Learning & Development Specialist

Purpose of the Role 

The Learning & Development (L&D) Specialist designs, builds, and maintains scalable training content and learning experiences using AI-enabled tools, making high-quality, personalized learning available to employees and managers faster and more cost-effectively than traditional development methods allow. This role replaces a director-level L&D function with a leaner, execution-focused position that emphasizes hands-on content development, tool adoption, and measurable skill-building outcomes over strategic program ownership. It directly supports AFS's broader efficiency and AI-adoption goals by modeling how AI can be used responsibly to improve internal operations. 

Scope of Responsibility and Authority 

This role owns the end-to-end development, maintenance, and personalization of AFS training content and materials, including selection and day-to-day use of AI-enabled authoring and delivery tools within approved budget and vendor guidelines. The Specialist has decision-making authority over instructional design choices, content formats, and tool usage, and escalates decisions involving new vendor contracts, enterprise-wide learning strategy, or budget outside approved limits to their manager. This role partners closely with subject matter experts across business units, HR/Talent partners, IT and Information Security (to vet AI tools and ensure no Restricted or Confidential data — including client production data, NPI, or source code — is submitted to third-party AI systems without approval), and Compliance to ensure training content and delivery align with FFIEC, SOC 2, and AFS data classification requirements. 

 Core Responsibilities 

• Design and build training content and learning modules using AI-enabled authoring tools, reducing development time versus traditional methods. 

• Personalize learning paths for employees and managers by tailoring content and pacing to role, skill gaps, and performance data. 

• Maintain and continuously update the L&D content library to keep materials accurate, relevant, and aligned with product and process changes. 

• Partner with subject matter experts across AFSVision, IRIS, CRN, and Pricing Dashboard teams to translate technical and functional expertise into effective training content. 

• Drive adoption of AI-enabled learning tools and resources by promoting their use, gathering feedback, and iterating on the employee experience. 

• Facilitate live and virtual training sessions and workshops on new skills, tools, and AI-enabled learning resources. 

• Evaluate, pilot, and recommend new AI-based learning technologies, vetting each against AFS data classification and security standards before use. 

• Measure and report on training effectiveness, completion rates, and skill-building outcomes, using data to prioritize content updates. 

• Support onboarding by building AI-personalized learning paths that accelerate new hire ramp-up. 

• Coach managers on integrating AI-enabled learning resources into team development and performance conversations. 

 First 12 Months Outcomes: What Success Looks Like 

Success in the first year is defined by a measurable shift toward AI-enabled, self-service learning — faster content development, higher engagement, and broader adoption of AI-enabled learning resources — while maintaining AFS's compliance and data security standards. 

• Achieve a 30% reduction in average training content development and update cycle time by using AI-enabled authoring tools. 

• Deliver personalized learning paths for at least two priority employee populations (e.g., new managers, technical onboarding) with measurable completion gains. 

• Establish an AI-enabled content library refresh process adopted across all core L&D curricula. 

• Implement an AI tool vetting checklist with Information Security, resulting in zero data classification violations in training content or tools used. 

• Increase employee engagement with AI-enabled learning resources to at least 50% active usage among target audiences. 

• Stand up a training effectiveness dashboard reviewed monthly with HR leadership. 

• Facilitate at least 12 live or virtual training sessions on AI tools and other priority skill areas. 

  Ways of Working 

• Builder mindset: prioritizes hands-on execution and shipping usable training content over long planning cycles. 

• Curious experimenter: tests new AI tools and approaches quickly, learns from what works, and scales it. 

• Data-informed: uses completion, engagement, and skill data to decide what to build or update next. 

• Security-minded by default: treats data classification and AI tool vetting as a standard part of the workflow, not an afterthought. 

• Collaborative partner: works closely with SMEs, managers, and HR/IT partners rather than developing content in isolation. 

Profile 

The ideal candidate is a practical, hands-on L&D professional who is energized by using AI to make learning faster, more personalized, and more accessible — not a strategist looking to build a large program from the top down. They are comfortable owning execution independently, iterating quickly based on feedback and data, and operating within a regulated environment where data security and compliance are non-negotiable. 

Qualifications 

We are looking for a practical builder-operator who can take training content from concept to delivery using AI-enabled tools, not someone who designs a program on paper and hands it off. Prior hands-on experience building content with AI authoring or generative tools matters more than years spent managing an L&D function. 

• Experience designing and delivering training content in a corporate L&D or instructional design function, with a clear orientation toward hands-on execution over program strategy. 

• Hands-on experience using AI-enabled authoring, content-generation, or personalization tools (e.g., generative AI platforms, AI-assisted authoring software) to build or update training materials. 

• Demonstrated ability to take a training need from concept to delivered content quickly, using AI tools to compress traditional development timelines. 

• Strong instructional design judgment; able to translate subject matter expertise from technical and business SMEs into clear, engaging learning content. 

• Bias toward efficiency and iteration: a proven track record of improving content quality or delivery speed using data and feedback. 

• Comfort operating in a regulated, audited environment; able to work within FFIEC, SOC 2, and AFS data classification requirements when selecting and using AI tools. 

• Facilitation skills sufficient to lead live and virtual training sessions for employees and managers. 

• Familiarity with commercial lending, financial services, or B2B SaaS environments is a plus but not required. 

Work Environment & Physical Demands 

Work is performed primarily in an office setting during normal business hours, with limited evening requirements for special events. Flexible schedule options are available in accordance with AFS company policy. This role requires high-frequency use of computer keyboards and monitors.