Talent & Development Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY:

Current Lightera employees are encouraged to apply through the internal careers portal at myADP.com.

The Talent & Development Specialist is responsible for co-designing, implementing, delivering, and sustaining talent and development strategies that strengthen workforce capability across a global, fast-paced manufacturing organization. This role partners closely with HR business partners, plant leadership, and business stakeholders to ensure people practices directly support operational execution, leadership readiness, and long‑term business performance. 

The Talent & Development Specialist will report to the corporate office in Norcross, GA. This role is a hybrid role required to be in the office at least two days each week, and additional days as required by the nature of the position. 

This role blends hands‑on facilitation, program management, and LMS system ownership, turning strategy into learning that leaders use.

You will co-design and facilitate leadership development experiences for leaders at all levels, own the day‑to‑day management of the ADP Learning Management System, and serve as Lightera’s subject matter expert for assessment tools. You will ensure learning programs, data, and tools are well‑run, well‑integrated, and aligned to how work actually happens in a manufacturing environment.

The ideal candidate enjoys both creating strategy and building frameworks in partnership with leaders and is energized by turning concepts into programs that are used, measured, and continuously improved. Ultimately, this position plays a critical role in fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional development within the organization.

This role requires approximately up to 20% travel across the United States and select global locations, partnering with local plants and teams to deliver, scale, and embed learning where work happens.

Delivery, Facilitation & Enablement

• Co-design and facilitate leadership development courses for all leader levels, aligned to Lightera’s leadership framework and Talent Plan (in‑person, virtual, blended), to support leadership readiness, talent mobility, and long‑range business strategy
• Partner with internal and external subject matter experts to ensure relevance, practicality, and credibility of leadership courses developed
• Serve as the internal Leadership & Development subject-matter expert, creating, curating, and maintaining relevant tools, content, and learning materials that empower leaders and reinforce core capability expectations
• Ensure facilitators (internal or external) are aligned to program intent and standards
• Equip leaders with tools, job aids, and on‑the‑job resources to reinforce learning

Program Management & Execution

• End‑to‑end ownership of leadership development programs, ensuring strategy, design, execution, and governance are aligned and scalable across the organization end‑to‑end: calendars, cohorts, registrations, materials, evaluations, and follow‑through
• Support the design, delivery, and ongoing management of enterprise leadership programs (e.g., New Leader Academy, LIFT, EDGE post-grad development program, mentor connections, support learning, and Lunch & Learns)
• Adapt learning content for in‑person, virtual, and blended environments
• Maintain structured learning pathways aligned to leadership levels and career stages
• Ensure learning experiences are well‑organized, accessible, and timed to business realities
• Track participation, completion, and engagement across all programs
• Lead marketing and communication strategies to support program rollout, visibility, and engagement

 LMS Ownership & Learning Operations

• Serve as the ADP Learning Management System (LMS) owner
• Add, maintain, and organize courses, curricula, and learning paths
• Ensure accurate learner assignments, completions, and records
• Run routine and ad‑hoc reports to support Talent, HRBPs, and leaders
• Maintain data integrity across learning, development, and compliance content

Assessment Tool Subject Matter Expert

• Administer, support, and advise on leadership and development assessment tools, including Path 4/6 and other approved tools
• Serve as an internal expert on appropriate use cases, interpretation, and application
• Support assessment logistics, reporting, and debrief preparation in partnership with Talent leadership
• Help leaders and HR partners translate assessment insights into development actions

Internal & External Development Support

• Support internal development initiatives tied to succession, performance cycles, and career pathways
• Coordinate external learning offerings, partners, and vendors as needed
• Maintain centralized records and documentation for all development offerings
• Continuously improve learning content and systems based on feedback and data
• Develop effective working relationships through influencing and advising
• Create and maintain a training knowledge base that can be accessed by both new employees and existing staff
• Stay current on leadership development trends, research, and best practices, proactively integrating new insights to elevate program quality and impact

Support the Recruiting & Hiring Strategy

• Support full-cycle recruitment for salaried and hourly roles across key business units using recruitment tools such as LinkedIn Recruiter, etc
• Other responsibilities as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business, or related field
• Minimum 5+ years of experience in Learning & Development, Talent Development, or Leadership Development
• Comfort with communicating complex thoughts simply across various methods of communication and tools
• High degree of technical aptitude and demonstrated ability to create impactful training programs using cost-effective solutions, such as Microsoft products and live webinars
• Proven experience designing and facilitating leadership or manager development programs
• Strong experience administering or owning a Learning Management System (LMS)
• Comfort working with assessments, data, reports, and systems
• Strong facilitation, communication, and organizational skills
• Ability to manage multiple programs and priorities simultaneously
• Experience operating in a fast‑paced, operational environment preferred