UK

United Kingdom · Learning and development · Director/VP (16-20 years)

Director, Learning Technology & Operations

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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  • Experience bandDirector/VP (16-20 years)
  • Direct reports25-50 reports
  • Reports toChief Learning Officer (CLO)
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as Head of Learning Systems · VP of Learning Platforms · Global Head of L&D Tech

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

NCFE CACHE Level 5 Diploma in Advanced Playwork (Wales) NCFE · Level 5 · covers 2 of 16 standards
ProQual Level 3 Award in Providing Initial Legal Advice ProQual Awarding Body · Level 3 · covers 3 of 16 standards
NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Information, Advice or Guidance NCFE · Level 2 · covers 3 of 16 standards
OCNLR Level 2 Award in Information, Advice or Guidance OCN London · Level 2 · covers 3 of 16 standards
GQA PAA\VQ-SET Level 3 Certificate in Learning and Development GQA Qualifications Limited · Level 3 · covers 2 of 16 standards
City & Guilds Level 4 Diploma in Learning and Development City & Guilds Limited · Level 4 · covers 2 of 16 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Provide learning opportunities for colleagues NCFE CACHE Level 5 Diploma in Advanced Playwork (Wales)
Providing initial advice to young people on their rights under the law ProQual Level 3 Award in Providing Initial Legal Advice
Specialist advice work in practice – employment NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Information, Advice or Guidance
Specialist Advice Work in Practice - Employment OCNLR Level 2 Award in Information, Advice or Guidance
Identify individual learning and development needs GQA PAA\VQ-SET Level 3 Certificate in Learning and Development
Identify the learning needs of organisations City & Guilds Level 4 Diploma in Learning and Development

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
Automation Fluency building AI into how work runs
Frontier Fluency the next wave, beyond mainstream AI
Systems Fluency seeing the whole picture
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Your Plan Illustration

Built for Director, Learning Technology & Operations

6 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Provide learning opportunities for colleagues NCFE · covers 2 of 16 standards Level 5
  2. Providing initial advice to young people on their rights under the law ProQual Awarding Body · covers 3 of 16 standards Level 3
  3. Specialist advice work in practice – employment NCFE · covers 3 of 16 standards Level 2
  4. Specialist Advice Work in Practice - Employment OCN London · covers 3 of 16 standards Level 2
  5. Identify individual learning and development needs GQA Qualifications Limited · covers 2 of 16 standards Level 3
  6. Identify the learning needs of organisations City & Guilds Limited · covers 2 of 16 standards Level 4
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Director, Learning Technology & Operations?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • AI-Driven Personalisation & Adaptive Learning
  • XR/Metaverse Learning Strategy & Integration
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Director, Learning Technology & Operations plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

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3What this role really is

This job means planning and running the technology and systems behind learning across a large organisation, from strategy to delivery.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Strategic LMS Platform Ownership (e.g., Cornerstone OnDemand, Workday Learning, Docebo) Expert

Leading vendor selection (RFPs), defining the enterprise learning tech ecosystem, managing critical vendor relationships, approving architectural changes, and setting the strategic direction for the platform's evolution.

Advanced LXP / Content Aggregator Strategy (e.g., Degreed, EdCast, Fuse Universal) Expert

Deciding on the LXP vs. LMS strategy, negotiating enterprise content licenses (e.g., Pluralsight, Coursera), and defining the overall learner experience and content curation strategy.

Enterprise Analytics & Planning (e.g., Anaplan, Workday Adaptive Planning, Tableau, Power BI) Advanced

Modelling L&D budget impact, forecasting training costs, designing executive dashboards, and presenting learning analytics to executive leadership to prove ROI and inform strategic decisions.

HRIS Integration & Data Governance (e.g., Workday HCM, SAP SuccessFactors) Advanced

Partnering with HRIT to define the master data model for employee skills and learning history across all enterprise systems, and overseeing complex data integration projects.

Strategic Collaboration & Project Portfolio Management (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Asana, MS Teams) Advanced

Owning the communication plan for major system changes, presenting technology roadmaps to stakeholders, and overseeing the entire portfolio of learning technology projects.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Strategic Platform Selection (e.g., new LMS/LXP) N/A – no involvement beyond perhaps UAT. N/A – no involvement. You'll lead the entire RFP process, vendor evaluation, and make the final recommendation to the CLO and executive team. You'll negotiate the contract terms and own the implementation strategy.
Annual L&D Technology Budget Allocation N/A – no involvement. N/A – no involvement. You'll own the entire budget for your function, developing the proposal, defending it to the CLO and Finance, and managing actual spend against it (typically £2M-£10M+).
Organisational Design within Learning Technology N/A – no involvement. N/A – no involvement. You'll have full authority to design the structure of your teams, create new roles, and make hiring and promotion decisions to best support your strategic roadmap.
Response to Major System Outage (e.g., LMS down globally) Escalate immediately to your supervisor. Inform your manager and provide initial diagnosis. You'll be the ultimate decision-maker, coordinating response across IT, vendors, and internal communications. You'll decide on the recovery strategy, communicate to the CLO and impacted business units, and approve any workarounds or emergency measures.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Learning Technology ROI
The measurable return on investment for our learning technology stack, showing how our platforms contribute to business outcomes versus their cost.
Target · Demonstrate a positive ROI (e.g., £3 return for every £1 spent) within 24 months of a major platform investment.

After implementing a new LXP, we saw a 20% reduction in external training spend for certain skill areas and a 15% increase in internal course completion rates, leading to an estimated £1.5M saving against a £500K investment.

Learner Experience Score (LXS)
A composite score reflecting overall learner satisfaction, ease of use, and perceived value of our learning platforms.
Target · Maintain an LXS of 8.5/10 or higher, with specific targets for key platform features (e.g., content discovery, mobile access).

Our Q2 LXS was 8.7, but we noticed mobile accessibility scores were lagging at 7.5. This triggered a project to optimise our mobile learning experience for Q3.

Learning Platform Uptime & Performance
The availability and responsiveness of our core learning systems (LMS, LXP, content authoring tools).
Target · Achieve 99.99% uptime for critical learning platforms during business hours, with average load times under 2 seconds.

Last month, our LMS experienced 0.01% downtime, primarily due to a scheduled maintenance window, and average course load times were 1.8 seconds, well within our targets.

L&D Tech Budget Adherence
How closely the actual spend on learning technology and operations aligns with the approved annual budget.
Target · Stay within ±2% of the approved annual budget for learning technology and operations.

In Q3, we were 1% under budget due to successful renegotiation of a content license, allowing us to reallocate funds to a new pilot programme.

Strategic Alignment & Roadmap Clarity
How well our learning technology roadmap supports the broader business and L&D strategies, and how clearly this vision is communicated.
  • Regular positive feedback from the CLO and business unit VPs on the strategic direction. Your roadmap is consistently referenced in executive discussions. Your team understands the 'why' behind their work. You're proactively consulted on business initiatives with a learning component.
Team Leadership & Development
The effectiveness of your leadership in building, developing, and retaining a high-performing team capable of delivering on our learning technology vision.
  • High employee engagement scores within your team (e.g., 80%+). Low voluntary turnover (e.g., below 10%). Positive 360-degree feedback from your direct reports and peers. Your managers are effectively developing their own teams. You're seen as a mentor and sponsor for talent.
Vendor Relationship Health
The quality and strategic value of our relationships with key learning technology vendors.
  • Vendors proactively bring us innovative solutions. Favourable contract terms and pricing. Quick resolution of critical issues. You're seen as a 'customer of choice' by our partners. Regular, productive QBRs that focus on strategic partnership, not just issue resolution.
Innovation & Adaptability
Our ability to identify, pilot, and integrate new learning technologies and practices that keep us competitive and responsive to evolving learner needs.
  • Successful pilots of new technologies (e.g., AI-powered tools, VR learning). Positive feedback on our agility in responding to new business requirements. Your team is seen as a thought leader internally on learning innovation. You're regularly presenting on new tech trends to the L&D leadership team.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Shaping the Future of Learning

You'll spend time researching emerging technologies, meeting with innovative vendors, and thinking about how AI, VR, or other advancements can fundamentally change how our employees learn. This isn't just about maintaining; it's about pioneering.

Leading the proposal for a new skills-based learning platform that could transform career development across the company.

Solving Complex, Enterprise-Level Problems

You thrive on the challenge of integrating disparate systems, optimising processes for tens of thousands of users, and figuring out how to measure the impact of learning at scale. These aren't simple fixes; they're multi-year strategic puzzles.

Designing a global data governance framework for learner data that complies with GDPR, CCPA, and local regulations across 50+ countries.

Building and Empowering High-Performing Teams

A significant part of your role is coaching your managers, setting clear expectations, and removing roadblocks for your entire organisation. You get satisfaction from seeing your team members grow, take on bigger challenges, and deliver exceptional results.

Mentoring a Learning Systems Manager to step up and lead a critical vendor selection process, providing guidance but giving them autonomy.

What frustrates people
  • The slow pace of change in large organisations, especially when dealing with legacy systems or entrenched processes.
  • Navigating complex political landscapes to get buy-in for your strategic initiatives.
  • Budget constraints that force difficult trade-offs and delay innovative projects.
  • Dealing with vendor lock-in or integration challenges that limit your strategic options.
  • The constant tension between 'doing things right' (governance, security) and 'doing things fast' (business demands).
What this role does not give you
  • A purely individual contributor path with no people management.
  • A static, predictable environment where you can just maintain the status quo.
  • The opportunity to avoid difficult conversations or strategic negotiations.
  • A role where you're solely focused on the technical minutiae of systems.

8Who you work with

Your decisions directly shape the learning experience for our entire global workforce, impacting everything from employee engagement and skill development to compliance adherence and overall business performance. You'll drive significant transformation in how we approach learning, directly contributing to our competitive edge and long-term talent strategy. Get it right, and we're a learning powerhouse. Get it wrong, and we're just another company with an LMS.

Inside the business
  • Chief Learning Officer (CLO)
  • VP of People / HR
  • Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and IT Leadership
  • Finance Director (for budget and ROI discussions)
  • Business Unit VPs (e.g., Sales, Product, Engineering)
  • Heads of Talent Management & Organisational Development
  • Legal & Compliance Teams
Outside the business
  • LMS/LXP/Content Vendor Executives (e.g., Cornerstone, Workday, Degreed)
  • Industry Analysts and Consultants (e.g., Gartner, Josh Bersin)
  • Strategic Partners for new learning technologies
  • External auditors (for compliance training records)

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Proven experience (16-20 years) in Learning & Development, with at least 5-7 years specifically in a senior leadership role overseeing learning technology and operations for a global enterprise.
  • Demonstrable experience managing a large, multi-functional team (25+ people, including managers) across different geographies.
  • Significant experience owning and managing a multi-million-pound budget (£2M+) for learning technology, including vendor negotiations and cost optimisation.
  • Track record of successfully defining and executing multi-year strategic roadmaps for learning technology in a complex, global organisation.
  • Deep understanding of enterprise-level HRIS systems (e.g., Workday, SAP SuccessFactors) and their integration with learning platforms.
  • Experience presenting complex technical and strategic information to C-suite executives and, ideally, to a Board of Directors.

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Skills-Based Organisation & Learning Architecture

The shift to a skills-based organisation is fundamental. Your role will be critical in designing the technology architecture that supports this, linking skill taxonomies to learning pathways, talent mobility, and workforce planning. This is a strategic imperative.

Skills Taxonomies & Ontologies · Skills Inference & Validation · Talent Marketplace Integration · Workforce Planning & Analytics

  • This quarter: Read 'The Skills-Based Organization' by Josh Bersin. Understand the core principles.
  • Next 6 months: Partner with Talent Management to assess our current skill taxonomy and identify gaps for a skills-based approach.
  • Next 12 months: Develop a technology roadmap for integrating skill data across HRIS, LMS, and other talent systems.
  • Ongoing: Participate in industry forums on skills-based organisations and share insights with executive leadership.

Quick win: Begin mapping a small set of critical skills to existing learning content in your current LXP or LMS. This helps visualise the connections.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regular attendance and speaking engagements at major industry conferences (e.g., Learning Technologies, DevLearn, ATD International Conference).
  • Participation in executive leadership programmes or an advanced management programme at a reputable business school.
  • Active involvement in professional networks and peer groups for learning technology leaders.
  • Mentoring junior and mid-level professionals in L&D and technology.
  • Continuous learning on emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and immersive realities, specifically their application in learning.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

AI-Driven Personalisation & Adaptive Learning

Learners expect hyper-personalised experiences, just like they get from consumer apps. AI is the key to delivering this at scale, tailoring content, pathways, and recommendations for tens of thousands of employees based on their roles, skills, and performance data. If we don't offer this, we'll fall behind.

  • Recommender Systems
  • Adaptive Learning Pathways
  • Skill Graph & Taxonomy Integration
  • Ethical AI in Learning

XR/Metaverse Learning Strategy & Integration

Immersive technologies like Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and the broader 'metaverse' offer unprecedented opportunities for experiential learning, especially for complex skills, safety training, and leadership development. Early adopters will gain a significant competitive advantage in talent development.

  • VR/AR Content Authoring Platforms
  • Spatial Computing & Digital Twins
  • Interoperability & Standards (e.g., OpenXR)
  • Psychology of Immersive Learning

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Enterprise Learning Ecosystem Design
  • Digital Transformation & Innovation
  • Advanced Learning Analytics & ROI Modelling
  • Global Data Governance & Security
  • Vendor Relationship & Contract Management

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    Learning Systems Manager (L5) or Head of L&D Operations

    You'd typically spend 3-5 years in a similar L5 role, managing a significant team and budget, before stepping up to this Director level. This is the most common and direct path.

    Skills to master

    • Mastering team leadership, vendor management, budget oversight (up to £2M), and developing a clear technology roadmap for a specific function or region.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully led a major learning platform implementation or upgrade project.
    • Consistently achieved budget targets and demonstrated cost-effectiveness.
    • Developed and retained a high-performing team of learning technology professionals.
    • Presented strategic recommendations to senior leadership with positive outcomes.
  2. 2

    Senior Consultant (Learning Technology) from a Specialist Firm

    Roughly 5-8 years in a senior consulting role, advising multiple clients on learning technology strategy and implementations. You'd need to show you can transition from advisory to direct ownership.

    Skills to master

    • Deep expertise in diverse learning technology stacks, client relationship management, and translating business needs into technical solutions. You'd need to quickly build internal political capital.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Led multiple successful learning technology transformation projects for large clients.
    • Demonstrated ability to manage complex stakeholder relationships and drive consensus.
    • Developed a strong understanding of our specific industry and organisational culture.
    • Proven ability to build and lead internal teams, not just external project teams.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to senior leadership roles such as Chief People Officer, Chief Operating Officer, or head of a learning-focused company.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Director, Learning Technology & Operations is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

Also named as a next step, with no page in the catalogue yet:

  • VP of People / HR Operations

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Provide learning opportunities for colleagues, worked against Director, Learning Technology & Operations.

Provide learning opportunities for colleagues Level 5

Applied to your work in Director, Learning Technology & Operations

This unit aims to equip learners with the skills to encourage learning and development in colleagues. Learners will be able to help colleagues identify learning needs, plan and implement learning opportunities, and review and update their development plans.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

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See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Director, Learning Technology & Operations
  • Enterprise Learning Ecosystem Design
  • Digital Transformation & Innovation
  • Advanced Learning Analytics & ROI Modelling
  • Global Data Governance & Security
  • Vendor Relationship & Contract Management
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Director, Learning Technology & Operations is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Chief Learning Officer (CLO)

    This is the natural next step, typically 3-5 years after excelling as a Director. You'd move from owning the technology strategy to owning the entire enterprise learning and development strategy.

    From L6 to L7 (C-Suite)

    • Designing a holistic talent ecosystem (learning, performance, career mobility).
    • Leading M&A due diligence and integration for all talent functions.
    • Developing and managing a multi-year, multi-million-pound L&D budget across all programmes.
    • Driving strategic partnerships with academic institutions and industry bodies.

  2. VP of People / HR Operations

    Another strong option, usually within 4-6 years. This path involves broadening your scope beyond just learning to encompass other HR operations and technology.

    From L6 to L6 (lateral move with broader scope) or L7 (if leading a large global function).

    • Owning the entire HR technology stack (HRIS, ATS, Payroll, L&D, etc.).
    • Leading global HR operations and service delivery.
    • Developing and implementing workforce analytics strategies across all HR domains.
    • Managing large-scale HR transformation projects.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, at your level, time is your most precious commodity. You're not just managing; you're strategising, influencing, and driving multi-million-pound decisions. Imagine if you could reclaim a significant chunk of your week, not for busywork, but for deeper strategic thinking, more impactful stakeholder engagement, and truly innovative problem-solving. That's exactly what AI can offer you.

For a Director of Learning Technology & Operations, AI isn't about replacing your team's tasks; it's about amplifying your strategic capabilities. It's about getting insights faster, drafting complex documents in minutes, and making more informed decisions with less effort. Think of AI as your personal executive assistant, research analyst, and first-draft writer, all rolled into one. It frees you up to focus on the 'why' and the 'what next', rather than the 'how' of information gathering or initial drafting.

Strategic Trend Analysis & Market Research

Use AI tools to rapidly scan industry reports, competitor analyses, and academic papers to identify emerging learning technology trends, assess market shifts, and understand potential impacts on our strategy. Get summarised insights in minutes, not days.

Vendor Evaluation & Contract Negotiation Support

Feed AI tools with vendor proposals, contract drafts, and historical performance data. It can highlight key risks, identify areas for negotiation, compare terms across multiple vendors, and even suggest counter-proposals, giving you a serious edge in securing the best deals.

L&D Budget Optimisation & Scenario Planning

Leverage AI-powered analytics to model different budget scenarios, forecast future technology costs, and identify areas for cost optimisation without compromising strategic goals. Get quick answers to 'what if' questions about investment decisions.

Executive Reporting & Board Presentation Drafting

Use generative AI to create first drafts of executive summaries, board presentation slides, and strategic briefing documents. Provide key data points and talking points, and let the AI structure the narrative, saving you hours on initial content creation.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director, Learning Technology & Operations?

Common routes in include Learning Systems Manager or Head of L&D Operations (You'd typically spend 3-5 years in a similar L5 role, managing a significant team and budget, before stepping up to this Director level. This is the most common and direct path.) and Senior Consultant (Learning Technology) from a Specialist Firm (Roughly 5-8 years in a senior consulting role, advising multiple clients on learning technology strategy and implementations. You'd need to show you can transition from advisory to direct ownership.). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director, Learning Technology & Operations progress to?

This role can lead on to Chief Learning Officer (CLO) (This is the natural next step, typically 3-5 years after excelling as a Director. You'd move from owning the technology strategy to owning the entire enterprise learning and development strategy.) and VP of People / HR Operations (Another strong option, usually within 4-6 years. This path involves broadening your scope beyond just learning to encompass other HR operations and technology.), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Director, Learning Technology & Operations?

Increasingly, AI-Driven Personalisation & Adaptive Learning and XR/Metaverse Learning Strategy & Integration. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

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17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 7

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

 More jobs in learning and development

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.
If you leave this industry

Skills in enterprise technology strategy, large-scale operations and people development apply beyond one industry. Similar director or VP roles exist across large corporations. Some move into EdTech, consulting, or venture capital firms working on HR and learning technology.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.