Learning & Development Specialist

Overview

The Learning & Development Specialist is responsible for co-creating, delivering, and managing the KOFISI Academy, an internal platform designed to cultivate excellence in hospitality, enhance operational skills, and develop leadership capabilities throughout all KOFISI teams. This role ensures consistent, high-quality training for all employees irrespective of their location, enabling them to provide outstanding member experiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Plan and lead engaging training sessions, workshops, and digital learning modules tailored to diverse audiences from frontline staff to department leaders across KOFISI's locations.
• Boost participant engagement using modern training techniques such as scenario-based exercises, simulations, peer-to-peer learning, and gamification, all aligned with KOFISI's five-star hospitality standards.
• Travel as necessary to KOFISI centers across Africa and the Middle East to conduct face-to-face training and employee inductions.
• Oversee the execution of Academy programs by managing the training calendar, coordinating scheduling and logistics, and handling participant arrangements.
• Maintain communication with center managers between training sessions to identify and address skill gaps and support operational management in resolving issues on the floor.
• Partner with line managers to integrate newly acquired skills into everyday work practices, sharing responsibility for ongoing skills application post-training.
• Develop and implement assessment tools to evaluate training effectiveness in terms of knowledge acquisition, behavioral change, and business outcomes; monitor completion rates, knowledge retention, and performance improvements.
• Deliver regular reports on training impact to senior leadership, highlighting successes, areas for improvement, and the return on training investments.
• Continuously refine training programs based on feedback, evaluation outcomes, and evolving organizational priorities.
• Conduct thorough learning needs analyses by engaging with managers and department heads, utilizing performance data, surveys, and direct observation to identify development requirements.
• Create practical training materials addressing hospitality excellence, customer service, food and beverage operations, leadership, and team management, ensuring alignment with measurable performance targets.
• Regularly update training content to mirror changing business needs, industry trends, and staff expectations, with curriculum development viewed as a valuable skill.
• Establish strong collaboration with center managers, department leaders, and executives to ensure the Academy meets real operational training needs across departments like F&B, Operations, and Sales.
• Support managers in fostering a continuous improvement culture through effective learning reinforcement on the floor.
• Manage the Learning Management System to keep content updated and accessible, using tools such as Zoho; adapt and select suitable digital platforms for remote and blended learning deliveries, including proficiency with Microsoft Teams features.
• Design and produce polished training materials and documentation using professional word processing and presentation software such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of 3 to 5 years’ experience in Learning & Development, demonstrating success in creating and delivering impactful training programs across varied teams and hierarchical levels.
• Exceptional facilitation skills marked by dynamic presentation, clear communication, and the ability to effect behavioral change rather than merely transferring information.
• Self-motivated and able to work autonomously during less busy periods by proactively identifying training needs and sustaining program momentum.
• Competence with Learning Management Systems (such as Zoho or similar platforms) and adeptness at choosing and using digital tools for remote training.
• Strong command of Microsoft Word and PowerPoint to develop professional learning content.
• Experience in hospitality, premium service environments, or member experience roles is advantageous but not mandatory.
• Ability to design curricula that directly address performance gaps is a welcome, though secondary, attribute to facilitation skills.
• Educational qualifications include a degree in Education, Human Resources, Business Administration, Hospitality Management, or related disciplines; certifications in Learning & Development such as CIPD or ATD are beneficial but not compulsory.