriculum that caters to development of strategy-aligned and future-fit skills in individuals and teams across all levels of the organization.
• Support development of strategies and solutions to embed the tenets of a learning organization, a culture of self-driven and future-fit learning at Absa.
• Support coordination of a Learning Community of Practice and implementation of specialist and People Partner-focused interventions.
• Keeps informed of leading practices, monitor, and evaluate market trends in the Leadership development and Learning fields.
• Provide learning Subject Matter Expertise and advisory services to business and key stakeholders, including recommendation and development of innovative bespoke learning solutions and experiences.

Coaching – 30%

• Models’ best practices in learning and development activities to ensure maintenance of top-notch learning programs, which lead to high performance.
• Facilitate Performance Coaching sessions of Colleagues with PBPs and People managers as part of accelerating performance within the functions.
• Partner with PBPs to up skill people managers on performance coaching and best management practices.
• Advise People and Culture leadership on emerging Learning, Leadership development and Talent management thought leadership.

Reporting & Metrics – 10%

• Conduct current and ongoing strategic assessments of business-wide training and development programs and initiatives.
• Draw out trends and meaningful insights based on data analytics & modelling that will support desired business outcomes.
• Creation of testing and evaluation processes of the effectiveness of Learning programs.
• Evaluate the business impact of learning interventions
• Provide monthly Learning, Leadership and Talent development Analytics and insights to enable evaluation of process and inform management decision making in partnership with PX team.
• Manage and update Learning and Leadership Scorecard and tracker for the business to enable monitoring of performance against plan.
• Support analysis of pertinent statistical data to identify trends and developments related to full spectrum of learning and leadership development.

Learning & Development Governance – 10%

• Ensure that the application of the learning and leadership Policy development Policy and ensures the business adheres to the Policy and process.
• Review adverse risk assessments and provide recommendations to the Head of Leadership, Learning and Talent to approve or decline.
• Partner with the Head of Governance to manage any emerging risks, controls and maintain acceptable levels.
• Acts as the Learning and Leadership quality controller and maintain the standards at best practice within business units.
• Manage country Learning and Development budget, ensuring that spend is per plan.
• Participate in identifying and managing vendors for the delivery of L&D initiatives.
• Contribute to the enhancement of Group LLT policies by sharing regulatory, leaders and colleague feedback.

Technical Skills:

• General HR management
• Learning and Development Management Experience
• Content design, development and delivery experience for adult learning
• Broad talent management practices
• Assessment Centers end to end delivery

Competencies:

• Facilitation skills
• Customer excellence – service delivery
• Digital familiarity
• Effective communication
• Stakeholder engagement
• Analytical and critical thinking
• Influencing and negotiation

Knowledge and skills:

• Qualified facilitator
• Advanced knowledge of the Kenya labour laws especially Employment Act
• Benchmarking
• Human Capital technology. Knowledge of Workday would be an added advantage
• Have progressive experience in learning and development management; strategic HR; change management, digital transformation and likely some experience from consulting and/or advisory roles in international contexts.
• A good understanding of the HR Policies, HR Services and procedures, and the HR governance framework

Education:

• University degree in business management, Human Resources
• CHRP Certification Kenya
• Learning design or similar will be an added advantage

Experience

• At least 4 years working experience in a learning and development capacity, in a high growth, large business setting. A suitable candidate will also have gathered his working experience working in a complex matrix set-up with diversified business departments.
• Proven and successful experience facilitating learning campaigns through instructional design concepts, adult learning concepts, and technology.
• Demonstrated successful experience leveraging technology in order to deliver training in new ways.
• Ability to identify performance improvement opportunities and gaps, conduct analyses, and develop solutions that will deliver the desired results through training programs.
• Strategic and creative thinker, detail and result oriented, be open and welcoming to change, be comfortable working in group settings, handle multiple projects and meet tight deadlines
• Ability to develop strong relationships with others and leverage those relationships across the business by influencing management to take up training programs that ultimately influence the overall performance of the business.
• End to end experience in talent management including talent identification, talent reviews and talent pool management
• Experience in managing LMS Systems (e.g Taleo, Workday , Oracle)

Preferred

• Project Management qualification
• Proficiency in Workday LMS
• Experience in end to end Project Management

Education

• Higher Diplomas: Education, Training and Development (Required)