Director of Learning, Content & Training

Acorn; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Acorn is seeking a Director to lead its Learning Content & Training practice in Sydney. You will set strategy for the content design capability, building a scalable Content-as-a-Service offering and leading a team of E-Learning Designers.

You’ll shape accredited training standards, manage key partnerships (Go1, OpenSesame, Articulate), and guide the roadmap for Acorn’s AI e-learning authoring tool while collaborating with Product, Engineering, GTM, and Customer Experience to commercialise

Qualifications

• 8+ years in learning content or ed tech
• experience leading learning teams
• experience with subscription/retainer models
• negotiating partnerships
• strong revenue forecasting and reporting
• scoping and quoting service-based work
• familiarity with Articulate 360 or similar tools
• collaboration with GTM and CS teams
• background in ed tech or PLMS/LMS preferred

Responsibilities

• Set strategic direction for Learning Content & Training practice.
• Own subscription-based content offerings; define tiers and pricing.
• Set ARR targets and report progress to leadership.
• Manage strategic partnerships with content platforms — Go1, OpenSesame and Articulate.
• Own roadmap for AI e-learning authoring tool with Product and Engineering.
• Sell Content-as-a-Service to existing customers; lead client relationships.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Content design

Partnership management

AI in content

Commercial acumen

Tools

Articulate 360

Job description

Are you a strategic learning leader with a genuine passion for learning and the commercial instincts to turn great content into a thriving offering? We'd love to hear from you!

About Acorn

At Acorn PLMS, we are on a mission to transform the corporate learning experience. Our cutting-edge Performance Learning Management System (PLMS) software is powered by AI and designed to ensure that what people learn directly contributes to their exceptional performance in business. Corporate performance and learning needs a revolution, and Acorn PLMS is the antidote. We are the only solution that guides learners step by step to master the specific capabilities required for their roles, ultimately accelerating organisational performance.About Acorn.

We are open to individuals based in Sydney — this is an in-office role.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Director to lead Acorn’s Learning, Content & Training practice and set the strategy for our existing content design capability, taking it into its next phase of growth. You’ll own the strategy, quality and commercial model behind our e-learning content, turning it into a scalable, subscription-based Content-as-a-Service offering, with a team of E-Learning Designers and our Content, Training and Delivery Lead reporting to you. You’ll also shape our accredited training standards, our key learning partnerships (Go1, OpenSesame and Articulate), and the roadmap for our proprietary AI e-learning authoring tool.

Qualifications5 Key Capabilities

The best part… we use our Acorn software at Acorn. We believe in the power of our Managers and Staff being aligned on the 5 capabilities needed for each role, and the level that we expect for any given role, using our Acorn AI tool to streamline this consistently across our business. The 4 levels comprise Foundational, Developing, Proficient and Advanced.

Here are the 5 key capabilities for the role and the level expected to give you an idea of what the role entails.

Builds and owns the commercial model that turns learning content and training services into a scalable, subscription-based revenue stream.

Level — Proficient: Owns the full transition of e-learning and training services from project-based to a subscription-based recurring pricing model. Defines service tiers, packages and renewal frameworks, and sets ARR targets that are tracked and reported. Adjusts the commercial model in response to pipeline and delivery data rather than waiting for leadership direction.

Instructional Design & Content Craft Leadership

Sets and maintains the quality bar for instructional design and e-learning content across the team’s output.

Level — Proficient: Establishes production standards, style guides and QA processes that the team applies consistently across client projects. Reviews and elevates content without needing to personally rework it. Balances craft quality against commercial constraints like scope, margin and turnaround time.

Strategic Partnerships & AI-Enabled Content Innovation

Builds and manages Acorn’s strategic partnerships with third-party learning content and authoring platforms, and owns the roadmap for embedding AI across Acorn’s e-learning content practice.

Level — Proficient: Owns partnership strategy and commercial terms for key content and authoring platforms (Go1, OpenSesame, Articulate), identifying where they extend or complement Acorn’s own offering. Sets the roadmap and prioritisation for Acorn’s proprietary AI e-learning authoring tool in partnership with Product and Engineering. Works intentionally with Acorn’s GTM team and the Customer Experience org to bring partnerships and AI-enabled content capability to market, without needing direction from leadership.

Client Relationship & Commercial Acumen

Builds and manages direct client relationships, from scoping and quoting through to delivery and renewal.

Level — Proficient: Leads commercial conversations with clients independently, including quoting and negotiating scope. Identifies upsell and cross-sell opportunities within existing accounts and converts them in partnership with sales and client success. Is trusted by clients as the senior point of contact for the Learning Content practice.

Team Leadership & Capability Building

Leads and develops a multidisciplinary content and training team, building the structure and culture needed to scale.

Level — Proficient: Manages a team spanning design, training delivery and client success, with clear roles, workflows and performance expectations. Coaches team members individually, closing capability gaps and building a pipeline of future leads. Makes resourcing recommendations grounded in capacity data and forward pipeline.

Key responsibilities

• Set the strategic direction for Acorn’s Learning Content & Training practice, including the Content-as-a-Service commercial model
• Own the transition of e-learning content into a scalable, subscription-based offering: define service tiers, pricing, packaging and renewal frameworks
• Set and track ARR contribution targets for the practice, reporting progress to Acorn’s leadership on a regular cadence
• Build and manage strategic partnerships with third-party learning content and authoring platforms — Go1, OpenSesame and Articulate — identifying where they extend or complement Acorn’s own content offering
• Own the roadmap and strategic direction for Acorn’s proprietary AI e-learning authoring tool, partnering with Product and Engineering on prioritisation
• Work intentionally with Acorn’s GTM team, and with the broader Customer Experience organisation, to sell Content-as-a-Service into Acorn’s existing customer base and bring content partnerships to market
• Own strategic and enterprise-level client relationships, including scoping, quoting and commercial negotiation for major accounts and partnerships
• Sponsor and sign off Acorn’s accredited training strategy (Articulate ANZ certification, e-learning essentials programme), ensuring it aligns to the practice’s commercial model and quality bar
• Lead and develop the Learning Content & Training practice, establishing production standards, style guides and QA processes across content output
• Identify and embed AI tools and workflows across content creation
• Use frontline delivery and training insight from the team to keep refining the commercial model
• Contribute to Acorn’s broader product and growth strategy as a senior leader, participating in executive and leadership forums as required

Required experience

• A genuine passion for learning and its power to drive business performance
• Substantial experience (typically 8+ years) in learning content, instructional design or ed tech, including experience leading learning teams
• A track record building or transitioning a content or professional services offering into a subscription or retainer-based commercial model
• Experience negotiating and managing strategic third-party partnerships (content platforms, authoring tool vendors, or similar)
• Strong commercial acumen, comfortable owning revenue targets, forecasting and reporting to senior leadership
• Experience scoping and quoting service-based work
• Working knowledge of Articulate 360 (Storyline/Rise) or comparable instructional design tools
• Experience partnering closely with GTM and Customer Experience/Customer Success teams on packaging, positioning and selling into an existing customer base
• A background in ed tech, PLMS/LMS or adjacent SaaS environments highly regarded

AI fluency

At Acorn, we use AI across everything we do, and are actively building our AI fluency across the business. In this role, that looks like:

• Using AI to sharpen partnership strategy, commercial proposals and content roadmap decisions
• Championing AI-assisted content production workflows across the E-Learning Designer team to scale output without compromising quality
• Setting the strategic direction for embedding Acorn’s proprietary AI e-learning authoring tool across the content practice

We are not looking for someone who can talk about AI in the abstract. During the interview process, we will ask you to talk us through what you have actually built, the tools you use daily, and the results you have seen — we love seeing how people are evolving and enhancing the ways they work with AI.

• The chance to set the strategic direction for an established, growing content design practice, with real commercial ownership from day one
• A seat at the table shaping Content-as-a-Service, alongside our Customer Experience leadership
• Direct influence over the roadmap for a proprietary AI e-learning authoring tool
• A team and culture that genuinely lives and breathes learning — including using our own Acorn software to grow our people
• The scale and pace of a global SaaS platform, with the agility of a business still building its next phase

Location

We are open to individuals based in Sydney, Australia. We are an office-first company, meaning we work from our local offices the majority (if not all) of the time. We want to create cool stuff with great people, and we know from experience that is best done through daily moments like the coffee run, walk to grab lunch, or quick huddles. Being able to capitalise on this is key to our ongoing success and a large part of the reason we can work at the pace we do. Please note candidates will need to be in commuting distance to our offices based in Sydney CBD.

Applicants must have full working rights in Australia to be considered for this role. Unfortunately we are unable to provide visa sponsorship at this time.

Our recruitment process

Acorn is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We aim to ensure that our recruitment process is fair and accessible to everyone and encourage candidates to request any accommodations needed during the application or interview stages.