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Director, learning and development vs development & program manager

The differences between directors, learning and development and development & program managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a director, learning and development, becoming a development & program manager takes usually requires 8-10 years. Additionally, a development & program manager has an average salary of $102,824, which is higher than the $92,733 average annual salary of a director, learning and development.

The top three skills for a director, learning and development include human resources, training programs and project management. The most important skills for a development & program manager are professional development, project management, and program management.

Director, learning and development vs development & program manager overview

Director, Learning And DevelopmentDevelopment & Program Manager
Yearly salary$92,733$102,824
Hourly rate$44.58$49.43
Growth rate7%10%
Number of jobs72,265186,222
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4539
Years of experience410

What does a director, learning and development do?

A director of learning and development is primarily in charge of spearheading efforts to improve the workforce in a company. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting strategies to find out areas that need improvement, coordinating with departments and staff, producing various training programs that will sharpen the employee's skills, and crafting skills assessment activities. There are also instances when a director must create progress reports and presentations, manage schedules, and liaise with clients and stakeholders. Furthermore, as the director, it is essential to implement the policies and guidelines of the company.

What does a development & program manager do?

The responsibilities of a development and program manager depend on one's place or industry of employment. Typically, they are in charge of overseeing the operations behind various projects and programs, ensuring everything is running smoothly and efficiently. They must also devise new strategies to improve workforce performance and services, identify new opportunities for profit growth, and determine the needs of clients. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the team in the joint effort to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Director, learning and development vs development & program manager salary

Directors, learning and development and development & program managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Director, Learning And DevelopmentDevelopment & Program Manager
Average salary$92,733$102,824
Salary rangeBetween $61,000 And $138,000Between $76,000 And $137,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAMenlo Park, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyGoogleFoundation Medicine
Best paying industryFinanceTechnology

Differences between director, learning and development and development & program manager education

There are a few differences between a director, learning and development and a development & program manager in terms of educational background:

Director, Learning And DevelopmentDevelopment & Program Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 69%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Georgia

Director, learning and development vs development & program manager demographics

Here are the differences between directors, learning and development' and development & program managers' demographics:

Director, Learning And DevelopmentDevelopment & Program Manager
Average age4539
Gender ratioMale, 42.4% Female, 57.6%Male, 58.3% Female, 41.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 4.5% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage18%10%

Differences between director, learning and development and development & program manager duties and responsibilities

Director, learning and development example responsibilities.

  • Manage RFP process to identify best-in-class e-Learning development providers.
  • Lead the implementation of eLearning courses design to support trainer certification process.
  • Base on results, ask to serve in newly create CLO role.
  • Maintain accurate training records and documentation to report ROI statistics.
  • Increase organizational commitment to development of human capital, and increase ROI of programs and initiatives.
  • Customize eLearning curricula base on role - individual contributor-, manager-, and senior manager-level courses.
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Development & program manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage PLM data integrity report and PLM post launch report by project.
  • Manage a budget of $600,000 each year to maintain annual KPIs.
  • Develop, establish, and manage product families OEM in and out relationships.
  • Shape the strategic direction and implement CRM strategies to manage a corporate loyalty program.
  • Manage the vendor selection process among OEM candidates and manage requirements lock down across vendors.
  • Manage direct and indirect sales channels and strategic partners within the Americas for new development products.
  • Show more

Director, learning and development vs development & program manager skills

Common director, learning and development skills
  • Human Resources, 7%
  • Training Programs, 6%
  • Project Management, 6%
  • Instructional Design, 5%
  • Blended Learning, 4%
  • Learning Management System, 4%
Common development & program manager skills
  • Professional Development, 22%
  • Project Management, 10%
  • Program Management, 8%
  • Business Development, 4%
  • HR, 4%
  • Program Development, 3%

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