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Director Learning Development Jobs in Toronto, ON

Director of Applied Learning

Toronto, ON · On-site

$167.88 - $209.85/hr

Director of Applied Learning Reporting to : Managing Director Years of experience : 10+ years ... Ideal candidate profile * 10+ years of experience in international development, social impact, or a ...

Director of Applied Learning

Toronto, ON · Hybrid

CA$120K - CA$150K/yr

Job title Director of Applied Learning Reporting to Managing Director Years of experience 10+ years ... Ideal candidate profile * 10+ years of experience in international development, social impact, or a ...

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Director Learning Development information

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Director of Learning and Development, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director of Learning and Development, you need expertise in instructional design, organizational development, and adult learning theory, often supported by a degree in education, HR, or a related field. Familiarity with learning management systems (LMS), e-learning authoring tools, and certifications like CPLP or SHRM-CP is typically required. Strategic thinking, leadership, and strong communication skills help you drive change and foster a culture of continuous learning. These skills and qualities are crucial for aligning learning initiatives with business goals and ensuring workforce development.

What is the difference between Director Learning Development vs Learning and Development Manager?

AspectDirector Learning DevelopmentLearning and Development Manager
CredentialsTypically requires a bachelor’s degree in education, HR, or related field; often prefers advanced certifications like CPLP or ATD certificationsSimilar educational background; certifications like CPLP or ATD are common but less frequently required
Work EnvironmentStrategic leadership role overseeing multiple teams or departments, involved in high-level planningOperational role focused on implementing training programs and managing teams
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in large organizations across various industries, especially where training is a strategic priorityCommon in organizations of all sizes, often as a mid-level position within HR or Learning departments

The main difference between a Director Learning Development and a Learning and Development Manager lies in scope and seniority. The Director typically leads strategic initiatives and manages multiple teams, while the Manager focuses on executing training programs and day-to-day operations. Both roles require similar credentials but differ in responsibilities and organizational level.

How much do directors of training and development make?

Directors of training and development typically earn a median annual salary of around $100,000 to $150,000, depending on industry, experience, and location. They often oversee learning programs, manage teams, and require strong leadership and instructional design skills.

What is the 70/20/10 rule for learning and development?

The 70/20/10 rule for learning and development suggests that 70% of learning comes from on-the-job experiences, 20% from social interactions like coaching and mentoring, and 10% from formal training. As a Director of Learning Development, understanding this model helps design effective development programs that balance experiential learning with formal education.

What are the most common challenges faced by a Director of Learning and Development when implementing new training programs across an organization?

One of the main challenges for Directors of Learning and Development is gaining buy-in from both leadership and employees for new training initiatives. Balancing diverse learning needs across different departments while ensuring consistency in delivery can also be complex. Additionally, measuring the effectiveness of programs and demonstrating their impact on business outcomes often requires careful planning and ongoing evaluation. Successful Directors typically overcome these challenges through strong communication, collaboration with stakeholders, and leveraging data-driven approaches to tailor and refine development strategies.

What jobs pay 500,000 a year in the US?

In the US, high-paying roles such as executive positions (CEOs, CFOs, COOs), specialized surgeons, and certain investment bankers can earn $500,000 or more annually. Senior leadership roles in large corporations, successful entrepreneurs, and top-tier technology executives also often reach this compensation level, especially with bonuses and stock options.

What does a director of learning and development do?

A director of learning and development oversees an organization's training and educational programs to improve employee skills and performance. They design strategies, manage teams, and collaborate with leadership to align learning initiatives with business goals, often utilizing learning management systems and requiring strong leadership and communication skills.
What are the most commonly searched types of Learning Development jobs in Toronto, ON? The most popular types of Learning Development jobs in Toronto, ON are:
What job categories do people searching Director Learning Development jobs in Toronto, ON look for? The top searched job categories for Director Learning Development jobs in Toronto, ON are:
What cities near Toronto, ON are hiring for Director Learning Development jobs? Cities near Toronto, ON with the most Director Learning Development job openings:
Infographic showing various Director Learning Development job openings in Toronto, ON as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 33% Hybrid, and 67% Remote job distribution.

Director, Learning Design & Development

Isaac Operations

Toronto, ON

Full-time

Posted 8 days ago


Job description

Company Description

Who we are.

While technically we’re an operational consultancy, we don’t like to call ourselves consultants. We’re a collection of engineers, innovators and creators who work with companies across industries to simplify the complex, realize untapped potential, and uncover opportunities. We know that our people are our superpower and loving your Monday to Friday is important to us. We’ve been recognized as one of the top 10 Best Places to Work in Canada for the past 7 years, and number 1 in 2022, which we know has something to do with our culture of rewarding great work with great experiences, fostering rapid career growth, and sharing the success of the business with the whole team.

Why work for us. 

Isaac is scaling fast, and we are building a Learning & Development function that can scale with us. One that is deliberate, distinctive, and grounded in who we are. We are looking for a Director, Learning Design & Development to come in and shape how we develop our people. This is a build role, not a maintain role. You will own the end-to-end arc of how people learn at Isaac, from what we teach, to how we teach it, to how our leaders develop their teams day-to-day. You will be the senior leader on how we develop our people at Isaac.

While we have a flexible working environment, the successful candidate should expect to spend an average of at least three days a week in person at our Liberty Village office.

Job Description

What you’ll do.

  • Own what great learning looks like at Isaac across the full breadth of how people develop. Live training, self-paced content, coaching and mentoring, on-the-job learning, and how they fit together
  • Make development and learning at Isaac feel special. Not just effective, but a defining part of our culture, the reason people stay, the reason candidates want to join, and a differentiator our clients experience through the quality of our people
  • Design an integrated development ecosystem where on-the-job experiences, formal learning, coaching, mentoring, talent assessments, and career development work together to accelerate growth.
  • Lead the design and build of Isaac’s Leadership Academy, a multi-level program supported by external partners that advances people’s leadership skills from early career through to Partner, with a clear, credible development arc at every level to meet business needs today and build the capabilities we'll need in the future
  • Own the technical operational training by level from induction (new consultant training) through to Principal and evolve the content as our work and sectors evolve
  • Own the manager capability agenda. Define explicit expectations for development conversations, feedback, and how managers grow the people on their teams, and embed those expectations in how leaders operate
  • Shape the leadership capability definition and the leadership metrics that signal whether the system is working
  • Partner with senior leaders to translate our existing competency framework into behaviour descriptors, learning experiences, and development reps that actually shift how people show up
  • Bring an external, evidence-based view of organizational learning into Isaac. What’s working in serious learning organizations, what’s noise, and what fits our culture
  • Explore and introduce innovative approaches to learning, leveraging new technologies, AI, and emerging practices to create engaging development experiences that set Isaac apart.
  • Engage external partners and academic faculty where they raise the ceiling, and build internal facilitation capability over time so leaders are teaching leaders
  • Lead and develop the L&D team. Build a strong group around you across systems and execution, leadership development specialists, and FO Sector Dev Leads, and raise the bar for the whole function
  • Operate as a senior member of the People Team leadership group. Voice in strategy, partner to the VP P&C, and contributor to how Isaac scales its people overall

Who you are.

  • A builder, not a maintainer. Energized by shaping something distinctive from the ground up, not running someone else’s playbook
  • A bridge between the business and the people side. You read what the business actually needs, you read what people want to develop, and you find solutions that serve both
  • Develops others as a default. You coach as much as you direct, you raise the bar for the people around you, and you make other people better at their jobs
  • Opinionated about how learning works. You hold strong views on what good development looks like and you’re willing to defend them, including with senior people who disagree
  • Senior in presence. You belong in rooms with Partners and VPs, and you bring conviction without ego
  • Comfortable being the only senior learning person in the room and equally comfortable working in partnership with peers who own adjacent scopes
  • Curious and intellectually restless. You read, you think, you bring fresh ideas into the room without chasing every trend
  • Patient with people, impatient with mediocre work. You don’t confuse being kind with lowering the bar
  • Pragmatic. You can hold an ambitious vision and ship a useful first version of it in the same week
  • You’re awesome. You bring energy, curiosity, and personality to your work. We work hard, celebrate wins, and enjoy spending time together
Qualifications

What you bring to the role.

  • Deep expertise in organizational learning. You understand how adults actually develop in professional services and how to design for it, not from a generalist L&D playbook
  • Formal grounding in learning science, instructional design, organizational psychology, adult development, or a related discipline. Either through academic training or through significant practitioner work that put you in regular contact with the underlying research
  • Significant experience leading the learning and development function inside a serious organization (corporate, professional services, or a respected scale-up) at a level that owned the design of how people develop, not just the delivery of training
  • A track record of leadership development programs you’ve designed that demonstrably shifted behaviour, with evidence you can talk to (manager feedback signals, leader effectiveness measures, retention outcomes, or equivalent)
  • Experience operating alongside senior business leaders as a peer, not a service provider. Credible in strategic conversations and used to being challenged on your recommendations
  • Hands-on experience building from scratch. Competency frameworks, faculty models, measurement approaches, content libraries. You have artefacts you can show, not just programs you’ve run
  • Practical experience with the full blended-learning palette (live training, self-paced digital, coaching, mentoring, on-the-job learning) and a point of view on how they fit together
  • A formed view on AI in development, ideally with a project or two you’ve shipped that tested it in practice
  • Strong written and verbal communication. Your decks, your frameworks, and your sessions all carry the same high standard

Additional Information

Learn more about the Isaac Operations and the work we do by checking out our Instagram @isaacoperations.

At Isaac our business is delivered by our people, and we are proud to say that we are an equal opportunity workplace that doesn’t discriminate in employment on the basis of any protected grounds. Including, but not limited to, age, ancestry, colour, race, citizenship, ethnic origin, place of origin, creed, disability, family status, marital status (including single status), gender identity, gender expression, sex (including pregnancy and breast feeding), and sexual orientation. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability please contact us. 

We’re proud to offer a compensation package that aligns with provincial pay transparency requirements. Final compensation will be set fairly and thoughtfully based on experience, expertise, and alignment with the role’s responsibilities. While all candidates are expected to bring directly relevant experience, the top of the range is typically reserved for individuals who demonstrate exceptional depth in the role’s core competencies, a strong track record of impact in similar environments, and the ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy from day one.

This posting represents an existing vacancy within our organization—an opportunity to step into a role where your talents will make a meaningful difference.

Every application is reviewed by a member of our Talent team, and all decisions throughout the process are made by humans.