Who We Are:
Heidrick & Struggles (Nasdaq: HSII) is a premier provider of global leadership advisory and on-demand talent solutions, serving the senior-level talent and consulting needs of the world's top organizations. In our role as trusted leadership advisors, we partner with our clients to develop future-ready leaders and organizations, bringing together our services and offerings in executive search, diversity and inclusion, leadership assessment and development, organization and team acceleration, culture shaping and on-demand, independent talent solutions. Heidrick & Struggles pioneered the profession of executive search more than 70 years ago. Today, the firm provides integrated talent and human capital solutions to help our clients change the world, one leadership team at a time.®
Additional information on the firm can be found at www.heidrick.com.
Considering candidates in Chicago, Boston, NY, Washington, DC.
The Role:
Seeking a strategic, data-driven, and operationally excellent Director of Learning & Development to lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of our firmwide learning initiatives.
The ideal candidate brings a combination of operational excellence, instructional design mastery, and polished facilitation presence – along with the ability to translate business strategy into a cohesive learning vision. This role is highly collaborative, strategic, and hands-on, requiring both big-picture thinking and strong execution.
Responsibilities:
- Design and deliver high-impact learning solutions, including core curriculum, flagship programs, business-specific initiatives, and just-in-time resources. Partner with internal teams and external vendors to ensure solutions are tailored to audience needs and drive measurable business outcomes.
- Own the end-to-end strategy and execution of senior leadership development offerings, including programs tailored for Partners, Principals, and Senior Executives. Oversee curriculum design, stakeholder engagement, delivery excellence, and continuous improvement.
- Oversee learning operations for firmwide L&D programs, including planning and execution of logistics, program communications, learner registration, technology platforms, vendor partnerships, budget oversight, and post-program evaluation.
- Management of learning technology platforms (e.g., LMS, LXP, virtual delivery tools), including configuration, troubleshooting, and analytics
- Budget ownership and cost control, including forecasting, tracking expenditures, and ensuring alignment with broader L&D and business objectives
- Vendor and external partner management, including sourcing, contracting, onboarding, performance oversight, and integration into program delivery
- Architect learning journeys across the employee lifecycle - from onboarding and functional capability building to leadership acceleration - ensuring cohesive, scalable, and future-ready development pathways.
- Coach business on learning industry trends to foster greater design and delivery innovation and efficiency, as well as learning impact and learner accessibility; recommend and implement social learning and collaboration solutions and foster on-the-job application.
- Leverage data analytics to assess the effectiveness and impact of learning programs, using both quantitative and qualitative metrics to evaluate outcomes, identify trends, and generate actionable insights. Develop reporting frameworks to track engagement, retention, and behavior change, and use findings to continuously refine and optimize program design and delivery.
- Lead the design and development of blended learning programs using instructional systems design principles to effectively meet the evolving needs of internal stakeholders.
- Create engaging learning activities, exercises, and compelling course content that enhances the learning process, retention and knowledge transfer.
- Assist in leading an effective and efficient solution development cycle from business needs assessment, course design and development, to determining technology learning environment requirements, and measures of training effectiveness – encouraging innovation, flexibility and collaboration.
- Meet with subject matter experts, key stakeholders, and end users to conduct learning needs analyses and define requirements for a variety of learning programs and tools.
- Recommend optimal learning solutions by applying personal expertise and feedback from business leaders and partners.
- Assist the Vice President, Learning & Development in working with leaders and business partners to develop comprehensive, annual training plans and learning programs focused on role-specific knowledge and skills as well as personal and professional career growth.
- Facilitate instructor-led training sessions tailored to a variety of audiences, adapting content and delivery style to meet the needs of each group and ensure knowledge transfer and engagement.
- Ability and willingness to travel at times, including occasional global travel.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- Minimum of ten years of progressive experience in learning and development, with a strong focus on leading and scaling learning operations - including program logistics, technology platform management (e.g., LMS/LXP), vendor coordination, and budget oversight - alongside deep expertise in instructional design, content delivery, and facilitation across in-person and virtual formats.
- Experience serving as a consultant/advisor in analyzing client needs; setting and managing expectations and influencing decisions.
- Experience dealing with people at all levels of an organization
- Proven ability to prioritize and complete multiple complex projects simultaneously.
- Experience in instructional methods and training techniques including curriculum design principles, adult learning theory, blended learning strategies/solutions including micro-learning offerings, and group facilitation.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills. Solid influencing, negotiation and facilitation skills with the ability to foster and maintain collaborative relationships with clients, peers, subordinates and other key stakeholders.
- Strong project management skills. Must have the ability to document and communicate project plans, monitor work in progress, and achieve project milestones/end results for others to understand.
- Strong business acumen and the ability to link current and anticipated business challenges with learning and development needs.
- Demonstrated expertise in Microsoft Office Suite, Zoom, and learning development tools.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Previous experience working in the professional services industry.
- Proven experience working in a global organization
- Experience with social learning platforms and collaboration tools is highly preferred.
