Training Development Officer

As a member of the military, Training Development Officers provide guidance and advice on the systematic approach to training and education and the Canadian Forces Individual Training and Education System.

As experts in military training, education and professional development programs, Training Development Officers are responsible for ensuring quality and quantity control of training, which includes guiding the development, management and provision of training solutions as well as teaching in a variety of school settings, and managing learning resources. They also conduct human performance research and development, including analyzing operational job performance requirements, identifying organizational needs and suggesting and facilitating solutions to performance problems.

Work environment

Training Development Officers generally work in an office setting at a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) school, unit, base, command, or at National Defence Headquarters. They may also be employed in a deployed environment in support of military operations or missions.

The Canadian Armed Forces is recognized worldwide for its first-class training system and at its heart are Training Development Officers, or TDOs, who strive to make Canada’s forces some of the best-trained military personnel anywhere.

TDOs play a critical role in the training of all military members by ensuring that training is as effective and efficient as possible.

Training development officers are also advisors to senior leadership. They offer insights and analysis on how to best train the military to meet the needs of Canada’s missions, both at home and abroad. They’re engaged at all levels of military training — from the procurement of fighter aircraft or naval warships, to working directly with instructors at diverse training schools across the country.

TDOs live by their motto “Always seeking a better way” to devise and refine training programs for Canadian Armed Forces personnel. They work in headquarters and schools across Canada and around the world in deployed operations. This can range from working on high-level strategic plans in one job, to working with instructors in a high-end tactical simulator in another role.

After completing occupational training, TDOs are typically employed at a military training establishment or school across Canada.

The essential roles for a TDO include front-end analysis to define training requirements as well as the design, development and evaluation of training plans and instructional lessons. They also conduct staff professional development and help to integrate instructional technology into the classroom setting.

Related Civilian Occupations

• e-Learning Specialist/e-Learning Instructional Designer
• Instructional Designer/Director Instructional Designer
• Trainer/Instructor
• Learning Consultant
• Program Evaluator/Quality Evaluator (quality assurance)

The preferred degree for those wishing to apply for this job is any Master’s degree in Education and three years of full-time experience as an educational or training consultant.

If you have any Bachelor’s degree in Education and experience working as an educational or training consultant, the CAF will decide if your education and experience match the criteria for this job and may place you directly into the required on-the-job training program following your Basic Military Officer Qualification. You will be required to pass this qualification before being assigned.