LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST

Our story goes back more than 150 years, to the chilly southern coast of Scandinavia. From our early success in Sweden and Denmark, we’ve grown into the world’s leading specialist producer of plant-based oils, employing more than 4,000 people across the globe.

We work with our customers to make the products you love even better. The oils we produce go into making your chocolate extra-creamy or putting the crunch into your croissant. And it’s not just food — we work across industries to make products that are higher quality, healthier and better for the planet.

Everything we do is about Making Better Happen™.

AAK Locations

This position is based in Zaandijk ()

About The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join our HR team. As our new Learning & Development Specialist, you will be part of a team responsible for developing and maintaining the infrastructure that supports the growth and progression of our key employees.

This role is primarily based at our site in Zaandijk, with occasional travel to our Rotterdam site as needed, ensuring both locations are equally supported.

We are seeking candidates with solid experience in learning and development—individuals who can effectively identify training needs, select appropriate training solutions, and evaluate outcomes to recommend areas for improvement.

This is an operationally focused role that works closely with key stakeholders across manufacturing, health & safety, quality, and engineering. You will spend time in operational areas, getting to know the people, the plant, and the processes. For this reason, experience in the food manufacturing industry is highly beneficial.

Responsibilities

As Learning & Development Specialist, your main tasks and responsibilities will be:

• Plan, deliver and evaluate key learning interventions to improve operational capability, whilst assuring learner proficiency and compliance.
• Apply industry knowledge whilst leading the TNA (training needs analysis) with key stakeholders to identify training requirements according to job role, industry standards, customer requirements and local legislation.
• Translate the TNA into the local training plan, ensuring alignment to local strategic direction.
• Manage the training plan through to completion, coordinating learners, training providers, e-learning platforms, and certification management.Monitoring progress through KPI reporting and regular meetings with key stakeholders.
• Apply financial rigour to the training budget, optimising ROI (return on investment) by assessing value for money against learner experience and the achievement of learning outcomes.
• Create and supervise the creation of new learning content for the adult learning environment .Optimising the principles of instructional design for physical, virtual, or electronic delivery.
• Deliver in-house programs with knowledge, professionalism and enthusiasm achieving expected learning outcomes.
• Actively participate in audits, both internal and external, ensuring training conformance to customer codes of practice, industry standards and local legislation
  
  
  

About You

To be successful in this role, you will have solid experience in learning and development, ideally within a food manufacturing environment. You enjoy working as part of a European team - collaborating with colleagues, sharing ideas and knowledge - while also being able to work independently and focus on local priorities.

You are motivated by the challenge of identifying skill gaps and creating learning solutions that help people grow in the right areas. You also have a strong interest in one or more of the following: leadership development, learning technologies, or building competency frameworks. There will be opportunities to expand your role in these areas.

To apply, you should have a degree in human resources, learning and development, or a related field - or equivalent hands-on experience in learning and development. Fluent Dutch is also essential for this function.

You’ll also need to be confident and capable in the following areas:

• Competency based learning and development and training needs analysis
• Training solution development and instructional design
• Training evaluation and continuous improvement
  
  
  

In return AAK offers

Join a pioneering company in specialty oils and fats, driving innovation and sustainability.

In AAK you can work across 25+ countries, gaining international exposure and collaborating with a diverse team.

AAK invests in your development with training, mentorship, and clear career paths.

You will contribute to a greener world with AAK's sustainability-focused approach.

Join a diverse and inclusive workplace that values every individual's perspective and talents.

Contact and information

Please apply through our career portal. For further information about the position, please contact the Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist, Valerija Usova, [email protected]

About AAK

Everything AAK does is about Making Better Happen™. We specialize in plant-based oils that are the value-adding ingredients in many of the products people love to consume. We make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable. At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development, combining our desire to understand what better means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of our production assets, and deep knowledge of many products and industries, including Chocolate and confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice and Personal Care. Our 4,000 employees support our close collaboration with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 15 dedicated Customer Innovation Centers, and the support of more than 20 production facilities. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been Making Better Happen™ for more than 150 years.

AAK prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, religion, veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of students in its programs and activities, or employment and application for employment.