Director of Learning and Development

We are seeking a strategic and results-driven Director, Learning & Development – EMEA to lead the development and execution of learning initiatives across EMEA markets.

This role will focus on strengthening organizational capabilities across three key pillars: Clinical Acumen, Business Acumen, and Leadership & Soft Skills, ensuring employees have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to drive business performance.

The Director will partner closely with regional leadership and global cross-functional teams to deliver a consistent global learning strategy while addressing local market needs.

Position Responsibilities

Clinical Acumen & Scientific Excellence

Develop learning programs focused on disease state, mechanisms of action, clinical evidence, and therapeutic landscapes. Enhancing clinical story telling consistent with the approved product information (SmPC) and applicable codes of practice. Partner and coordinate with Commercial, Medical Affairs, Marketing, and other stakeholders to ensure scientific knowledge and learning standards are met.   L&D drives design, delivery and measurement of training programs, and collaborates with functional leads on application in the field.

• Establish clinical competency assessments and certification programs, defined jointly with Medical Affairs and the Information Officer / Scientific Service, to ensure readiness and proficiency and to meet national requirements for medical sales representative qualification where applicable.

Business Acumen & Commercial Excellence

• Build capabilities in market understanding, strategic thinking, business planning, and commercial execution.
• Develop learning initiatives that strengthen top-quality customer engagement, account management, and competitive understanding.
• Partner with regional leaders to identify capability gaps and align learning priorities with business objectives.
• Support product launches, commercial readiness, and continuous performance improvement.

Leadership Development & Soft Skills

• Design programs focused on emotional intelligence, communication, effective questioning, active listening, and influencing skills.
• Strengthen leadership capabilities in coaching, feedback, accountability, and team development.
• Foster collaboration, adaptability, and a culture of continuous learning.
• Integrate behavioral development into clinical and commercial learning initiatives.

Global Alignment & Learning Effectiveness

• Translate the Global L&D strategy into a regional learning roadmap aligned with European business priorities.
• Ensure consistency in learning objectives, content, competency standards, and execution across markets.
• Adapt learning experiences to local market requirements while maintaining global alignment.
• Implement learning assessments, certification, and performance measurement to demonstrate impact.
• In line with Company policies, leverage Artificial Intelligence and digital learning platforms and innovative methodologies to enhance learning effectiveness.
• Ensure that the use of AI and digital tools for content creation maintains the required medical, legal and compliance review standards, data privacy and traceability.

Medical, Legal & Compliance Governance

In Europe, learning operates within a highly regulated framework. The Director will establish and run a structured governance and operating model with Medical Affairs and the Information Officer / Scientific Service on one side, and Legal & Compliance on the other. This model ensures that all scientific and medical training content is accurate, balanced and approved through the appropriate channels, and that all learning, especially for customer-facing roles, meets applicable legal, regulatory and industry code requirements.

• Build and maintain a formal operating model with Medical Affairs, the Information Officer / Scientific Service and Legal & Compliance, defining roles, responsibilities and decision rights (e.g. RACI) for how training content is developed, reviewed, approved, delivered and updated.
• Co-develop scientific and medical curricula with Medical Affairs as scientific content owner, with L&D accountable for instructional design, delivery, assessment and learning effectiveness.
• Ensure all training materials go through the applicable medical, legal and regulatory review and approval process before use, with version control, expiry and withdrawal management.
• Partner with Legal & Compliance to design and deliver mandatory training on industry codes (EFPIA and national codes of practice), HCP/HCO interactions, promotional and non-promotional activities, anti-bribery and corruption and data privacy.
• Maintain complete, audit-ready training records and certifications to support internal audits, regulatory inspections and code-of-practice enquiries.
• Agree country-level adaptations (if any) with local Medical, Information Officer and Legal & Compliance leads, ensuring national requirements are met while global standards are maintained.

Candidate Requirements

• Degree in Life Sciences, Business, Education, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 8–10+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, including Learning & Development, commercial training, or capability development.
• Experience in field-based teams’ training, both commercial and medical is essential
• Strong clinical and commercial acumen, preferably within specialty pharmaceuticals or rare diseases.
• Experience developing and implementing learning strategies across European markets.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and collaborate across global, regional, and local teams.
• Strong leadership, facilitation, communication, and project management skills.
• Experience with learning technologies, competency frameworks, and certification programs.
• Solid understanding of the European pharmaceutical regulatory and compliance environment, including the EFPIA Code, national codes of practice and the role of the Information Officer / Scientific Service.
• Proven experience working within medical, legal and regulatory review and approval processes for training materials.
• Track record of building effective operating models with Medical Affairs and Legal & Compliance.
• Fluency in English; additional European languages preferred.
• Ability to travel up to 50%

Success Measures

• Improved clinical knowledge, business acumen, and behavioral competencies.
• Consistent execution of global learning standards across European markets.
• Demonstrated employee readiness through assessments and certification.
• Audit- and inspection-ready training documentation.
• Strong alignment between learning initiatives and regional business priorities.
• Clear, agreed governance with Medical Affairs, the Information Officer / Scientific Service and Legal & Compliance.
• Measurable improvements in individual capabilities and organizational performance.