UK

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

Director, Learning & Performance

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, a real day, 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.

  • Experience bandDirector/VP (16-20 years)
  • Direct reports25-100+ reports
  • Reports toChief People Officer (CPO)
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

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

Built on an analysis of 43,079 real UK job descriptions · grounded in qualifications employers recognise

Start with a free Future Fluency check, tuned to Director, Learning & Performance

Ten quick questions, one per Future Fluency, asked against this role rather than a generic one. About five minutes, and no card.

Start the check, free

1What this role really is

This isn't just about running training courses; it's about shaping how our entire business unit grows and performs. You'll be the strategic brain behind our learning and performance efforts, making sure our people have the skills they need, not just for today, but for the next three to five years. Think of it as owning the human capability roadmap for a significant part of the company.

2What you'd actually use

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

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

Leading vendor selection (RFP process), defining the enterprise learning tech ecosystem strategy, governing platform usage, and influencing product roadmaps with vendors. You'll ensure the platforms support our multi-year talent strategy.

Authoring Tools (e.g., Articulate 360, Camtasia)Strategic

Setting content development standards, evaluating new authoring technologies for scalability and impact, and managing strategic vendor relationships for content creation. You won't be building courses, but you'll define how they're built.

Analytics & Visualisation (e.g., Power BI, Tableau)Expert

Defining the L&D data strategy, building executive dashboards that link learning to critical business KPIs (sales, retention, productivity), and presenting these findings with compelling narratives to the C-suite and Board. You'll challenge your team to go deeper on the data.

HRIS (e.g., Workday HCM, SAP SuccessFactors)Advanced

Working closely with HRIS leadership to ensure data integrity, influence the roadmap for talent and learning modules, and leverage HR data for strategic workforce planning and predictive analytics. You'll ensure our systems talk to each other effectively.

Project & Portfolio Management (e.g., Asana, Jira, Monday.com)Expert

Managing a portfolio of strategic learning programmes across your business unit, allocating resources effectively, and reporting on portfolio health, risks, and ROI to executive leadership. You'll ensure your team delivers on time and budget at scale.

3What 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 inWhere you are nowThe step above
Strategic Learning Programme Design & LaunchNo authority; executes tasks within existing programmes.Proposes minor programme adjustments within existing frameworks; escalates significant changes.Designs and leads new workstream-level programmes with manager input; recommends to Director.
Learning Technology & Vendor SelectionUses existing tools; reports technical issues.Troubleshoots minor tech issues; suggests improvements to current tools.Evaluates new features of existing tech; recommends specific tool enhancements.
Budget Allocation & SpendNo budget authority; tracks personal expenses.Manages small project budgets (up to £5K) with manager approval.Manages programme budgets (up to £50K); recommends spend to Director.
Organisational Design & Team StructureNo input on team structure.Offers feedback on team processes.Suggests minor improvements to team workflows.

4How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, honestly: the hard targets, how often each one is actually looked at, and the quiet human signals that never make it onto a dashboard.

Business Impact (Kirkpatrick Level 4)
Directly linking strategic learning programmes to core business KPIs.
Target · Achieve a >5% improvement in a specific business unit KPI (e.g., sales quota attainment, customer satisfaction, reduction in new hire time-to-productivity) for at least two major programmes annually.

After implementing a new leadership development programme, the sales unit saw a 7% increase in their average deal size and a 6% reduction in voluntary turnover amongst new managers within 12 months.

Talent Mobility Rate
Increasing the percentage of critical roles filled by internal candidates, showing effective career pathing and development.
Target · Increase the rate of internal promotions for critical leadership and specialist roles by 15% year-over-year within the business unit.

In 2023, 40% of our senior leadership positions were filled internally. Your goal for 2024 would be to push that to 46% through targeted development pathways.

Voluntary Turnover Reduction
Reducing the rate at which employees voluntarily leave the organisation, particularly in key talent segments, by providing compelling development opportunities.
Target · Show a measurable reduction of at least 10% in voluntary turnover for populations participating in key development programmes, compared to non-participating groups.

Our high-potential programme participants had a 5% voluntary turnover rate, while a comparable group not in the programme had a 15% rate – a 10% reduction directly attributable to development.

Leadership Bench Strength
Improving the readiness of internal candidates to step into critical leadership roles.
Target · Increase the 'ready now' or 'ready in 12 months' successor percentage for critical leadership roles by 10% through targeted development pipelines.

Our succession plan for the top 50 leadership roles showed only 30% 'ready now' candidates last year. Your goal is to get that to 40% this year by building specific development plans for identified successors.

Budget Optimisation & ROI
Ensuring L&D spend delivers maximum value and a positive return on investment.
Target · Achieve a demonstrable positive ROI (e.g., £3:£1 return) on at least two major strategic learning investments, and manage the overall L&D budget within a 2% variance.

Our new sales enablement programme cost £500K but generated an additional £2M in revenue attributed to improved sales skills, showing a 4:1 ROI. You'll need to track this rigorously.

C-Suite & Board Trust
Being seen as a trusted advisor to the executive team and Board on talent and capability matters.
  • You're proactively invited to strategic business planning meetings, not just L&D updates. Your input is genuinely sought on major organisational changes, M&A integrations, and future talent needs. The CPO regularly references your insights in executive discussions. You're comfortable presenting to the Board and fielding tough questions.
Organisational Capability & Agility
The extent to which the business unit can adapt to new market demands and execute on strategic pivots due to a highly skilled workforce.
  • When a new market opportunity arises, business leaders immediately turn to you to discuss skill gaps and development pathways. The organisation successfully launches new products or enters new markets with minimal capability lag. Feedback from business unit leaders consistently highlights the team's ability to quickly upskill or reskill employees for new challenges.
External Reputation & Thought Leadership
Our standing in the industry as a leader in talent development and a desirable place to work for ambitious professionals.
  • You're asked to speak at industry conferences, contribute to white papers, or participate in expert panels. We receive external recognition or awards for our learning programmes. Potential hires specifically mention our L&D offerings as a reason they want to join the company.
Team Engagement & Development
Building and maintaining a high-performing, engaged, and continuously developing L&D team.
  • Your direct reports consistently rate highly in engagement surveys. You have a clear succession plan for your own leadership team. Your team members are actively pursuing professional development, and you're seen as a mentor who genuinely invests in their growth. You'll see low voluntary turnover within your own team, which is a big indicator of effective leadership.

5Would you like it

The honest version. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Driving Large-Scale Business Transformation

You'll spend your days strategising with business unit heads on their multi-year goals, identifying critical skill gaps, and designing enterprise-wide programmes to close them. You're excited by the challenge of moving a big ship.

Leading the talent integration strategy for a recent acquisition, ensuring all employees are upskilled on new systems and culture within 12 months.

Building & Leading High-Performing Teams

A significant part of your role is mentoring your leadership team, empowering them to deliver, and creating a culture of continuous improvement within L&D. You genuinely enjoy developing other leaders.

Coaching a new LBP Manager through their first major strategic project, helping them navigate political complexities and deliver a successful outcome.

Strategic Influence & Impact

You'll regularly present to the C-suite and Board, shaping their perspective on talent strategy and seeing your recommendations directly influence major business decisions. You're not just executing; you're defining the path.

Presenting the annual talent review to the Board, highlighting key development needs and securing approval for a £5M investment in a new leadership academy.

What frustrates people
  • Being asked to 'fix' deep-seated organisational problems (like poor management or unclear strategy) with a learning programme, then being blamed when it doesn't magically solve everything.
  • The constant battle for budget and resources, especially when L&D is often seen as a cost centre rather than a strategic investment.
  • Stakeholder indifference or lack of follow-through after agreeing to strategic initiatives; getting buy-in is one thing, getting sustained engagement is another.
  • The 'flavour of the month' syndrome, where a new executive comes in and completely changes the talent strategy, making months of your team's work obsolete.
  • Trying to measure the ROI of 'soft skills' development with imperfect data and dozens of confounding variables you can't control.
What this role does not give you
  • A purely operational or tactical focus; you'll be delegating most of that.
  • A guaranteed smooth ride; expect constant change, ambiguity, and political navigation.
  • A role where you're just an individual contributor; leading and developing a team is a huge part of this.
  • A 'set it and forget it' environment; the strategy needs constant evolution and adaptation.

6Who you work with

This role directly shapes the human capital strategy for a major business unit or the entire company. Your work will influence P&L, market position, innovation capacity, and the overall employee experience. You're essentially future-proofing our talent, ensuring we have the right skills at the right time to meet ambitious business goals. If you get it right, you'll see tangible improvements in productivity, retention, and leadership bench strength across the organisation.

Inside the business
  • C-Suite (CEO, COO, CFO, CTO)
  • Board of Directors (for strategic updates and talent reviews)
  • Business Unit Managing Directors/VPs
  • Heads of HR and Talent Acquisition
  • Legal and Compliance teams
  • Finance leadership (for budget and ROI discussions)
Outside the business
  • Key learning technology vendors (LMS, LXP, authoring tools)
  • External executive coaching and leadership development providers
  • Industry bodies and thought leaders (e.g., CIPD, Learning & Performance Institute)
  • Strategic consulting partners

7What you need before you start

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

  • Proven experience leading a large L&D function or a significant talent development portfolio (e.g., Head of Leadership Development, Principal LBP) for at least 5-8 years.
  • Demonstrable experience managing budgets of at least £1M+ and showing clear ROI on learning investments.
  • A track record of successfully influencing C-suite and senior executive stakeholders to adopt strategic talent initiatives.
  • Significant experience building, leading, and developing a team of managers and individual contributors (20+ people).
  • Deep expertise in at least two major talent domains: e.g., leadership development, sales enablement, technical upskilling, or M&A integration.

8What to practise next

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

Predictive Analytics & Workforce Planning

Moving from reactive reporting to proactive forecasting of skill gaps, attrition risks, and future talent needs. This is critical for strategic workforce planning and ensuring we invest in the right areas.

Regression analysis for talent trends · Machine learning models for attrition prediction · Scenario planning for future skill demands · Data visualisation for predictive insights · Ethical considerations in predictive analytics

  • This quarter: Work with your analytics team to identify one key talent metric (e.g., attrition for a critical role) and explore existing data for predictive indicators.
  • Next 6 months: Commission a pilot project to build a simple predictive model for skill obsolescence in a specific job family.
  • Next 12 months: Integrate predictive insights into your quarterly business unit talent reviews, using them to inform development investments.
  • Ongoing: Engage with external experts and research on advanced people analytics; challenge your team to move beyond descriptive reporting.

Quick win: Identify a business unit that consistently struggles with a specific skill shortage. Use existing data (e.g., hiring trends, project needs) to forecast when that shortage will become critical and propose a proactive learning intervention.

Digital Ethics & Data Privacy in Learning

As we collect more data on learners and use AI, the ethical implications and privacy concerns become paramount. A breach or misuse of data could have significant reputational and legal consequences. You need to be the steward of this.

GDPR and other global data privacy regulations (e. · Bias detection and mitigation in AI-powered learni · Transparency in data collection and use for learne · Data anonymisation and aggregation best practices · Ethical guidelines for personalised learning exper

  • This quarter: Review your current learning data privacy policies with Legal and ensure they're robust and clearly communicated to learners.
  • Next 6 months: Conduct an audit of all AI-powered tools used in L&D for potential biases or privacy risks.
  • Next 12 months: Develop a 'Learner Bill of Rights' or similar document outlining how learner data is used and protected.
  • Ongoing: Participate in industry discussions on digital ethics; ensure your team is trained on data privacy best practices.

Quick win: Ensure all new learning platforms or tools undergo a thorough data privacy and security review by your Legal and IT teams *before* procurement. Don't let your team sign up for anything without this.

9Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attending and speaking at industry conferences (e.g., Learning Technologies, ATD International Conference, World of Learning).
  • Publishing articles or white papers on strategic L&D topics, establishing yourself as a thought leader.
  • Participating in executive leadership programmes or peer coaching networks.
  • Engaging in continuous learning around emerging technologies (AI, VR/AR in learning) and their strategic implications.
  • Mentoring rising talent within the L&D community, both internally and externally.

10How the AI economy is changing work like this

Before we ask anything of you, here's what we can already say about AI and work of this kind:

The new skill this role is being asked for: AI Strategy & Governance for L&D

AI is fundamentally reshaping how we learn, how content is created, and how we measure impact. Competitors are already using AI for personalised learning paths, rapid content generation, and predictive analytics. If we don't have a clear strategy, we'll fall behind.

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

Your PlanIllustration

Built for Director, Learning & Performance

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

  1. Data Science FoundationsOTHM Qualifications · covers 1 of 11 standardsLevel 7
  2. Provide learning opportunities for colleaguesNCFE · covers 2 of 11 standardsLevel 5
  3. Identify individual learning and development needsLaser Learning Awards · covers 1 of 11 standardsLevel 5
  4. Leading and Managing PeopleNQual · covers 1 of 11 standardsLevel 5
  5. Provide Leadership and Direction for an OrganisationSkills and Education Group Awards · covers 1 of 11 standardsLevel 6
  6. Designing and Developing Digital and Blended Learning SolutionsChartered Institute of Personnel and Development · covers 1 of 11 standardsLevel 5
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.

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 Strategy & Governance for L&D

AI is fundamentally reshaping how we learn, how content is created, and how we measure impact. Competitors are already using AI for personalised learning paths, rapid content generation, and predictive analytics. If we don't have a clear strategy, we'll fall behind.

  • Ethical AI use in learning (bias, privacy)
  • Personalised learning at scale using LLMs
  • AI-powered content creation workflows (e.g., text-
  • AI for skill gap analysis and predictive talent mo
  • Data governance for AI-driven learning platforms

Ecosystem Integration & Orchestration

Learning no longer sits in a silo. It's part of a broader talent ecosystem (HRIS, CRM, performance management, internal comms). Our ability to seamlessly integrate these systems and orchestrate a cohesive employee experience is what will differentiate us.

  • API integrations and data flows between HR tech pl
  • Employee experience (EX) design principles for lea
  • Single sign-on (SSO) and identity management for l
  • Vendor management for integrated tech stacks
  • Data architecture for holistic talent insights

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Enterprise Performance Consulting
  • Multi-Year Learning Strategy & Architecture
  • Advanced Learning Impact Measurement & Analytics
  • Organisational Development & Design
  • M&A Talent Integration (L&D specific)

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

    Principal LBP / Manager, L&D Partners (L5)

    You'd usually spend 3-5 years at the L5 level, proving your ability to lead a team, manage a significant portfolio of work, and influence senior stakeholders. This is the most direct path.

    Skills to master

    • Leading and developing a team of LBPs, setting strategy for a specific L&D function, managing budgets up to £1M+, and consistently delivering business impact through learning programmes.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently exceeds performance expectations in an L5 role.
    • Has a clear succession plan for their own team, with identified high-potentials.
    • Is regularly sought out by business leaders for strategic advice beyond their immediate scope.
    • Has successfully led at least one major, cross-functional learning transformation project.
  2. 2

    Head of Talent Management (from a smaller firm)

    Roughly 4-7 years in a Head of Talent role, especially in a fast-growing, complex organisation where you've had broad responsibility across learning, performance, and succession.

    Skills to master

    • Building and scaling talent programmes from scratch, managing end-to-end talent processes, and demonstrating strong commercial acumen in a resource-constrained environment.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Has successfully scaled a talent function through significant company growth.
    • Can clearly articulate the link between talent strategy and business outcomes (P&L, market share).
    • Has experience influencing founders or C-suite in a high-growth setting.
    • Is comfortable with ambiguity and building structure where none exists.
  3. 3

    Senior HR Business Partner (with strong L&D focus)

    Around 5-8 years as a Senior HRBP, particularly if you've had a strong focus on capability building, organisational development, and talent strategy for a large client group.

    Skills to master

    • Deep understanding of business unit operations, strong stakeholder management across all levels, and a proven track record of diagnosing and solving complex people problems.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Is seen as a strategic partner by their business unit leadership, not just an HR operator.
    • Has led significant organisational design or change initiatives.
    • Has developed and implemented talent strategies for their client group that delivered measurable results.
    • Possesses a strong network across the business and a reputation for getting things done.

11Where this role leads

The long view:Your journey as a Director of Learning & Performance is about more than just a job; it's about shaping the future of work and the capabilities of an entire organisation. The impact you'll have here will set you up for a truly influential and rewarding career, whatever path you choose to take.

Pay & demand

Pay and demand for this role will appear here, each figure traced to a named authoritative source (e.g. the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, under the Open Government Licence). We don’t show numbers we can’t attribute.

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 & Performance is actually changing. In about two minutes, the free confidence check asks where you stand on each of the ten. That's the whole check, and it's what makes the plan yours rather than generic.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

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

  • Chief People Officer (CHRO)

12The team that's yours

No two people are taught the same way. This is one-to-one, not one-to-many.

Zavmo is a hyper-personalised AI learning platform. Twelve virtual tutors, each with a different way of teaching, and one orchestration agent that picks the right one for the moment. So every single lesson is shaped around you, your role, and the way you learn. Not a course everyone sits through. A conversation built for you, and no one else.

…and nine more, matched to you after your first chat. Meet all twelve

Start free and meet yours

13What it feels like

A conversation, not a course

Because your tutor knows your role, your projects and your last session, learning sounds like this. And it's different for every single person:

Data Science FoundationsLevel 7

Applied to your work in Director, Learning & Performance

1. To enable the learner to define the scope and landscape of Data Science and differentiate the roles of Data Scientists from other IT professionals. 2. To enable the learner to evaluate key topics within Data Science, including data administration, governance, and big data sources. 3. To enable the learner to describe the architecture and core elements of Apache Hadoop. 4. To enable the learner to analyse the advantages and disadvantages of utilising Artificial Intelligence techniques in a business context. 5. To enable the learner to critically analyse the impact of Big Data on digital transformation within organisations and its effects on users. 6. To enable the learner to review strategies for ensuring data compliance and explain the responsibilities and challenges faced by data specialists.

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.

One to one, not one to many

No two people run this the same way

A course is written once and handed to everyone. This is assembled around you, and keeps changing as it learns you. Five things it reads, and what each one changes.

  1. Your actual work Every lesson is taught against a live piece of your own work, not a worked example from a textbook.
  2. What you already know The first conversation finds your starting point, so you skip what you can already do and spend the time on what you cannot.
  3. The conditions you learn under Not a learning-styles quiz. The evidence does not support those. The dimensions the research does back, read once and used to shape the plan.
  4. How far you got last time It picks up mid-thought. The tutor knows what you said, what you struggled with, and what it asked you to try.
  5. Which tutor suits the moment Twelve of them, each for a different kind of thinking. The one who walks you through a first idea is not the one who stress-tests it.

See how you learn, free. Eight questions, no sign-up. A directional taster; the diagnostic inside Zavmo goes deeper and keeps adapting.

DemonstrateIllustration

Evidenced on your work in Director, Learning & Performance

You do not finish by watching something. You finish by showing it on the work you already do, against the measures this job is judged on.

  • Business Impact (Kirkpatrick Level 4)Directly linking strategic learning programmes to core business KPIs.After implementing a new leadership development programme, the sales unit saw a 7% increase in their average deal size and a 6% reduction in voluntary turnover amongst new managers within 12 months.Achieve a >5% improvement in a specific business unit KPI (e.g., sales quota attainment, customer satisfaction, reduction in new hire time-to-productivity) for at least two major programmes annually.
  • Talent Mobility RateIncreasing the percentage of critical roles filled by internal candidates, showing effective career pathing and development.In 2023, 40% of our senior leadership positions were filled internally. Your goal for 2024 would be to push that to 46% through targeted development pathways.Increase the rate of internal promotions for critical leadership and specialist roles by 15% year-over-year within the business unit.
  • Voluntary Turnover ReductionReducing the rate at which employees voluntarily leave the organisation, particularly in key talent segments, by providing compelling development opportunities.Our high-potential programme participants had a 5% voluntary turnover rate, while a comparable group not in the programme had a 15% rate – a 10% reduction directly attributable to development.Show a measurable reduction of at least 10% in voluntary turnover for populations participating in key development programmes, compared to non-participating groups.
  • Leadership Bench StrengthImproving the readiness of internal candidates to step into critical leadership roles.Our succession plan for the top 50 leadership roles showed only 30% 'ready now' candidates last year. Your goal is to get that to 40% this year by building specific development plans for identified successors.Increase the 'ready now' or 'ready in 12 months' successor percentage for critical leadership roles by 10% through targeted development pipelines.

and 1 more in the full scoreboard below.

These are this job's own measures, with its own targets. Nothing is marked evidenced, because nobody has started this yet. Yours would fill in from the work you bring.

Your passport

This isn't a certificate you file away. It's a passport to the life you're designing.

Every credit you earn and every fluency you build adds up: evidence where it counts, carried with you. Zavmo keeps the map: where you are, where you're heading, and the next step, at your pace, around your life. From Director, Learning & Performance to VP, Talent & Development / Chief Learning Officer (CLO) (L7), and whatever you decide comes after.

Level 7 · in progressAI Fluency→ VP, Talent & Development / Chief Learning Officer (CLO) (L7)→ your design
Where this takes you

Your journey as a Director of Learning & Performance is about more than just a job; it's about shaping the future of work and the capabilities of an entire organisation. The impact you'll have here will set you up for a truly influential and rewarding career, whatever path you choose to take.

See Your Progress GrowIllustration
Director, Learning & Performance
  • Enterprise Performance Consulting
  • Multi-Year Learning Strategy & Architecture
  • Advanced Learning Impact Measurement & Analytics
  • Organisational Development & Design
  • M&A Talent Integration (L&D specific)
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.

14The 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 & Performance is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. VP, Talent & Development / Chief Learning Officer (CLO) (L7)

    Typically, 3-5 years in the Director role, demonstrating consistent, high-impact performance and readiness to take on enterprise-wide responsibility.

    This is the natural next step, moving from leading a major business unit's talent strategy to owning the entire enterprise human capital strategy, reporting directly to the CHRO.

    • Advanced Workforce Planning & Analytics (Enterprise): Using sophisticated models to forecast enterprise-wide skill gaps, succession risks, and talent supply/demand.
    • Organisational Culture Transformation: Leading large-scale cultural change initiatives across the entire company.
    • External Thought Leadership (Global): Representing the company as a global expert in talent and learning at major international forums.
    • Executive Team Leadership: Operating as a peer within the executive leadership team, influencing decisions beyond the People function.

  2. Chief People Officer (CHRO)

    This is a longer-term leap, often requiring 5-10+ years beyond the Director role, potentially after a stint as VP, Talent & Development. It requires a broader HR remit.

    This is the ultimate leadership role in the People function, owning all aspects of HR (Talent Acquisition, HRBP, Compensation & Benefits, People Operations, L&D) for the entire company.

    • Labour Relations & Employment Law (Global): Expert knowledge of employment law and labour relations across all operating geographies.
    • Executive Compensation & Benefits Design: Designing and managing executive compensation plans and enterprise-wide benefits strategies.
    • HR Technology Strategy (Enterprise): Owning the entire HR tech stack strategy and implementation.
    • Investor Relations (HR specific): Communicating human capital strategy and performance to investors and analysts.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

As a Director, your time is precious. You're paid to think strategically, lead your team, and influence at the highest levels. The reality is, a lot of that time gets eaten up by research, drafting, and synthesising information. What if you could reclaim a significant chunk of that for truly impactful work?

AI isn't here to replace your strategic brain; it's here to augment it. Imagine having a super-smart assistant that can handle the heavy lifting of information gathering, first-draft creation, and data analysis, allowing you to focus on the 'why' and the 'how' of your talent strategy. For a Director of Learning & Performance, this means more time shaping the future and less time on the mundane.

Board-Ready Content Generation

Use generative AI to create first drafts of board presentations, executive summaries, and strategic proposals. Feed it your key data points and desired tone, and it'll craft a persuasive, well-structured document in minutes, freeing you up to refine the narrative and anticipate questions.

Strategic Insight Synthesis

Upload hundreds of qualitative data points—from employee feedback to market research reports—and have AI instantly identify overarching themes, emerging trends, and critical insights. This saves countless hours of manual analysis, allowing you to quickly spot patterns and inform your talent strategy.

Rapid Market & Talent Benchmarking

Leverage AI assistants to summarise the latest industry reports, competitor talent strategies, and academic research on future skills. Get concise briefings on complex topics like 'AI's impact on leadership competencies' or 'best practices for M&A talent integration' in minutes, not days.

Predictive Talent Analytics

While not fully automated, AI can assist in building predictive models for talent retention, skill obsolescence, and future capability needs. Use it to identify at-risk employee segments or forecast future skill gaps, giving you a proactive edge in talent planning and investment decisions.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director, Learning & Performance?

Common routes in include Principal LBP / Manager, L&D Partners (L5) (You'd usually spend 3-5 years at the L5 level, proving your ability to lead a team, manage a significant portfolio of work, and influence senior stakeholders. This is the most direct path.), Head of Talent Management (from a smaller firm) (Roughly 4-7 years in a Head of Talent role, especially in a fast-growing, complex organisation where you've had broad responsibility across learning, performance, and succession.) and Senior HR Business Partner (with strong L&D focus) (Around 5-8 years as a Senior HRBP, particularly if you've had a strong focus on capability building, organisational development, and talent strategy for a large client group.). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director, Learning & Performance progress to?

This role can lead on to VP, Talent & Development / Chief Learning Officer (CLO) (L7) (Typically, 3-5 years in the Director role, demonstrating consistent, high-impact performance and readiness to take on enterprise-wide responsibility.) and Chief People Officer (CHRO) (This is a longer-term leap, often requiring 5-10+ years beyond the Director role, potentially after a stint as VP, Talent & Development. It requires a broader HR remit.), depending on the skills you build.

What level is a Director, Learning & Performance in the UK?

This role aligns to RQF Level 7 on the UK framework, a guide to the depth of qualification it maps to, not a hard entry bar.

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

Increasingly, AI Strategy & Governance for L&D and Ecosystem Integration & Orchestration. These are the areas where the higher-paid, future-proof work is heading.

The honest bit

You’ve started things before

Most of them were built for a room full of people who aren’t you. A cohort moves on whether or not your week allowed it, and by the third week the thing you’re behind on becomes the reason you stop opening it.

There’s no cohort here, and no timetable to fall behind. Before anything starts, Zavmo asks when you’re sharpest and how long you can realistically sit down for, then builds the sessions around those answers. A bad fortnight changes your pace. It doesn’t put you behind.

And you only pay once you start learning. Searching and planning are free, and you can cancel any time — so the cost of finding out is an afternoon, not a year.

What it costs

Less than one coaching session. Every month.

A single career-coaching hour costs more than a month of this, and it ends when the hour does. Zavmo doesn't. It's £70 a month, about £2.30 a day, for a companion that knows a Director, Learning & Performance, works on the job you actually do, and keeps going at your pace rather than a timetable's.

  • Searching and planning stay free. You only pay when you start learning.
  • Your credits are yours. Regulated, and they don't vanish when a subscription ends.
  • Cancel any time and billing stops. No notice period, no minimum term.

Your path, personalised

You have the map. Walking it is the part we do together.

This route runs to 11 national skill standards. That is a real journey.

Zavmo shapes a learning experience as unique as you are. It fits how you learn, your pace and the work you already do. Every step stays benchmarked to recognised national standards. That’s the plan for becoming a Director, Learning & Performance: personal to you, and it still counts. The first steps are free.

Independent research finds well-designed intelligent tutoring performs nearly as well as one-to-one human tutoring: VanLehn (2011), Educational Psychologist.

A private tutor in the UK averages £35–40 an hour . Zavmo is £70/month.

A real plan on learn.zavmo.ai: Ofqual-regulated units, credits, and a three-month run at your own pace.
Start free No commitment. See your first steps free.

15Where 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.

Other roles in Learning and Development

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.

If you leave this industry

Your skills in strategic talent development, organisational transformation, and executive influence are highly transferable. You could move into similar Director/VP roles in almost any industry, particularly in large, complex organisations facing significant change. The core challenges of building human capability remain consistent.

Not sure this is the right direction?

Work out what you actually want from work first, then come back and see which roles fit it. Takes about ten minutes.

This role profile is © 2026Growth 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. Build my plan, free Here's the first ten minutes: a 2-minute confidence check → your personalised roadmap → meet the tutors matched to you. No card, cancel any time. 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.