UK

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

Director of Learning & Performance

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 reports5-8 reports
  • Reports toChief People Officer
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as Head of Learning & Development · VP, Learning & Talent Development · Senior Director, Organisational Capability

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

OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science OTHM Qualifications · Level 7 · covers 2 of 18 standards
NQual Level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management NQual · Level 5 · covers 2 of 18 standards
NCFE CACHE Level 5 Diploma in Advanced Playwork (Wales) NCFE · Level 5 · covers 2 of 18 standards
NQual Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management NQual · Level 5 · covers 2 of 18 standards
Level 6 Certificate in Professional Sales Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 6 · covers 2 of 18 standards
Level 6 Award in Leading Organisational Change Institute of Sales Professionals · Level 6 · covers 1 of 18 standards

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

The units you would start with

Data Analysis and Visualisation OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Data Science
Principles of leadership and management NQual Level 5 Certificate in Leadership and Management
Provide learning opportunities for colleagues NCFE CACHE Level 5 Diploma in Advanced Playwork (Wales)
Leading and Managing People NQual Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management
Data-led Decision Making Level 6 Certificate in Professional Sales
Lead Organisational Change Level 6 Award in Leading Organisational Change

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
Foresight Fluency seeing round the corner
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Director of Learning & Performance

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

  1. Data Analysis and Visualisation OTHM Qualifications · covers 2 of 18 standards Level 7
  2. Principles of leadership and management NQual · covers 2 of 18 standards Level 5
  3. Provide learning opportunities for colleagues NCFE · covers 2 of 18 standards Level 5
  4. Leading and Managing People NQual · covers 2 of 18 standards Level 5
  5. Data-led Decision Making Institute of Sales Professionals · covers 2 of 18 standards Level 6
  6. Lead Organisational Change Institute of Sales Professionals · covers 1 of 18 standards Level 6
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 of Learning & Performance?

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 for Strategic Talent Foresight
  • Advanced Data Storytelling & Visualisation
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 of Learning & Performance plan as you set up, starting with the free Automation Fluency module. No card.

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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

A Director of Learning & Performance sets the strategy for how an organisation trains its people and measures results.

4What you'd actually use

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

LMS/LXP (e.g., Cornerstone OnDemand, Degreed) Strategic

Leading vendor selection (RFP process), defining enterprise governance for learning platforms, architecting the learning data ecosystem, negotiating contracts with major providers. You're not just using it; you're shaping its future.

Content Authoring (e.g., Articulate 360, Camtasia) Architect

Setting content development standards and templates for the entire organisation. Evaluating new authoring technologies (e.g., VR/AR tools) for strategic fit and potential impact. You're defining how we create learning content, not necessarily creating it yourself.

Performance Management Systems (e.g., Lattice, Workday HCM) Strategic

Designing the entire performance management philosophy and process, ensuring it links performance data to succession planning and compensation reviews in Workday. You're shaping the 'what' and 'why' of performance management.

Analytics Tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) Strategic

Defining the key metrics for the L&D function, presenting data-driven narratives to executive leadership to justify budget and strategy. You'll be challenging the data, not just reporting it.

Financial Planning Tools (e.g., Anaplan, Workday Adaptive Planning) Strategic

Owning the L&D budget, modelling different investment scenarios, defending financial plans to the CFO and executive team. This is about strategic financial oversight.

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 & Vision N/A N/A N/A
L&D Budget Allocation (e.g., £5M annual budget) N/A N/A N/A
Major Learning Tech Vendor Selection (e.g., new LMS) N/A N/A N/A
New Enterprise Programme Launch (e.g., Leadership Academy) N/A N/A N/A
Team Hiring & Organisational 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.

Organisational Capability Index
Improvement in key skill areas identified as critical for business strategy (e.g., AI literacy, leadership effectiveness, sales acumen).
Target · Increase by 10% year-over-year

If our leadership effectiveness score was 70% in 2023, we'd aim for 77% in 2024 through targeted leadership development programmes.

Employee Retention for High-Potential Talent
The percentage of employees identified as high-potential who remain with the company, especially after participating in development programmes.
Target · Maintain 90%+ retention for high-potentials

After launching our 'Future Leaders' programme, we expect to see 92% of participants still with us 12 months later, compared to a baseline of 85%.

L&D Budget Adherence & ROI
Managing the overall L&D budget within agreed parameters and demonstrating a positive return on investment for major initiatives.
Target · Budget within ±2% variance; positive ROI on 2+ major programmes annually.

Successfully delivering a £1.5M budget at £1.48M, whilst showing that our new sales enablement programme generated an additional £500K in Q4 revenue.

Time-to-Productivity for Critical Roles
Reducing the time it takes for new hires in key roles (e.g., Senior Engineers, Sales Managers) to become fully effective.
Target · Reduce by 15% for identified roles

Our new onboarding pathway for Senior Engineers cut their ramp-up time from 6 months to 5 months, a 16% improvement.

Strategic Influence & Partnership
Being seen as a trusted advisor and strategic partner by senior leadership, not just an 'order taker' for training requests.
  • Regular invitations to C-suite strategy meetings
  • proactively consulted on business unit challenges
  • L&D strategy directly referenced in company-wide communications
  • senior leaders championing L&D initiatives.
Innovation in Learning Approach
Bringing fresh, effective, and sometimes unconventional ideas to how we develop our people, moving beyond traditional methods.
  • Successful pilot programmes using new tech (e.g., VR, AI coaching)
  • adoption of 'learning in the flow of work' practices
  • positive feedback on creativity and impact from internal clients
  • industry recognition or speaking engagements.
Team Engagement & Development
Building and nurturing a high-performing, engaged L&D team that feels supported and has clear career paths.
  • High retention rates within your direct team
  • positive scores in internal engagement surveys for your department
  • successful internal promotions from your team
  • team members actively contributing to industry best practices.
Data-Driven Decision Making
Making significant investment and programme design decisions based on solid data and analytics, not just intuition or anecdotal evidence.
  • All major programme proposals include a clear data-backed business case
  • regular reporting on learning impact to senior leaders
  • ability to defend L&D budget decisions with data
  • proactive identification of skill gaps using predictive analytics.

7Would you like it

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

What people enjoy
Driving Organisational Change

You'll spend a lot of time mapping out how new skills will transform our business units, then building the programmes and getting the buy-in to make it happen. You're not just tweaking things; you're fundamentally shifting how we operate and grow.

Leading the charge to embed a new agile mindset across Engineering, seeing how it impacts delivery speed and team collaboration.

Building High-Performing Teams & Capabilities

You'll be coaching your own team, mentoring leaders across the business, and designing frameworks that help everyone perform better. Seeing individuals and teams unlock their potential is what gets you out of bed.

Developing a leadership academy that demonstrably improves manager effectiveness scores and reduces regrettable attrition.

Strategic Impact & Influence

You'll be presenting to the C-suite, influencing major investment decisions, and ensuring L&D has a seat at the strategic table. Your ideas will directly shape the company's future talent strategy.

Successfully securing a £2M budget increase for a critical upskilling initiative, directly linking it to a 5% projected increase in market share.

What frustrates people
  • The 'Order Taker' Dilemma: Constantly battling the perception that L&D's job is to simply build whatever training a manager asks for, rather than being a strategic consultant.
  • The ROI Battle: The perpetual struggle to prove the financial impact of 'soft skills' training to a data-driven executive team.
  • 'Flavor of the Month' Leadership: A new C-suite executive arrives and wants to launch a major initiative that derails your strategic roadmap.
  • The Time Scarcity Paradox: Stakeholders champion development but don't give their teams time to learn.
  • Budget Vulnerability: Knowing that in any economic downturn, the L&D budget is often the first on the chopping block.
  • HRIS Data Nightmare: Trying to build a data-driven learning strategy when the employee data is messy or incomplete.
  • The Compliance Burden: Spending significant resources on mandatory, low-impact compliance training.
What this role does not give you
  • A quiet, predictable environment where plans never change. This is a dynamic role, and priorities shift.
  • A role where you just execute. You're expected to set the vision and strategy, not just follow instructions.
  • An easy ride. You'll face resistance, budget constraints, and the constant need to prove value.
  • A job where you don't have to deal with internal politics. Influencing senior leaders is a core part of the job.

8Who you work with

This role directly shapes our organisational capability and talent pipeline. You'll be driving the strategy that ensures we've got the skills needed to execute our business plan, improve employee retention, and build a strong leadership bench. Essentially, you're building the future workforce, one learning strategy at a time. Your decisions on what to invest in, and how, will have a multi-million-pound impact on our people and our bottom line.

Inside the business
  • Chief People Officer (CPO)
  • Chief Operating Officer (COO)
  • Heads of Product & Engineering
  • Sales & Marketing Leadership
  • Finance Director
  • Senior HR Business Partners
Outside the business
  • LMS/LXP Vendors
  • Content Providers (e.g., LinkedIn Learning)
  • External Executive Coaching Firms
  • Industry Bodies (e.g., CIPD)
  • Consulting Partners

9What you need before you start

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

  • Proven track record of leading a significant L&D function or a major programme area within a large, complex organisation (e.g., as a Head of L&D or Lead L&P Partner).
  • Demonstrable experience in setting and executing multi-year L&D strategies that have driven measurable business outcomes.
  • Significant experience managing and developing a team of L&D professionals, including other managers.
  • Hands-on experience with large-scale learning technology implementations and vendor management.
  • A strong understanding of P&L management and the ability to build and defend multi-million-pound budgets.
  • Extensive experience presenting to and influencing C-suite executives and Board members.

10What to practise next

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

Learning Ecosystem Architecture

As our tech stack grows, ensuring all learning platforms (LMS, LXP, content libraries, performance tools) talk to each other seamlessly is critical. You'll need to design an integrated ecosystem that provides a holistic view of talent development and impact.

API Integrations · Data Governance for Learning · Vendor Interoperability · User Experience (UX) Design for Learning

  • This month: Review our current learning tech stack and identify 2-3 key integration challenges.
  • Next quarter: Meet with our IT and Data teams to understand their enterprise architecture principles and how L&D fits in.
  • Within 6 months: Research leading practices in learning ecosystem design and identify potential future state models.
  • Within 12 months: Develop a 3-year roadmap for our learning technology architecture, including key investments and integration priorities.

Quick win: Document the current 'as-is' state of our learning tech stack, including all integrations (or lack thereof). It's a simple step that provides immense clarity.

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 emerging trends and network with peers.
  • Actively participate in professional L&D communities and forums (e.g., LinkedIn groups, local CIPD branches).
  • Read leading publications and research in learning science, organisational psychology, and talent management.
  • Seek out opportunities for executive coaching or mentorship to further develop leadership and strategic capabilities.
  • Engage in continuous learning around AI and its applications in HR and 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 for Strategic Talent Foresight

AI is no longer just for automating tasks; it's becoming a powerful tool for predictive analytics. Competitors are already using AI to forecast talent needs and skill gaps 3-5 years out, allowing them to build proactive development strategies. If we're not doing this, we'll be constantly playing catch-up.

  • Workforce Planning with AI
  • Ethical AI in HR
  • AI-Driven Skill Taxonomy
  • Scenario Planning with AI

Advanced Data Storytelling & Visualisation

The sheer volume of data is only growing. Simply presenting numbers isn't enough anymore. You need to be able to weave a compelling narrative around the data that resonates with non-technical executives, drives action, and justifies significant investment. This is how you'll secure budget and influence strategy.

  • Narrative Arc in Data
  • Visualisation Best Practices
  • Audience-Centric Reporting
  • Impact vs. Activity

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Performance Consulting (HPI)
  • Learning Measurement & Evaluation (Kirkpatrick/Phillips)
  • Competency Modelling & Career Pathing
  • Adult Learning Theory (Andragogy)
  • Change Management (e.g., Prosci ADKAR)

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 (Mid-sized Company)

    3-5 years as Head of L&D

    Skills to master

    • Full ownership of L&D strategy, budget management, building a small team, vendor management, proving ROI in a resource-constrained environment.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully scaled a learning function from scratch or significantly transformed an existing one.
    • Consistently delivered measurable business impact through learning initiatives.
    • Managed a team of 3-5 L&D professionals.
    • Developed and managed an annual L&D budget of at least £500K.
  2. 2

    Lead Learning & Performance Partner (Large Enterprise)

    4-6 years as a Lead L&P Partner

    Skills to master

    • Strategic partnership with a major business unit, architecting complex learning solutions, influencing senior leaders without direct authority, managing large programmes.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully led 2-3 enterprise-wide learning programmes from conception to evaluation.
    • Consistently received high feedback on strategic partnership from business unit leaders.
    • Mentored or informally managed a small team of L&D specialists.
    • Demonstrated ability to influence decisions at the Director/VP level.
  3. 3

    Senior HR Business Partner (with L&D Specialism)

    5-7 years as Senior HRBP

    Skills to master

    • Deep understanding of business unit needs, talent management, organisational development, translating HR strategy into L&D initiatives, influencing senior stakeholders.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully driven talent development initiatives within a specific business unit.
    • Demonstrated strong analytical skills in identifying talent gaps and proposing solutions.
    • Experienced in coaching and developing leaders within their business unit.
    • Proven ability to manage complex HR projects with significant L&D components.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to wider executive HR positions, to deeper specialism in learning strategy, or into consulting work.

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 of Learning & Performance is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

The record names a next step, but the catalogue has no page for it yet:

  • VP of Talent & Organisational Development

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 Data Analysis and Visualisation, worked against Director of Learning & Performance.

Data Analysis and Visualisation Level 7

Applied to your work in Director of Learning & Performance

1. To enable the learner to critically analyse the theoretical underpinnings of data analytics and their impact on decision-making in business management contexts. 2. To enable the learner to assess diverse data analysis activities, techniques, and tools applicable to business management scenarios. 3. To enable the learner to compare and contrast various predictive analytic techniques, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses in forecasting future business events. 4. To enable the learner to evaluate how predictive analytic techniques can be practically implemented for forecasting purposes within the business sector. 5. To enable the learner to evaluate prescriptive analytic techniques, illustrating their application with relevant examples from the business management domain. 6. To enable the learner to apply a suitable programming language or data analysis tool to conduct data analysis and visualisation tasks related to business management problems.

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.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Director of Learning & Performance
  • Performance Consulting (HPI)
  • Learning Measurement & Evaluation (Kirkpatrick/Phillips)
  • Competency Modelling & Career Pathing
  • Adult Learning Theory (Andragogy)
  • Change Management (e.g., Prosci ADKAR)
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 of Learning & Performance is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. VP of Talent & Organisational Development

    3-5 years in Director role

    L7

    • Advanced Workforce Planning Leading sophisticated workforce planning and analytics to predict long-term talent needs and risks.
    • Executive Coaching & Development Overseeing and sometimes delivering executive coaching for C-suite and senior leadership.
    • Organisational Culture Transformation Driving large-scale culture change initiatives through talent and learning levers.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, even at a Director level, there's always more to do than hours in the day. Imagine if you could reclaim a significant chunk of your week, not just to catch up, but to focus on truly strategic work. That's where AI comes in. We're not talking about replacing human judgment, but augmenting it, making you and your team incredibly more effective.

For a Director of Learning & Performance, AI isn't just a buzzword; it's a strategic partner. It helps you move faster, make smarter decisions, and prove the value of your function with unprecedented clarity. You'll use AI to cut through the noise, identify real needs, and craft impactful solutions, freeing you up for the high-level influence and vision-setting that only you can provide.

Automated Content Strategy & Curation

Use AI tools to quickly scan vast internal documentation (Confluence, SharePoint, Teams chats) and external market trends. This helps you rapidly identify key knowledge gaps, generate first drafts of strategic learning briefs, and curate personalised learning pathways for specific roles or business units. Imagine getting a head start on a new leadership programme's content outline in minutes, not days.

Predictive Skill Gap Analysis & Talent Forecasting

Stop guessing what skills we'll need next. Use AI to analyse performance reviews, project data, and external market trends to predict future skill gaps across the organisation. This shifts L&D from reactive 'order-taking' to proactively developing talent for future needs, giving you a powerful data-backed narrative for your strategy.

Intelligent Coaching & Leadership Simulations

Deploy AI-powered simulation tools (like Second Nature) to allow your managers and leaders to practice difficult conversations (e.g., performance feedback, conflict resolution) in a safe, private environment. The AI provides instant, objective feedback on tone, word choice, and clarity, drastically reducing the need for manual 1:1 role-play coaching from your team.

Personalised Learning Path Architecture

Design and oversee an AI engine that integrates with our HRIS (Workday) and LXP (Degreed). This engine will analyse an individual's role, tenure, performance data, and stated career goals to automatically generate and recommend unique, dynamic learning paths. This frees up your L&D partners from manual development plan creation and ensures highly relevant learning for everyone.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director of Learning & Performance?

Common routes in include Head of L&D (Mid-sized Company) (3-5 years as Head of L&D), Lead Learning & Performance Partner (Large Enterprise) (4-6 years as a Lead L&P Partner) and Senior HR Business Partner (with L&D Specialism) (5-7 years as Senior HRBP). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director of Learning & Performance progress to?

This role can lead on to VP of Talent & Organisational Development (3-5 years in Director role), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Director of Learning & Performance?

Increasingly, AI for Strategic Talent Foresight and Advanced Data Storytelling & Visualisation. 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

The skills built in this role transfer across sectors, particularly technology, professional services, finance, and industries going through major change. The ability to build organisational capability and shape talent strategy applies wherever people and skills drive performance.

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 free Automation 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.