What does a Manager, Learning & Development do?
A learning & development (L&D;) manager is an individual who is responsible for training employees within an organization to advance their skills and knowledge. Learning & development managers are required to execute learning strategies and programs for employees and assess their development as well as the organization's development needs. They implement various learning methods companywide such as e-learning courses, workshops, and coaching. Learning & development managers also manage the hiring and training of new L&D; specialists.
Manager, learning & development responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real manager, learning & development resumes:
- Manage garnishment, data integrity, and other payroll compliance processes.
- Lead the design of the company's HRIS system, which are developed entirely in-house.
- Manage departmental cost, service metrics, key performance indicators (KPI) and service levels.
- Lead corporate initiatives in learning and development including management and leadership training, technical training, eLearning, and instructor-le programs.
- Conduct ongoing training needs assessments to assist in performance management and succession planning necessary to meet strategic corporate objectives.
- Work closely with SMEs to ensure training is aligned with business needs and desire outcomes.
- Evaluate program effectiveness, through measurement of key performance indicators, to determine ROI and to identify training gaps.
- Introduce electronic learning modules to the organization using PowerPoint.
- Track training by way of eLearning system to support operational efficiency.
- Develop ROI metrics for learning initiatives to assess program and strategy implementation effectiveness.
- Plan logistics and ensure effective communication strategy are executed with all early childhood educators.
- Track registration information for participants, vendors and sponsors in the organization's internal database.
- Streamline certification, enrollment and attendance tracking by assisting in creation of online training workshop database.
- Collaborate with SMEs to design online career planning courses and facilitate career development of geographically disperse workforce.
- Coordinate all logistics of residential stay and orientation process along with additional university staff for campus affairs/student activities.
Manager, learning & development skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Managers, Learning & Development are proficient in Project Management, Human Resources, and Instructional Design. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Collaboration skills, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of Managers, Learning & Development that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Project Management, 8%
Develop and deliver Project Management curriculum, focusing on increasing client relationship building and improving appropriate financial management of projects.
- Human Resources, 6%
Support the development and implementation of enterprise-wide human resources, learning and development, and talent development projects.
- Instructional Design, 5%
Create project-specific templates and style guides to ensure consistency during development, particularly on projects involving multiple instructional designers and developers.
- Learning Solutions, 5%
Led team of 25+ education specialists with prime responsibility for developing innovative and engaging learning solutions for global aerospace engineering portfolio.
- Continuous Improvement, 5%
Develop and execute agency-wide training and performance management strategies that drive continuous improvement and quality customer service.
- Training Programs, 5%
Harmonize training programs based on business priorities, while strengthening link between training programs and identified competencies for management/leadership development.
"project management," "human resources," and "instructional design" are among the most common skills that managers, learning & development use at work. You can find even more manager, learning & development responsibilities below, including:
Business skills. The most essential soft skill for a manager, learning & development to carry out their responsibilities is business skills. This skill is important for the role because "training and development managers must understand business operations in order to match training with business goals." Additionally, a manager, learning & development resume shows how their duties depend on business skills: "developed and implemented the overall learning and development strategy to deliver high-quality, cost effective learning resources that impacted business results. "
Collaboration skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling manager, learning & development duties is collaboration skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "training and development managers need strong interpersonal skills because delivering training programs requires working in concert with staff, trainees, subject matter experts, and the organization’s leaders." According to a manager, learning & development resume, here's how managers, learning & development can utilize collaboration skills in their job responsibilities: "worked in collaboration with business-unit leadership to assess and define learning solutions to meet key business objectives. "
Leadership skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of managers, learning & development is leadership skills. This skill is critical to many everyday manager, learning & development duties, as "managers are often in charge of a staff and programs." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "developed employee development strategy for the business unit across functional, behavioral and leadership skills. "
Communication skills. manager, learning & development responsibilities often require "communication skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "training and development managers must clearly convey information to diverse audiences." This resume example shows what managers, learning & development do with communication skills on a typical day: "created professional development courses addressing communication, presentation skills, problem solving, and team dynamics. "
Instructional skills. Another crucial skill for a manager, learning & development to carry out their responsibilities is "instructional skills." A big part of what managers, learning & development relies on this skill, since "training and development managers need to understand the fundamentals of teaching and lesson planning." How this skill relates to manager, learning & development duties can be seen in an example from a manager, learning & development resume snippet: "applied adult learning principles to create internal instructional resources for subject matter experts, including video, elearning, and assessments. "
The three companies that hire the most manager, learning & developments are:
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Manager, learning & development vs. Director of training
Training directors are responsible for directing the planning, design, and implementation of training programs. They are responsible for assessing and identifying the company's training needs, maintaining a consistent culture regarding training, and managing and directing employee training. Training directors are expected to provide engaging communication about the program to encourage employee participation and emphasize the benefits and value of exercise. They are also expected to establish and maintain good relationships with vendors to provide more training programs.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between managers, learning & development and director of training. For instance, manager, learning & development responsibilities require skills such as "instructional design," "learning solutions," "continuous improvement," and "learning programs." Whereas a director of training is skilled in "oversight," "powerpoint," "cpr," and "program development." This is part of what separates the two careers.
On average, directors of training reach similar levels of education than managers, learning & development. Directors of training are 4.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Manager, learning & development vs. Regional training manager
A regional training manager focuses on improving and upskilling employees of a company located in different regions. The regional training manager works with employees, provides assessments, evaluations, and determinations on what areas need improvement and development. It is also the regional training manager's job to conduct inspections of employees for improvements in their skills after training. The regional training manager is needed to fine-tune the training method better to fit certain regions, especially concerning cultural, regional, and ethnic factors that need to be considered.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, manager, learning & development responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "project management," "instructional design," "learning solutions," and "continuous improvement." Meanwhile, a regional training manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "powerpoint," "regional training," "store operations," and "product knowledge." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, regional training managers earn a lower salary than managers, learning & development. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, regional training managers earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $63,426. Whereas managers, learning & development have higher pay in the retail industry, with an average salary of $125,967.In general, regional training managers achieve lower levels of education than managers, learning & development. They're 12.3% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Manager, Learning & Developments in the next 3-5 years?
Associate Professor of Educational Technology, Education & Leadership, Western Oregon University
Manager, learning & development vs. Senior training manager
A senior training manager is responsible for facilitating and monitoring training programs and orientations for all employees and new staff. Senior training managers handle the training budgets and ensure the allocation of resources to support training operations. They also develop training management plans by coordinating with department heads for the necessary business needs. A senior training manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in resolving issues and strategizing efficient training methodologies with strict adherence to company standards and regulations.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a manager, learning & development is likely to be skilled in "human resources," "learning solutions," "continuous improvement," and "learning programs," while a typical senior training manager is skilled in "powerpoint," "sr," "hr," and "field training."
Senior training managers make a very good living in the telecommunication industry with an average annual salary of $111,694. On the other hand, managers, learning & development are paid the highest salary in the retail industry, with average annual pay of $125,967.When it comes to education, senior training managers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to managers, learning & development. In fact, they're 8.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Manager, learning & development vs. Training administrator
Training administrators coordinate employees and management training programs. The administrators administer competency or skill assessments, outplacement, career counseling, and other specialized training for employees. They update and organize the training programs for administrative and clerical works. It is also their job to plan and enforce these programs for government agencies, business enterprises, and other institutions. Leadership skills, communication skills, and management skills are necessary for this job.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between managers, learning & development and training administrators, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a manager, learning & development might have more use for skills like "project management," "instructional design," "learning solutions," and "continuous improvement." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of training administrators require skills like "nursing home," "long-term care," "home health," and "logistics. "
In general, training administrators earn the most working in the health care industry, with an average salary of $45,657. The highest-paying industry for a manager, learning & development is the retail industry.training administrators reach lower levels of education compared to managers, learning & development, in general. The difference is that they're 7.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of manager, learning & development
Updated January 8, 2025