United Kingdom · Learning and development · Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Head of Learning and 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 bandMid-Level (2-5 years)
Direct reportsNo direct reports
Reports toManager, Learning & Development
UK framework levelUsually a coordinator, or early in a professional job

Also advertised as L&D Specialist · Instructional Designer · Learning Partner · Training & Development Officer

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in what real qualifications cover

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

SFJ Awards Level 3 Certificate In Learning and Development SFJ Awards · Level 3 · covers 5 of 14 standards

OCNLR Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training OCN London · Level 4 · covers 5 of 14 standards

City & Guilds Level 4 Diploma in Learning and Development City & Guilds Limited · Level 4 · covers 4 of 14 standards

Focus Awards Level 3 Diploma in Playwork (RQF) Focus Awards Limited · Level 3 · covers 2 of 14 standards

Open Awards Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (RQF) Open Awards · Level 4 · covers 2 of 14 standards

TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Specialist Support for Teaching and Learning in Schools (RQF) Training Qualifications UK Ltd · Level 3 · covers 1 of 14 standards

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

The units you would start with

Identify individual learning and development needs SFJ Awards Level 3 Certificate In Learning and Development

Provide learning opportunities for colleagues Focus Awards Level 3 Diploma in Playwork (RQF)

Manage Learning and Development in Groups Open Awards Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training (RQF)

Support learning and development within own area of responsibility TQUK Level 3 Diploma in Specialist Support for Teaching and Learning in Schools (RQF)

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner

Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision

Systems Fluency seeing the whole picture

Your Plan Illustration

Built for Head of Learning and Development

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

Identify individual learning and development needs SFJ Awards · covers 5 of 14 standards Level 3
Provide learning opportunities for colleagues Focus Awards Limited · covers 2 of 14 standards Level 3
Manage Learning and Development in Groups Open Awards · covers 2 of 14 standards Level 4
Support learning and development within own area of responsibility Training Qualifications UK Ltd · covers 1 of 14 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 Head of Learning and 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

Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration
Data Storytelling for L&D

Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluencyworking with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluencyturning numbers into a decision
Systems Fluencyseeing the whole picture

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 Head of Learning and Development plan as you set up, starting with the free AI Fluency module. No card.

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

Ready to pay? Subscribe for £70 a month

Keep this read. One email with what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for and where to start free. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

3What this role really is

This job is about designing the e-learning modules, workshop materials and job aids that help people do their work well.

4What you'd actually use

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

Cornerstone OnDemand / Docebo (or similar LMS) Intermediate

Managing course catalogues, enrolling users, publishing content, pulling standard completion and feedback reports, troubleshooting basic user issues like login problems or course access.

Articulate 360 (Rise, Storyline) Intermediate

Building interactive e-learning modules from templates (Rise), creating more complex, custom scenarios with variables and triggers (Storyline), and performing basic video edits within the suite.

Camtasia / Vyond Intermediate

Creating and editing short instructional videos, screen recordings for software demos, or simple animated explainers to clarify complex topics.

Tableau / Power BI (or similar reporting tool) Basic

Viewing pre-built dashboards to understand learning trends, exporting raw data to Excel for further analysis, and understanding the key metrics presented in L&D reports.

Asana / Monday.com (or similar Project Management tool) Intermediate

Managing your own content development tasks, updating project boards with progress, collaborating with colleagues on shared project plans, and tracking deadlines for multiple initiatives.

Workday HCM / SAP SuccessFactors (or similar HRIS) Basic

Looking up employee data for enrolment purposes, understanding the basic structure of employee records, and knowing how learning data might integrate with wider HR systems.

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 choice	Coming in	Where you are now	The step above
Instructional Design Approach	Follows prescribed templates and methods; all designs reviewed.	Chooses appropriate design models (e.g., ADDIE, SAM) for specific projects; consults manager on novel approaches.	Defines and champions new instructional design methodologies for the team; mentors others on best practices.
Content Creation Tools	Uses specified tools (e.g., Articulate Rise) as instructed.	Selects the most effective authoring tool (e.g., Rise vs. Storyline vs. Camtasia) for a given learning objective.	Evaluates and recommends new authoring tools for team adoption; sets standards for tool usage.
LMS Configuration (Course Level)	Enrolls users, pulls standard reports under supervision.	Uploads and publishes courses, manages course settings, creates basic learning paths.	Designs complex learning paths, manages integrations, troubleshoots advanced LMS issues.
Project Timelines & Scope (Individual Project)	Reports progress and flags delays; manager adjusts timelines.	Manages own project timelines for assigned work; flags potential delays and proposes solutions to manager.	Negotiates project timelines with stakeholders; manages multiple project schedules and dependencies.

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 Asset Completion Rate

The percentage of assigned or recommended e-learning modules or courses that learners actually finish.

Target · 85% on average for mandatory courses; 70% for optional, recommended content.

If you launch a new compliance e-learning module, we'd expect 85% of the target audience to complete it by the deadline. For a recommended 'Introduction to Project Management' course, 70% completion would be good.

Learner Satisfaction (Kirkpatrick Level 1)

How learners rate the quality, relevance, and overall experience of the learning content you've designed and delivered.

Target · Average score of 4 out of 5 on feedback surveys.

After your 'Effective Communication' workshop, the average feedback score on 'relevance to my job' and 'quality of materials' should be at least 4.0.

Knowledge Retention/Uplift

The measurable increase in knowledge or understanding before and after a learning intervention, typically through quizzes or assessments.

Target · Minimum 20% increase in post-assessment scores compared to pre-assessment scores.

For a new product training module, learners should score at least 20% higher on the post-training quiz than they did on the pre-training assessment covering the same material.

On-Time Delivery of Learning Content

The percentage of learning modules, workshops, or resources you commit to delivering that are ready and launched by the agreed-upon deadline.

Target · 90% of projects delivered on schedule.

If you're tasked with building a new onboarding module by 15 March, it should be fully tested and available in the LMS on or before that date, ready for new hires.

Quality of Instructional Design

The clarity, engagement, and effectiveness of the learning materials you create, as judged by peer review and learner feedback.

Regular positive feedback from your manager and L&D colleagues on content structure, clarity, and adherence to adult learning principles. Learners consistently comment on how easy and engaging your materials are to use.

Proactive Problem Solving

Your ability to spot potential issues with learning programmes or learner engagement and suggest practical solutions before they become bigger problems.

You flag a potential bottleneck in a course rollout and propose a workaround. You notice a common user query on the LMS and suggest an FAQ update. You don't just report problems, you come with ideas.

Collaboration with SMEs

How effectively you work with subject matter experts to extract necessary information and translate it into engaging learning content.

SMEs enjoy working with you and provide timely input. They feel their expertise is accurately represented in the final learning materials. You're able to guide them through the content development process smoothly, even when they're busy.

7Would you like it

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

What people enjoy

Seeing People Grow

You get a buzz from seeing a positive comment on a feedback survey about a module you built, or when a colleague tells you they used a skill they learned from your session. You're genuinely invested in helping others develop.

Someone mentions in a team meeting that they successfully applied a new sales technique they learned from your 'Advanced Objection Handling' course, and you feel a real sense of accomplishment.

Creative Problem Solving

You enjoy the challenge of taking complex information and figuring out the clearest, most engaging way to teach it. You like experimenting with different formats, visuals, and interactive elements to make learning fun and effective.

You're given a dense policy document and tasked with making it digestible for new hires. You enjoy the process of breaking it down, storyboarding an e-learning module, and designing interactive scenarios to test understanding.

Making a Tangible Impact

You want your work to actually be used and make a difference, not just sit on a digital shelf. You're motivated by knowing that the content you create is directly helping people do their jobs better.

You track the completion rates and feedback for your courses, and you actively seek out anecdotal evidence of how your learning materials are being applied on the job. You want to know your work matters.

What frustrates people

Being asked to create a 'magical workshop' to fix a deep-seated performance issue that's actually about management, not skills.
Chasing busy subject matter experts for their input, only for them to be late or provide incomplete information.
Dealing with basic LMS user queries (e.g., 'I forgot my password') when you'd rather be designing.
The constant pressure to prove the ROI of 'soft skills' training, which can be really hard to measure directly.
Having to adapt your content at the last minute because a stakeholder suddenly changes their mind.

What this role does not give you

A clear, direct path to managing a large team within the first few years.
The ability to set the overall L&D strategy for the entire organisation (that's for more senior folks).
A role purely focused on high-level strategic thinking without any hands-on content creation or administrative tasks.
Guaranteed immediate, measurable business impact from every single piece of learning you create.

8Who you work with

Your work directly impacts employee capability and engagement. If our people don't have the right skills, they can't hit their targets, which ultimately affects our bottom line. You're helping to build a more skilled, confident workforce, which means better customer service, more efficient operations, and a stronger company culture. It's about making sure our colleagues feel supported in their development, which in turn helps us keep our best people.

Inside the business

Manager, Learning & Development
L&D Team Colleagues
HR Business Partners
Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from various business units (e.g., Sales, Engineering, Product)
Internal Communications Team
IT Support (for LMS issues)

Outside the business

Learning Management System (LMS) vendor support
Content library providers (e.g., LinkedIn Learning)
Specialist freelance content creators (occasionally)

9What you need before you start

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

At least 2 years of hands-on experience in an L&D or instructional design role, where you've actually built learning content.
Demonstrable experience using at least one major e-learning authoring tool (e.g., Articulate, Adobe Captivate, Lectora).
A portfolio or examples of learning content you've designed or developed (even if it's just a few modules or workshop outlines).
Experience managing content within a Learning Management System (LMS), even if it was just basic administration.
A good understanding of adult learning principles – you should be able to explain why certain design choices are more effective than others.

10What to practise next

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

Advanced Authoring Tool Mastery (Articulate Storyline)

While Rise is great for quick, responsive content, Storyline allows for much more complex, interactive, and scenario-based learning. As our learning needs become more sophisticated, being able to build these 'choose your own adventure' style modules or realistic simulations will be crucial for deeper learning and behaviour change.

Variables & Triggers · Branching Scenarios · Custom Interactivity · Accessibility Features

This week: Complete the 'Storyline 360 Essentials' course on LinkedIn Learning or a similar platform.
This month: Recreate a simple e-learning module you built in Rise, but using Storyline to add at least one custom interaction.
Month 2: Design and build a short branching scenario (e.g., a customer service interaction) in Storyline, focusing on decision points.
Month 3: Seek out a more senior L&D colleague for a review of your Storyline work and ask for specific tips on advanced features.

Quick win: Start by simply opening Storyline 360 and playing around with some of the pre-built templates. Get a feel for the interface.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up

Regularly attending L&D industry webinars or virtual conferences (e.g., Learning Technologies, World of Learning).
Subscribing to key L&D blogs or podcasts (e.g., Learning Uncut, The Learning Guild) to stay on top of trends.
Joining professional L&D communities or online forums to share ideas and learn from peers.
Taking online courses on new instructional design techniques, emerging learning technologies, or specific software tools.
Engaging in peer reviews of learning content with colleagues, both giving and receiving feedback to hone your craft.

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.

Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration

Honestly, AI is already transforming how quickly we can draft content. Competitors are using tools like ChatGPT and Claude to generate first drafts of e-learning scripts or assessment questions in minutes, not hours. Analysts who figure this out will outproduce peers significantly. This isn't a 'nice-to-have' anymore; it's becoming essential.

Context Windows & Token Limits
Temperature Settings for Different Tasks
RAG Architectures (Retrieval Augmented Generation)
Output Validation & Hallucination Detection
Prompt Chaining for Complex Content

Data Storytelling for L&D

It's not enough to just pull numbers from the LMS anymore. You'll need to be able to tell a compelling story with that data, even basic completion rates or feedback scores. This helps your manager and other stakeholders understand the 'so what?' of your work and why it matters. We need to move beyond just reporting numbers to explaining what they mean and what we should do about them.

Identifying Key Metrics
Contextualising Data
Visualisation Best Practices
Crafting a Narrative
Audience Adaptation

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

Instructional Design & Adult Learning Theory
Content Curation & Development
Basic Performance Consulting
Learning Analytics & Measurement (Level 1 & 2)

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
L&D Coordinator / Training Administrator
1-3 years
Skills to master
- LMS administration, basic content updates, event coordination, stakeholder communication, understanding of company learning processes.
You're ready to move on when
- You've shown initiative by taking on basic content creation tasks, even if it wasn't your primary role.
- You've consistently managed learning logistics flawlessly and proactively identified areas for improvement.
- You've demonstrated a keen interest in instructional design and adult learning principles, perhaps by taking an online course.
- You're known for being reliable, organised, and having a good eye for detail in all your work.
2
HR Assistant with L&D Focus
2-4 years
Skills to master
- Understanding of HR processes, employee onboarding, basic training delivery, data management, cross-functional collaboration with HRBPs.
You're ready to move on when
- You've been the go-to person for creating new hire training materials or updating existing ones.
- You've actively sought out opportunities to assist the L&D team on projects, even if informal.
- You have a good grasp of employee needs and how learning can address them, from a broader HR perspective.
- You're comfortable working with different internal teams and can translate business needs into potential learning solutions.
3
Subject Matter Expert (SME) in a specific domain
3-5 years
Skills to master
- Deep knowledge of a specific business area, ability to articulate complex concepts, passion for teaching and mentoring others, understanding of performance gaps within their domain.
You're ready to move on when
- You're often asked to train new team members or present on your area of expertise.
- You enjoy breaking down complex topics into understandable chunks for others.
- You've identified specific skill gaps within your team and have ideas on how to address them through learning.
- You're a natural communicator and can simplify technical or complex information for a non-expert audience.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work can lead to managing a learning team, or into a director role shaping talent strategy across an organisation.

16Pay and demand

Pay & demand

Typical pay £57,529 a year Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 (provisional), under the Open Government Licence v3.0

The figure is the median for full-time employees in the ONS occupation this job title codes to (Human resource managers and directors), from the April 2025 survey, about six months old when published, as ASHE always is. It is that occupation's middle, not this role's. Half earn more.

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 Head of Learning and Development is actually changing.

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 Identify individual learning and development needs, worked against Head of Learning and Development.

Identify individual learning and development needs Level 3

Applied to your work in Head of Learning and Development

The objective of this unit is to enable learners to understand and apply the principles of learning needs analysis for individuals. Learners will be able to conduct a learning needs analysis, analyse the findings, and agree on individual learning and development needs with relevant parties, ensuring effective communication throughout the process.

How the thinking builds

1 Remember
2 Understand
3 Apply
4 Analyse
5 Evaluate
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.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration

Head of Learning and Development

Instructional Design & Adult Learning Theory
Content Curation & Development
Basic Performance Consulting
Learning Analytics & Measurement (Level 1 & 2)

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.

17The 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

Head of Learning and Development is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

Senior L&D Business Partner
3-5 years from this role

Level 3 (Senior)
- Performance Consulting (Advanced) Diagnosing complex organisational problems and proposing non-training solutions when appropriate.
- Curriculum Design Designing entire learning pathways or curricula for specific business units or roles, not just individual modules.
- Advanced Learning Analytics Linking learning data to business KPIs and demonstrating tangible impact beyond just satisfaction scores.
L&D Program Manager / Lead Instructional Designer
4-6 years from this role

Level 4 (Lead/Staff)
- Digital Learning Ecosystem Design Architecting how different learning platforms and content sources work together to create a seamless learner experience.
- Change Management (L&D specific) Applying change management principles to ensure new learning programmes are adopted effectively across the organisation.
- Learning Technology Strategy Evaluating new learning technologies and making recommendations for adoption based on business needs and ROI.

Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, L&D professionals spend a lot of time on tasks that could be faster. Imagine getting back hours every week to focus on what truly matters: designing incredible learning experiences. That's where AI comes in.

As a Head of Learning and Development (specialist level), you're constantly creating, curating, and communicating. AI isn't here to replace your creativity or your human touch; it's here to take the grunt work off your plate. Think of it as having a really smart, always-on assistant for your content creation, analysis, and communication tasks. It's about working smarter, not harder, and honestly, it's already changing how we do things.

First-Draft Content Generator

Use AI to generate initial drafts of e-learning scripts, facilitator guides, or knowledge check questions from source documents (like a technical manual or a meeting transcript). This means you move from staring at a blank page to editing a solid first pass, transforming your role from writer to editor. It's a massive time-saver for getting started.

Sentiment Analysis Synthesizer

Got hundreds, even thousands, of open-ended comments from your programme feedback surveys? Feed them into an AI tool. It'll instantly identify key themes, overall sentiment (positive, negative, neutral), and actionable suggestions. This replaces hours of manual reading and categorisation, giving you insights much faster than you could ever manage yourself.

Personalised Learning Pathfinder

Leverage AI-powered Learning Experience Platforms (LXPs) to analyse an individual's role, current skills, and career goals. The AI can then automatically recommend a personalised playlist of articles, videos, and courses from our vast content library. This means you can offer scalable personalisation without having to manually curate for every single person, drastically cutting down your curation time.

Communication Campaign Crafter

Launching a new learning programme means a lot of comms. Use AI to draft a multi-channel communication plan: targeted emails for learners, briefing notes for managers, and posts for Slack or Teams. This ensures consistent, effective messaging goes out quickly, freeing you up from staring at the screen trying to phrase that perfect announcement.

Common questions

How do you become a Head of Learning and Development?

Common routes in include L&D Coordinator / Training Administrator (1-3 years), HR Assistant with L&D Focus (2-4 years) and Subject Matter Expert (SME) in a specific domain (3-5 years). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Head of Learning and Development progress to?

This role can lead on to Senior L&D Business Partner (3-5 years from this role) and L&D Program Manager / Lead Instructional Designer (4-6 years from this role), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Head of Learning and Development?

Increasingly, Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration and Data Storytelling for L&D. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

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 free AI Fluency module 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.

Head of Learning and Development

Where should we send it?

Two short quizzes about you

Will AI change your work as a Head of Learning and Development?

What's rising in its place

Prompt Engineering & LLM Integration

Data Storytelling for L&D

Skills this role draws on

Technical

How you actually get there, here

L&D Coordinator / Training Administrator

HR Assistant with L&D Focus

Subject Matter Expert (SME) in a specific domain

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

Roles this leads to

One to one, on the work you already do

Everything else the record holds

The career path, and where it branches

Senior L&D Business Partner

L&D Program Manager / Lead Instructional Designer

Where AI is starting to help

First-Draft Content Generator

Sentiment Analysis Synthesizer

Personalised Learning Pathfinder

Communication Campaign Crafter

Common questions

Want a read on where you stand?