LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

Job Description Department Talent Management (People) Reports To VP of Talent Management Location Hybrid DFW Area FLSA Status Exempt Job Type Full-Time Position Summary At Mendocino Farms, we don’t just sell sandwiches – we Sell Happy! The Learning & Development Specialist is the engine behind how learning comes to life at Mendo. This role sits at the center of our L&D ecosystem—bringing structure, clarity, and momentum to the programs that develop our people. From onboarding to manager training, you make sure every experience is thoughtfully organized, seamlessly executed, and easy to engage with. You’ll own the systems, logistics, and operations that keep training running across the business—most notably our Learning Management System (LMS) and our Manager‑in‑Training (MIT) program. While you’ll partner closely with Instructional Design and Field Training teams on content and experience, you are the one who brings it all together and makes it real. If you’re someone who loves building order out of complexity, takes pride in details, and gets energy from helping others succeed behind the scenes—this role will feel like home. Key Responsibilities Training Coordination & Program Operations Serve as the operational lead for all training programs, owning scheduling, logistics, and coordination from planning through execution. Partner closely with Field Training Partners and the Instructional Designer on program design and content flow, providing operational input and ensuring programs are structured for successful delivery. Translate approved training designs into actionable schedules, communications, and logistics plans; own the handoff from design to deployment. Serve as the primary point of contact for training logistics including room bookings, equipment setup, virtual platform configuration, and vendor coordination. Manage the organization‑wide training calendar and communicate schedules proactively to employees, managers, and facilitators. Track training attendance, completions, and certification status; follow up with participants and supervisors on outstanding requirements. Coordinate new hire onboarding training activities in collaboration with HR, Field Training Partners, and department teams. Gather and consolidate post‑training feedback and data; share findings with Field Training Partners and the Instructional Designer to support ongoing program evaluation and improvement. Owns onboarding experience for all base camp team members, including orientation, needed travel, in‑store experience coordination, and ensuring time with relevant subject matter experts is scheduled according to role. LMS Ownership & Administration Own and serve as the sole system administrator for the LMS, holding full accountability for platform integrity, configuration, governance, and performance. Make independent decisions regarding LMS architecture, including course structure, learning path design, curriculum organization, and user role configuration. Partner with the Instructional Designer on content structure and learner experience flow within the LMS; translate approved designs into published courses and learning paths. Lead the evaluation, selection, and implementation of new LMS features, integrations, and third‑party content partnerships; present recommendations and drive decisions through to execution. Establish and enforce LMS governance standards, naming conventions, content lifecycle policies, and system usage guidelines across the organization. Manage all user accounts, roles, groups, and permissions; hold decision‑making authority over user access levels and organizational hierarchy within the system. Own the course library and make final decisions on content publishing, archiving, updating, and retirement in alignment with Field Training Partners and the Instructional Designer. Own all LMS reporting and analytics; design and deliver dashboards, completion reports, and compliance tracking to leadership and stakeholders. Manage the LMS vendor relationship, including technical support escalations, roadmap discussions, and system enhancements or contract changes in partnership with leadership. Maintain comprehensive LMS documentation including administrative SOPs, user guides, and system change logs. MIT Training & Travel Program Own the end‑to‑end administration of the MIT (Manager‑in‑Training) Training & Travel Program, serving as the primary decision‑maker for program operations and participant experience. Hold full budget accountability for the MIT Training & Travel Program, including annual budget planning, expense tracking, cost forecasting, and variance reporting. Exercise independent spending authority within approved budget thresholds; approve program‑related travel, registration fees, vendor invoices, and training expenditures. Make final decisions on travel logistics for MIT participants including destination selection, vendor selection, booking approvals, and travel policy compliance. Develop and manage program schedules, participant itineraries, and training agendas in collaboration with Field Training Partners; own all pre‑ and post‑travel logistics. Evaluate program ROI and effectiveness; present budget performance and program outcomes to leadership on a regular cadence and make data‑driven recommendations for program adjustments. Partner with Finance to ensure budget allocations are accurate and expenditures are coded correctly; identify cost‑saving opportunities without compromising program quality. Serve as the escalation point for participant issues, vendor disputes, or travel disruptions related to the MIT program. Own training data and reporting across all programs; design and distribute regular metrics, dashboards, and compliance reports for L&D leadership and stakeholders. Analyze completion trends, learner feedback, and program data; surface insights to Field Training Partners and the Instructional Designer to inform ongoing program improvements. Ensure compliance training requirements are tracked and met across applicable employee populations; flag gaps proactively to leadership. Stay current on LMS trends, training operations best practices, and emerging technologies; bring forward recommendations for operational improvements. Qualifications Education & Experience Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered. 3+ years of experience in a training coordination, L&D operations, or HR program management role. Proven hands‑on experience as an LMS administrator with ownership‑level responsibility (e.g., Cornerstone, Workday Learning, SAP SuccessFactors, TalentLMS, Absorb, or similar). Experience managing program budgets, including expense tracking, forecasting, and variance reporting. Experience working cross‑functionally with training, HR, and operations teams; demonstrated ability to collaborate with instructional designers or training facilitators. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Strong operational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple programs and priorities simultaneously. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook); experience with virtual training platforms (Zoom, Teams, Webex) required. Familiarity with SCORM, xAPI (Tin Can), and eLearning authoring tools (e.g., Articulate, Captivate) is a plus; ability to publish and configure content in the LMS is required. Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable working with stakeholders at all levels and across multiple teams. Strong attention to detail in data entry, budget tracking, record‑keeping, and reporting. Self‑directed with strong judgment; able to operate independently while maintaining clear communication with design and delivery partners. Collaborative mindset with a natural ability to coordinate across functions without direct authority. Preferred Qualifications Experience supporting compliance or regulatory training programs. Familiarity with instructional design principles and adult learning theory; ability to provide informed operational input to design discussions. Experience coordinating travel or event logistics for training programs or corporate events. Professional certification such as ATD Certificate in Training & Development, CPTD, or SHRM‑CP is a plus. Experience working in a multi‑site or field‑based workforce environment. Work Environment & Physical Requirements This position primarily operates in a standard office or remote work environment. The role may require occasional travel to company locations for on‑site training coordination or MIT program activities. The employee must be able to remain in a stationary position for extended periods and operate a computer and standard office equipment. There is no “I” in Mendo. Mendocino Farms is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity at all levels. All individuals, regardless of personal characteristics, are encouraged to apply. Mendocino Farms will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring. * Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. #J-18808-Ljbffr Mendocino Farms Talent Acquisition Team