UK

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

Director, Learning & Development

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 reports3-5 reports
  • Reports toChief People Officer (CPO)
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as Head of Learning & Organisational Development · VP, Talent Development · Global L&D Lead

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
LRN Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training Learning Resource Network · Level 5 · covers 1 of 16 standards
GQA PAA\VQ-SET Level 3 Certificate in Learning and Development GQA Qualifications Limited · Level 3 · covers 7 of 16 standards
City & Guilds Level 4 Diploma in Learning and Development City & Guilds Limited · Level 4 · covers 5 of 16 standards
OCNLR Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training OCN London · Level 4 · covers 3 of 16 standards
Focus Awards Level 3 Diploma in Playwork (RQF) Focus Awards Limited · Level 3 · covers 3 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 Focus Awards Level 3 Diploma in Playwork (RQF)
Manage Learning and Development in Groups LRN Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training
Identify individual learning and development needs GQA PAA\VQ-SET Level 3 Certificate 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
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Automation Fluency building AI into how work runs
Systems Fluency seeing the whole picture
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Your Plan Illustration

Built for Director, Learning & Development

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

  1. Provide learning opportunities for colleagues Focus Awards Limited · covers 3 of 16 standards Level 3
  2. Manage Learning and Development in Groups Learning Resource Network · covers 1 of 16 standards Level 5
  3. Identify individual learning and development needs GQA Qualifications Limited · covers 7 of 16 standards Level 3
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 & Development?

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
  • Neuroscience of Learning & Cognitive Load Management
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 & Development 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 involves shaping how an organisation learns, grows and performs. It means building a learning strategy that gives people the skills they need now and in the years ahead.

4What you'd actually use

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

Cornerstone OnDemand / Workday Learning / Degreed (LMS/LXP) Strategic

Leading vendor selection, defining the learning technology ecosystem architecture, negotiating enterprise contracts, and ensuring the platform supports our strategic learning goals.

Articulate 360 (Storyline, Rise) / Adobe Captivate Architect

Setting organisational standards for instructional design and tool usage, evaluating and piloting emerging authoring technologies, and ensuring content quality and consistency across the team.

Zoom / MS Teams / Miro / Mural Strategic

Determining the enterprise strategy for synchronous vs. asynchronous learning delivery, governing the use of collaboration tools for learning purposes, and ensuring effective virtual engagement at scale.

Power BI / Tableau / Workday HCM / SAP SuccessFactors Strategic

Defining the key performance indicators (KPIs) for the entire L&D function, presenting learning impact and ROI analysis to the executive leadership team, and integrating data from multiple sources for strategic insights.

Culture Amp / Glint / SurveyMonkey Strategic

Integrating learning feedback into the broader employee listening and organisational development strategy, owning the relationship with enterprise survey platform vendors, and using data to drive continuous improvement.

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
L&D Strategy & Roadmap N/A N/A N/A
L&D Budget Allocation (£) N/A N/A N/A
Learning Technology Selection N/A N/A N/A
Team Hiring & Org Design N/A N/A N/A

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.

Leadership Bench Strength Score
Improve the readiness of our internal talent pipeline for critical leadership roles.
Target · Increase average leadership bench strength score by 1.5 points (on a 5-point scale) in annual talent reviews.

If our current average score for 'ready now' leaders is 2.5, we'd aim for 4.0 by year-end, meaning more internal candidates are prepared for promotion.

Internal Promotion Rate (Key Roles)
Increase the percentage of critical roles filled by internal candidates, showing our development programmes are working.
Target · Achieve a 25% increase in internal promotion rate for roles above Manager level.

If we filled 10 of 50 senior roles internally last year (20%), we'd aim to fill 12.5 of 50 (25%) this year, thanks to targeted development.

Learning ROI (Sales Enablement)
Demonstrate the financial return on investment for significant learning programmes, especially those tied to revenue.
Target · Achieve a 5:1 ROI for all sales enablement programmes (e.g., £5 return for every £1 invested).

A £100,000 investment in sales training should lead to an attributable £500,000 increase in sales revenue.

Time-to-Proficiency (Critical Roles)
Reduce the time it takes for new hires or promoted employees to reach full productivity in key roles.
Target · Reduce average time-to-proficiency by 15% for our top 5 critical roles (e.g., Senior Software Engineer, Account Executive).

If a new Account Executive typically takes 6 months to hit quota, we'd aim to get them there in 5.1 months.

Executive Sponsorship & Engagement
How well you're getting senior leaders to champion and participate in learning initiatives, not just sign them off.
  • Regular invitations to C-Suite meetings to discuss talent strategy
  • C-Suite members actively sponsoring and participating in leadership development programmes
  • unsolicited positive feedback from VPs about L&D's strategic input.
Strategic Alignment of L&D Roadmap
How closely our learning and development plans are tied to the company's overall business strategy and objectives.
  • L&D's annual plan is directly referenced in the company's strategic planning documents
  • business unit leaders can articulate how L&D supports their specific goals
  • L&D is seen as a proactive partner in new business initiatives, not just reactive.
Organisational Learning Culture
The extent to which learning is embedded in our daily work and seen as a shared responsibility, not just an L&D function.
  • Employees regularly share knowledge and best practices without prompting
  • managers actively coach and develop their teams
  • a high percentage of employees use self-directed learning resources
  • learning is a frequent topic in team meetings and 1-on-1s.
Innovation in Learning Delivery
Our ability to experiment with and adopt new, effective learning technologies and methodologies.
  • Successful pilot programmes for new learning tech (e.g., VR, AI-powered coaching)
  • positive feedback on the relevance and engagement of new learning formats
  • L&D is seen as a thought leader internally on future-of-work skills.

7Would you like it

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

What people enjoy
Building Organisational Capability

You get a real kick out of seeing the company achieve a new strategic goal, knowing that your team's work in developing specific skills made it possible. You're constantly thinking about how to make our workforce stronger, smarter, and more adaptable.

Successfully launching a new product line because your sales team was trained on it months in advance, or seeing a critical project delivered ahead of schedule due to improved project management skills across the engineering team.

Shaping the Future of Work

You're fascinated by emerging trends in learning, technology, and talent development. You love figuring out how to apply these new ideas to our organisation, making us a more innovative and forward-thinking place to work.

Piloting an AI-powered coaching platform and seeing it genuinely improve manager effectiveness, or designing a blended learning programme that significantly reduces time-to-competency for a new tech stack.

Developing People and Teams

While you're strategic, you're still deeply passionate about individual and team growth. You enjoy mentoring your direct reports, seeing them take on bigger challenges, and knowing your programmes are helping thousands of employees reach their potential.

One of your L&D Managers gets promoted to a Head of L&D role elsewhere, or you receive unsolicited feedback from an employee about how a leadership programme changed their career trajectory.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Magician' Expectation: Being asked to solve deep-seated cultural or process issues with a one-day training course.
  • Proving ROI: The constant, often difficult, battle to draw a clear line from a leadership programme to a specific revenue increase.
  • Budget Constraints: Having a brilliant vision but not always the resources to execute it fully.
  • Legacy Tech Headaches: Dealing with outdated systems that hinder modern learning experiences, despite your best efforts.
  • Managerial Apathy: Designing fantastic programmes only for managers to not prioritise their team's participation.
What this role does not give you
  • A purely hands-on instructional design role – you'll be leading, not building every module yourself.
  • A static, predictable environment – the business changes, and so will our learning needs.
  • An easy ride – this is a challenging, high-impact role that demands strategic thinking and resilience.

8Who you work with

You're shaping the intellectual capital of the entire organisation. Your decisions directly influence our ability to innovate, retain talent, improve productivity, and ultimately, grow the business. Get it right, and we're a learning organisation. Get it wrong, and we're just ticking boxes.

Inside the business
  • C-Suite (CEO, CFO, CTO, CCO)
  • Business Unit VPs and Heads of Department
  • HR Business Partners and Talent Acquisition Leads
  • Product and Engineering Leadership
Outside the business
  • Learning Technology Vendors (e.g., LMS/LXP providers)
  • External Training Partners and Consultants
  • Industry Bodies and Professional Associations
  • Talent Market Analysts

9What you need before you start

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

  • Proven track record of leading and managing a significant L&D function or department.
  • Demonstrable experience in developing and executing enterprise-wide learning strategies that have delivered measurable business impact.
  • Extensive experience in managing large budgets (multi-million £) and negotiating with major vendors.
  • Strong executive presence and a history of successfully influencing C-Suite stakeholders.
  • Deep expertise in learning technologies, including LMS/LXP platforms, content authoring tools, and analytics.

10What to practise next

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

XR (Extended Reality) for Experiential Learning

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) are moving beyond niche applications, offering immersive, high-fidelity experiential learning that traditional methods can't match. Think about complex simulations for leadership, sales, or technical skills. It's expensive, but the impact can be huge.

VR/AR content development platforms (e.g., Unity, · Designing immersive learning scenarios and simulat · Hardware considerations (headsets, haptics) · Measuring learning transfer in XR environments · Cost-benefit analysis of XR training

  • This quarter: Attend an industry webinar on XR in corporate learning; try a consumer VR experience to understand the tech.
  • Next quarter: Identify one high-risk or high-cost training area where XR could offer significant advantages (e.g., safety training, complex machinery operation).
  • Month 6: Research potential vendors and explore pilot programmes for a specific XR learning solution.
  • Month 9: Present a strategic case to the CPO for a small-scale XR learning pilot, outlining potential ROI and risks.

Quick win: Watch some YouTube videos of companies using VR for training. It's a low-effort way to get a feel for what's possible and start thinking about applications here.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attend industry conferences (e.g., Learning Technologies, World of Learning) to stay abreast of trends and network with peers.
  • Actively participate in professional L&D communities and forums, sharing insights and learning from others.
  • Seek out opportunities for executive coaching, particularly focused on strategic leadership and influencing skills.
  • Engage in continuous self-study on emerging technologies (AI, XR) and their application to learning.
  • Consider joining a non-executive board or advisory panel to broaden your strategic perspective beyond L&D.

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

AI is rapidly moving beyond simple content generation to truly adaptive learning experiences. Employees expect highly personalised development paths, and AI is the key to delivering this at scale, matching content and methods to individual needs and learning styles.

  • Adaptive learning algorithms and pathways
  • AI-powered skill gap analysis and recommendations
  • Personalised content curation and delivery
  • Ethical considerations of AI in learning data

Neuroscience of Learning & Cognitive Load Management

As learning becomes more complex and delivered in diverse formats, understanding how the brain actually learns (and gets overwhelmed) is critical. We need to design experiences that are truly effective, not just engaging on the surface. This is moving from 'nice-to-know' to 'must-know' for strategic L&D.

  • Working memory capacity and limitations
  • Dual coding theory and multimedia learning
  • Spaced repetition and retrieval practice for reten
  • Impact of stress and emotion on learning
  • Designing for attention and focus in a distracted

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Instructional Design Models (ADDIE, SAM, Action Mapping)
  • Adult Learning Theory (Andragogy)
  • 70-20-10 Model Implementation
  • Kirkpatrick/Phillips Evaluation Models
  • Competency Modeling & Frameworks
  • Performance Consulting

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

    Head of L&D (Large Organisation)

    3-5 years in a similar role

    Skills to master

    • Scaling learning programmes, managing complex vendor relationships, presenting to executive leadership, building and leading a diverse L&D team.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully led a major L&D transformation initiative.
    • Managed an annual L&D budget of over £1M.
    • Consistently achieved high levels of executive sponsorship for L&D programmes.
    • Built and developed a strong, cohesive L&D team.
  2. 2

    VP, Talent Development (Mid-sized Organisation)

    4-6 years in a VP-level role

    Skills to master

    • Integrating L&D with broader talent management (e.g., performance, succession), driving culture change through learning, influencing at the C-Suite level, potentially overseeing other HR functions.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Demonstrated clear ROI on talent development investments.
    • Successfully integrated L&D with other talent functions.
    • Played a key role in shaping organisational culture through learning initiatives.
    • Proven ability to operate as a strategic business partner to the CEO/CHRO.
  3. 3

    Senior HR Business Partner (with L&D focus)

    5-8 years as a senior HRBP

    Skills to master

    • Deep business acumen, understanding of specific business unit challenges, translating business needs into talent solutions, strong stakeholder management across HR and business.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Led significant talent initiatives within a business unit.
    • Consistently identified and addressed critical skill gaps for their business area.
    • Successfully influenced business leaders on talent strategy.
    • Developed a strong understanding of the entire employee lifecycle beyond just L&D.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to running an entire People function, advising organisations on talent strategy, or working directly with individual leaders.

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 & Development is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

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 & Development.

Provide learning opportunities for colleagues Level 5

Applied to your work in Director, Learning & Development

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 & Development
  • Instructional Design Models (ADDIE, SAM, Action Mapping)
  • Adult Learning Theory (Andragogy)
  • 70-20-10 Model Implementation
  • Kirkpatrick/Phillips Evaluation Models
  • Competency Modeling & Frameworks
  • Performance Consulting
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 & Development is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Chief Learning Officer (CLO) / VP, People & Capability

    3-5 years in the Director role

    From Level 6 to Level 7 (C-Suite)

    • Integrating learning, performance management, and talent planning into overall business strategy.
    • Driving large-scale organisational transformation across multiple business units.
    • Defining and measuring the impact of talent strategy on overall company valuation.
    • Leading a broader People function beyond just L&D.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, as a Director, your time is precious. You're thinking about strategy, not getting bogged down in manual tasks. Imagine if you could reclaim hours every week to focus on what truly matters: shaping our talent for the future. Well, you can, with AI.

AI isn't just for junior roles; it's a game-changer for senior leaders too. For a Director of Learning & Development, AI can transform how you analyse trends, craft communications, and even design your team's workflows. It's about working smarter, not harder, and amplifying your strategic influence.

AI-Powered Talent Analytics

Use AI to quickly analyse vast datasets from our HRIS, LMS, and performance management systems. Spot emerging skill gaps, predict future talent needs, and identify high-potential employees in minutes, not days. This helps you build a truly proactive learning strategy.

Strategic Communication Drafts

Need to draft a compelling board presentation on L&D ROI? Or a persuasive proposal for a new leadership programme? AI can generate sophisticated first drafts, synthesising complex data and tailoring the tone for your executive audience. You'll spend less time writing, more time refining.

Automated Learning Ecosystem Design

AI can help you model different learning technology architectures, evaluating vendor capabilities against our specific needs and budget. It can even simulate user adoption and potential ROI for various LMS/LXP configurations, giving you data-driven insights for major investment decisions.

Trend Spotting & Research Synthesis

Stay ahead of the curve. AI tools can continuously scan industry reports, academic papers, and competitor strategies, summarising key trends in talent development, future skills, and learning methodologies. You'll get actionable insights delivered straight to your inbox, saving you hours of research.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director, Learning & Development?

Common routes in include Head of L&D (Large Organisation) (3-5 years in a similar role), VP, Talent Development (Mid-sized Organisation) (4-6 years in a VP-level role) and Senior HR Business Partner (with L&D focus) (5-8 years as a senior HRBP). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director, Learning & Development progress to?

This role can lead on to Chief Learning Officer (CLO) / VP, People & Capability (3-5 years in the Director role), depending on the skills you build.

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

Increasingly, AI-Driven Personalisation & Adaptive Learning and Neuroscience of Learning & Cognitive Load Management. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

Read the Zavmo manifesto to understand how you will be taught Meet your tutors

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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

The skills built in this role transfer across most industries, particularly fast-growing sectors like technology, financial services and consulting. The core work of developing talent and building organisational capability stays the same, even when the content changes.

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 Director, Learning & Development 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.