UK

United Kingdom · Learning and development · Principal/Manager (12-16 years)

Manager, L&D Programmes

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  • Experience bandPrincipal/Manager (12-16 years)
  • Direct reports3-8 reports
  • Reports toDirector, Learning & Development
  • UK framework levelUsually a manager, or the deepest specialist in a team

Also advertised as Head of Learning Programmes · Learning Portfolio Manager · Senior L&D Manager

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

Two short quizzes about you

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

NCFE CACHE Level 5 Diploma in Advanced Playwork (Wales) NCFE · Level 5 · covers 2 of 10 standards
LRN Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training Learning Resource Network · Level 5 · covers 1 of 10 standards
SFJ Awards Level 3 Certificate In Learning and Development SFJ Awards · Level 3 · covers 5 of 10 standards
City & Guilds Level 4 Diploma in Learning and Development City & Guilds Limited · Level 4 · covers 4 of 10 standards
OCNLR Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training OCN London · Level 4 · covers 2 of 10 standards
Focus Awards Level 3 Diploma in Playwork (RQF) Focus Awards Limited · Level 3 · covers 2 of 10 standards

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

The units you would start with

Provide learning opportunities for colleagues NCFE CACHE Level 5 Diploma in Advanced Playwork (Wales)
Manage Learning and Development in Groups LRN Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training
Plan and prepare specific learning and development opportunities SFJ Awards Level 3 Certificate In Learning and Development
Identify individual learning and development needs OCNLR Level 4 Certificate in Education and Training

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
Systems Fluency seeing the whole picture
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Your Plan Illustration

Built for Manager, L&D Programmes

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

  1. Provide learning opportunities for colleagues NCFE · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 5
  2. Manage Learning and Development in Groups Learning Resource Network · covers 1 of 10 standards Level 5
  3. Plan and prepare specific learning and development opportunities SFJ Awards · covers 5 of 10 standards Level 3
  4. Identify individual learning and development needs OCN London · covers 2 of 10 standards Level 4
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Manager, L&D Programmes?

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-Powered Learning Strategy & Oversight
  • Data Storytelling for Executive Impact
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 Manager, L&D Programmes plan as you set up, starting with a Future Fluency module on using AI in your job. No card.

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

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3What this role really is

This role means leading a team that designs and delivers learning programmes across an organisation. It involves making sure L&D efforts support the business and produce real results. It carries responsibility for a significant part of the learning portfolio and its budget, shaping how people grow across the organisation.

4What you'd actually use

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

LMS (Cornerstone OnDemand, Workday Learning, LearnUpon) Strategic

Leading vendor selection, defining the enterprise learning tech ecosystem, owning data governance models, and ensuring seamless integration with other HR systems for your programme portfolio.

Authoring Tools (Articulate 360, Adobe Captivate) Architect

Setting organisational standards for instructional design, evaluating and selecting new authoring technologies to meet strategic needs, and guiding your team on best practices for content creation.

Project & Collaboration Suite (Asana, Jira, MS Teams) Strategic

Implementing and standardising PM methodologies across the L&D function, using project data to forecast resource needs, manage portfolio dependencies, and report on progress to senior leadership.

Analytics & Visualisation (Tableau, Power BI, Visier) Strategic

Defining the key metrics for the entire L&D function, using predictive analytics to link learning initiatives to business outcomes (e.g., retention, sales), and presenting these insights to executives.

Survey & Feedback (Qualtrics, Culture Amp) Strategic

Designing the enterprise-wide learning feedback strategy, integrating feedback data into talent management and succession planning processes, and coaching your team on advanced survey design and analysis.

LXP (Degreed, EdCast, LinkedIn Learning Hub) Strategic

Owning the LXP strategy as the 'front door' to learning, championing a culture of self-directed development, and negotiating enterprise content licenses to enrich the learning experience for all employees.

HRIS (Workday HCM, SAP SuccessFactors) Strategic

Influencing the skills and competency architecture within the core HRIS to enable a data-driven talent marketplace, ensuring data integrity and integration for learning initiatives.

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
Programme Budget Allocation No authority. Escalate all budget requests to manager. Can propose budget adjustments up to £5K for existing programmes, requiring manager approval. Can approve budget spend up to £50K within an approved programme. Requires Director input for reallocations above this.
Vendor Selection & Contracts No authority. Identify potential vendors and escalate to manager. Can recommend vendors for specific tasks, with manager approval for contracts up to £10K. Can select and manage vendors for workstreams up to £50K, with Director sign-off on contracts.
Team Hiring & Performance No authority. Can provide feedback on candidates. No direct reports. Can informally mentor junior colleagues. Can formally mentor 1-2 junior team members. Input into hiring decisions for junior roles.
Programme Design & Methodology Follows established templates and guidelines. No independent design decisions. Can adapt standard instructional design approaches for routine projects. Escalate novel design challenges. Designs and implements complex learning solutions for specific workstreams. Consults Director on strategic design shifts.

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.

Programme Portfolio ROI
The calculated return on investment for your top 3-5 strategic programmes.
Target · Achieve a minimum 2:1 ROI for strategic programmes.

Your leadership development programme shows a £1.5M increase in internal promotions and a 10% reduction in regrettable attrition for participants, costing £500K to run, resulting in a 3:1 ROI.

Budget Adherence & Optimisation
Managing your assigned L&D programme budget, typically £500K-£2M, ensuring spend aligns with strategic priorities and delivers value.
Target · Maintain budget variance within ±5% annually, identifying £100K+ in cost efficiencies or reallocations.

You re-negotiate a vendor contract, saving £75K, and reallocate £25K from an underperforming programme to a new, high-impact initiative, all while staying within your overall £1.2M budget.

Team Programme Delivery & Quality
The overall success rate and quality of programmes delivered by your team.
Target · 90% of programmes delivered on time and within scope, with an average learner satisfaction score of 4.2/5.0 and 75% manager-confirmed skill application.

Your team launches 12 major programmes this year, with 11 hitting deadlines, an average 4.3 satisfaction score, and managers reporting significant skill improvement in 80% of participants.

Time-to-Proficiency Reduction
The impact of onboarding and upskilling programmes on how quickly new hires or existing employees become fully effective in their roles.
Target · Reduce average time-to-proficiency for critical roles (e.g., sales, engineering) by 15-20% through targeted learning interventions.

Working with the Sales team, your new sales enablement programme cuts the average time for a new Account Executive to hit quota from 6 months to 5 months, a 16% improvement.

Strategic Influence & Partnership
Your ability to be seen as a trusted advisor by senior business leaders, proactively identifying performance gaps and proposing learning solutions.
  • You're regularly invited to business unit leadership meetings, asked for input on strategic people initiatives, and business leaders champion your programmes without prompting. They see you as a partner, not just a service provider.
Team Development & Engagement
How effectively you lead, mentor, and develop your direct reports, fostering a high-performing and engaged team.
  • Your team members consistently meet their goals, show strong professional growth (e.g., promotions, increased scope), and report high satisfaction in internal engagement surveys. You're known for giving clear feedback and creating development opportunities.
Innovation in Learning Design
Your team's ability to bring fresh, effective, and sometimes unconventional approaches to learning, moving beyond traditional training.
  • Your team experiments with new modalities (e.g., VR simulations, AI-driven coaching), successfully pilots new learning technologies, and shares lessons learned across the L&D function. You're not afraid to try new things and learn from them.
Organisational Learning Culture
The extent to which your programmes foster a continuous learning mindset and encourage knowledge sharing across the business.
  • Employees are actively seeking out learning opportunities, internal knowledge sharing platforms are thriving, and leaders are visibly investing in their teams' development. Your programmes are contributing to a genuine 'learning in the flow of work' environment.

7Would you like it

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

What people enjoy
Building and Leading a High-Performing Team

You get a real buzz from seeing your direct reports develop new skills, take ownership of complex projects, and ultimately succeed. You actively mentor, coach, and remove roadblocks for them.

You spend an hour coaching a junior programme manager through a tricky stakeholder negotiation, then watch them nail it in the actual meeting. That's a win for you.

Strategic Impact and Organisational Change

You're driven by the idea that your team's programmes are genuinely shaping the organisation's future, helping us adapt to new markets or technologies. You want to see learning drive real, measurable business outcomes.

You lead the design of a company-wide digital transformation upskilling programme, and six months later, you see a measurable increase in employee productivity and innovation metrics directly linked to it.

Ownership of a Significant Portfolio and Budget

You thrive on the responsibility of managing a substantial budget (typically £500K-£2M) and the strategic decisions that come with owning a portfolio of critical learning programmes. You enjoy the challenge of optimising resources for maximum impact.

You successfully re-allocate budget from a less critical programme to fund a high-priority leadership initiative, demonstrating clear rationale and getting buy-in from senior leadership.

What frustrates people
  • Being asked to 'fix' cultural or process issues with a training course.
  • Struggling to get clean data to prove learning ROI to senior leaders.
  • SME unavailability causing significant project delays for your team.
  • Sudden, top-down 'flavour of the month' learning initiatives that derail strategic plans.
  • Dealing with learner apathy or resistance to mandatory training.
  • Fighting with outdated learning technology that creates a poor user experience.
What this role does not give you
  • A purely individual contributor role where you're solely focused on instructional design.
  • A predictable, unchanging work environment with clear, static priorities.
  • Freedom from budget constraints or the need to justify every pound spent.
  • A guarantee that every programme your team builds will be perfectly adopted and loved by everyone.

8Who you work with

You'll directly influence the capabilities of our workforce, which means impacting everything from individual performance to overall business strategy. Your portfolio of programmes will shape our culture of learning, improve employee engagement, and ultimately contribute to our bottom line by ensuring our people have the skills we need to win. Get it right, and we're a more competitive, agile business.

Inside the business
  • Director, Learning & Development (your manager)
  • Heads of Business Units (e.g., Sales, Engineering, Product)
  • HR Business Partners (HRBPs)
  • Finance Team (for budget reviews and ROI discussions)
  • Senior Leadership Team (for programme updates and strategic alignment)
Outside the business
  • Learning Technology Vendors (Cornerstone, Articulate, Degreed)
  • External Content Providers (e.g., LinkedIn Learning, specialist training firms)
  • Consultants (for specific programme design or evaluation projects)

9What you need before you start

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

  • Extensive experience (10+ years) leading complex, multi-stakeholder learning programmes from end-to-end.
  • Demonstrable experience managing and developing a team of L&D professionals (3+ direct reports).
  • Proven ability to manage significant budgets (e.g., £500K+) and demonstrate ROI for learning initiatives.
  • Advanced proficiency with at least two major LMS platforms (e.g., Cornerstone, Workday Learning) and one authoring tool (e.g., Articulate Storyline).
  • Strong track record of influencing senior business leaders and acting as a trusted performance consultant.
  • A deep understanding of adult learning principles and instructional design methodologies, applied in a corporate setting.

10What to practise next

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

Learning Ecosystem Architecture

It's no longer just about an LMS. We're building complex learning ecosystems involving LXPs, microlearning platforms, AI tools, and HRIS integrations. You'll need to understand how all these pieces fit together strategically.

API Integration Strategies · Data Flow & Governance · Vendor Landscape & Evaluation · User Experience (UX) Design for Learning

  • This quarter: Schedule meetings with our IT and HRIS teams to understand our current system architecture and data flows.
  • Next 6 months: Map out the current 'as-is' and desired 'to-be' learning technology ecosystem for your portfolio, identifying gaps and opportunities.
  • Next 12 months: Lead a small project to integrate a new learning tool into our existing ecosystem, learning the practical challenges firsthand.
  • Ongoing: Attend industry conferences or workshops focused on learning technology architecture and strategy.

Quick win: Take a critical look at one of your team's current programmes. Are learners jumping between too many systems? Can you simplify the experience with better integration?

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attending industry conferences (e.g., Learning Technologies, World of Learning) to stay current with trends and network with peers.
  • Subscribing to leading L&D journals and publications (e.g., Training Journal, Chief Learning Officer magazine).
  • Participating in L&D leadership forums or peer groups to share best practices and solve common challenges.
  • Pursuing continuous learning in areas like business analytics, strategic planning, or emerging technologies (e.g., AI in 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-Powered Learning Strategy & Oversight

AI is already transforming how we create, deliver, and evaluate learning. As a manager, you won't just use AI; you'll need to define the strategic role of AI within your portfolio, ensuring your team uses it ethically and effectively to drive personalisation and efficiency.

  • Ethical AI in L&D
  • AI-Driven Skill Gap Analysis
  • Adaptive Learning System Design
  • AI-Enhanced Performance Support
  • Prompt Engineering for L&D Content

Data Storytelling for Executive Impact

Proving the ROI of learning is becoming non-negotiable. As a manager, you'll need to move beyond just presenting data to telling compelling stories with it that resonate with senior leaders and directly link learning outcomes to business strategy and financial performance.

  • Narrative Structure for Data
  • Visualisation Best Practices for Executives
  • Connecting Learning Metrics to Business KPIs
  • Audience-Centric Communication
  • Impact vs. Activity Reporting

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Instructional Design Models (ADDIE, SAM)
  • Learning Evaluation & ROI (Kirkpatrick, Phillips)
  • Performance Consulting & Needs Analysis (Gilbert's BEM)
  • Adult Learning Theory (Knowles, Kolb)
  • Competency Framework Design & Implementation
  • Change Management (Prosci's ADKAR® Model)

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

    From Senior Learning Programme Manager (L3)

    3-5 years as an L3

    Skills to master

    • Moving from owning individual programmes to managing a portfolio, developing strong people leadership skills, mastering budget management, and building executive presence to influence senior stakeholders.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Consistently delivered high-impact, complex programmes with measurable results.
    • Successfully mentored junior colleagues and demonstrated informal leadership.
    • Proactively identified strategic opportunities for L&D, beyond assigned projects.
    • Managed a significant programme budget (e.g., £100K+) with excellent adherence.
  2. 2

    From Lead/Principal Programme Manager (L4)

    2-3 years as an L4

    Skills to master

    • Transitioning from architecting programme strategy to directly managing and developing a team, owning a larger budget, and taking accountability for a broader portfolio's performance. Focus shifts to people leadership and strategic oversight.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Designed and implemented new, multi-year learning strategies for a business unit.
    • Demonstrated strong vendor management and negotiation skills.
    • Influenced senior stakeholders on L&D strategy without direct authority.
    • Ready to take on direct line management responsibilities and P&L accountability.
  3. 3

    From L&D Manager in a Smaller Organisation

    Varies significantly, usually 3-7 years in a similar role

    Skills to master

    • Adapting to the scale and complexity of a larger organisation, managing a bigger budget, leading a larger team, and navigating more complex stakeholder landscapes. Often means specialising your leadership within a specific domain.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Managed an L&D function end-to-end in a smaller company, including strategy, budget, and team.
    • Demonstrated ability to scale programmes and processes.
    • Proven track record of building and managing an effective L&D team.
    • Eager to tackle larger, more complex organisational challenges.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This work builds a foundation in leading people and programmes. From here, some move into senior learning leadership such as chief learning officer, others move into wider HR leadership roles.

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 Manager, L&D Programmes is actually changing.

Where it leads

Roles this leads to

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

  • Principal Learning Strategist (IC Path - L5/L6 equivalent)

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

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

A lesson from Provide learning opportunities for colleagues, worked against Manager, L&D Programmes.

Provide learning opportunities for colleagues Level 5

Applied to your work in Manager, L&D Programmes

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

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

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

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See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Manager, L&D Programmes
  • Instructional Design Models (ADDIE, SAM)
  • Learning Evaluation & ROI (Kirkpatrick, Phillips)
  • Performance Consulting & Needs Analysis (Gilbert's BEM)
  • Adult Learning Theory (Knowles, Kolb)
  • Competency Framework Design & Implementation
  • Change Management (Prosci's ADKAR® Model)
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

Manager, L&D Programmes is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Director, Learning & Development (L6)

    3-5 years in this Manager (L5) role

    You'll move from owning a portfolio and managing a team to owning the entire L&D strategy for a major business unit or even a significant part of the enterprise. You'll sit on the business unit leadership team and influence broader talent strategy.

    • Talent Marketplace Strategy Designing and implementing internal talent mobility and skills-based hiring frameworks.
    • M&A Learning Integration Leading the integration of learning programmes and cultures during mergers and acquisitions.
    • External Thought Leadership Representing the organisation as an L&D expert in the industry.

  2. Principal Learning Strategist (IC Path - L5/L6 equivalent)

    3-5 years in this Manager (L5) role, or potentially from L4

    This is a specialist path, moving into a deep expert role without direct reports. You'd focus on architecting highly complex, innovative learning solutions for enterprise-wide challenges, acting as a lead consultant within L&D.

    • Neuroscience of Learning Applying principles of brain science to optimise learning transfer and retention.
    • Learning Analytics & Predictive Modelling Building sophisticated models to forecast learning needs and impact.
    • Global Learning Strategy Designing learning solutions that account for diverse cultural and regulatory contexts.
    • Organisational Learning Culture Design Architecting interventions to embed continuous learning at a systemic level.
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

Let's be real, managing a team and a portfolio of learning programmes is a lot. You're constantly juggling strategic oversight with operational details, often wishing you had more hours in the day. Here's where AI steps in, not to replace your strategic brain, but to free up your team's time and give you better data to make smarter decisions.

Imagine your team spending less time on tedious admin and more time on high-impact learning design. Imagine having instant insights into programme effectiveness across your entire portfolio. AI isn't just a buzzword; it's a practical tool that can transform how your L&D team operates, giving you a competitive edge and more time to focus on what truly matters: developing our people.

Automated Learner Support & Comms

Use an AI chatbot, integrated with our LMS and intranet, to instantly answer 70% of common learner questions (e.g., 'When is the pre-work due?', 'Who is in my cohort?'). This frees up your team from high-volume, low-value administrative burdens, letting them focus on programme quality. You'll oversee its implementation and performance.

Personalised Learning Path Generation

Use AI to analyse performance review data, skills assessments, and career goals from the HRIS to automatically recommend personalised learning content from the LXP for each employee. This moves us beyond one-size-fits-all curricula, ensuring your team delivers highly relevant and engaging learning experiences at scale.

Rapid Content Curation & First Drafts

Use generative AI to quickly scan, summarise, and cluster external articles, podcasts, and research on new topics. Your team can then use these curated summaries as foundations for new learning modules, turning days of research into hours. You'll set the quality standards and review outputs.

Smart Assessment & Feedback Analysis

Utilise AI tools to generate diverse assessment questions based on content. Then, use natural language processing (NLP) to analyse open-ended feedback from surveys, instantly identifying key themes, sentiment, and actionable suggestions across your entire programme portfolio. This gives you faster, deeper insights into what's working and what isn't.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Manager, L&D Programmes?

Common routes in include From Senior Learning Programme Manager (3-5 years as an L3), From Lead/Principal Programme Manager (2-3 years as an L4) and From L&D Manager in a Smaller Organisation (Varies significantly, usually 3-7 years in a similar role). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Manager, L&D Programmes progress to?

This role can lead on to Director, Learning & Development (3-5 years in this Manager (L5) role) and Principal Learning Strategist (3-5 years in this Manager (L5) role, or potentially from L4), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Manager, L&D Programmes?

Increasingly, AI-Powered Learning Strategy & Oversight and Data Storytelling for Executive Impact. 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 5

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, including strategic programme management, team leadership, measuring impact, and working with senior leaders, transfer across industries. It can lead to similar L&D leadership roles in sectors from finance to healthcare, or into broader HR leadership, organisational development, or consulting.

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 Manager, L&D Programmes plan, free What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.