Senior Director, Learning and Development

NVA; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

National Veterinary Associates is seeking a Senior Director, Learning & Development, to lead the enterprise non-clinical L&D strategy across 1,300+ sites and a centralized support center. You will set direction for leadership, manager development, and learner experiences, ensuring scalable, measurable outcomes.

You will partner with Clinical Learning and People Operations to translate talent insights into differentiated development actions, drive portfolio discipline, and deliver enterprise

Qualifications

• Experience translating business strategy into scalable learning solutions.
• Proven ability to lead enterprise-wide leadership and manager development.
• Experience advising senior executives and cross-functional leaders.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise non-clinical L&D strategy, portfolio, governance, and investment.
• Shape and steward learning programs for leadership, managers, and teams.
• Build leadership architecture across levels and transitions.
• Partner with Talent & Organizational Effectiveness to translate insights into actions.
• Own learning portfolio from needs assessment to evaluation.

Skills

Enterprise L&D strategy

Leadership development

Executive influence

Learning portfolio governance

Change leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Education/OD/HR

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

The Senior Director, Learning & Development

is accountable for NVA's Learning & Development function (non-clinical), setting and executing an integrated enterprise learning strategy that builds leadership, manager, team, and individual capabilities required to support the company's continued growth and performance.

Operating across a network of more than 1,300 sites and a centralized support center, this leader will set direction for leadership and manager development, team effectiveness, all?learner development, and learning operations.

This role requires an enterprise perspective, strong executive influence, and the ability to translate business and talent strategy into high-quality learning solutions, disciplined portfolio choices, and measurable outcomes across a geographically dispersed, operationally intensive organization.

• Lead the enterprise (non-clinical) Learning & Development strategy, roadmap, operating model, governance, and investment priorities, aligning the portfolio with business strategy, talent priorities, workforce needs, and the capabilities NVA requires to grow and perform.
• Shape and steward the enterprise learning portfolio, establishing clear priorities, decision rights, quality standards, and regular portfolio reviews that scale high-value programs, improve underperforming offerings, and reduce duplication across the organization.
• Build aleadership development architecture spanning new and newly promoted leaders, senior leaders, executives, and high-potential populations, with development experiences aligned to enterprise leadership expectations, succession priorities, and critical transitions.
• Establish a scalable manager development approach for new, experienced, and newly promoted people managers, providing practical learning, tools, coaching practices, and reinforcement that strengthen people leadership, performance management, feedback, and team leadership.
• Partner with Talent & Organizational Effectiveness to translate talent reviews, succession plans, performance insights, assessments, high-potential identification, and leadership competencies into differentiated development actions that strengthen readiness and bench strength.
• Own the enterprise (non-clinical) learning portfolio from needs assessment through performance support, and continuous improvement, with clear standards for quality, scalability, and learner relevance.
• Define the learning technology and learner-experience strategy with People Operations/Technology and Clinical Learning, including LMS and platform governance, simplified learner access, data quality, reporting, field and mobile accessibility, and responsible use of emerging technology and AI.
• Establish enterprise learning measurement and evaluation practices that assess reach, behavior change, team effectiveness, talent outcomes, time-to-proficiency, and business impact, using insights to strengthen portfolio and investment decisions.

Partner closely with Clinical Learning, People Business Partners, Culture & Engagement, business leaders, and field leadership to create a connected learning ecosystem (incl. onboarding content), clarify ownership across learning domains, and ensure enterprise solutions are practical for a distributed operating environment.

Success Metrics/KPIs:

• Enterprise learning priorities and major leadership development milestones are delivered on time, within approved investment parameters, and at intended scale across priority learner populations.
• Leadership capability improves through stronger application of leadership expectations, coaching, feedback, talent development, decision-making, and effective leadership transitions.
• Manager capability improves through stronger people leadership, performance management, development conversations, team leadership, and consistent use of enterprise manager tools.
• Reach and adoption increase through strong participation, completion, repeat engagement, self-directed learning utilization, and improved learner access, findability, relevance, and experience.

Key Internal and External Stakeholders:

Internal: Chief People Officer, People Leadership Team, executive and senior business leaders, Talent & Organizational Effectiveness, People Business Partners, Clinical/Medical Learning, Culture & Engagement, People Operations and People Technology, Internal Communications, hospital and field leadership, functional leaders, people managers, and team members.

External: Executive and leadership development partners; external coaches; assessment providers; LMS and learning-technology vendors; instructional-design/content partners; consultants; and specialized education/training providers.

Required Capabilities:

• Enterprise L&D strategy and portfolio architecture, with the ability to translate business and talent priorities into scalable learning solutions and investment choices.
• Deep leadership and manager development expertise, including adult learning, instructional design, blended and experiential learning, coaching, mentoring, facilitation, and team effectiveness.
• Strong business and talent acumen, including the ability to connect learning with and organizational capability needs.
• Executive presence, strategic thinking, financial judgment, enterprise influence, change leadership, communication, team leadership, and innovation/AI fluency.

Experience:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in enterprise learning and development, related people capability function in a complex organization (health care and rapid growth setting is a plus).
• Demonstrated experience building, scaling, or transforming an enterprise learning strategy, operating model, portfolio, and/or center of expertise with broad organizational reach.
• Deep experience designing and leading leadership and manager development across multiple levels, including new leaders, experienced managers, senior leaders, executives, high-potential populations, and leadership transitions.
• Experience advising and influencing senior executives and cross-functional leaders, diagnosing capability needs, and translating business and talent priorities into practical, scalable, measurable development solutions.
• Demonstrated people leadership experience, including leading teams, setting priorities, allocating resources, managing budgets, and building capability through internal talent and external partners.

Education / Certifications / Licensing:

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Human Resources, Organizational Development, Industrial / Organizational Psychology, People Strategy, Talent Management, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Master’s degree in Education, Organizational Development, Business Administration, Industrial / Organizational Psychology, People Strategy, or related field is preferred.

Job requirements, including essential job responsibilities, key deliverables and outcomes, and success metrics, all subject to change based on business needs

Compensation:

• Annual Incentive Plan: 30%
• Equity Eligible

National Veterinary Associates is a leading global pet care organization united in the love of animals and the people who love them.

At NVA, we’re on a mission to improve the lives of pets and the people who love them. That starts by empowering our care teams. We nurture their growth with resources to practice medicine their way. Our network of 1,000 hospitals connects them to a community of professionals who share their passion so they can learn and grow together. Our national presence enables us to deliver technology and innovations that simplify work and expand care for all. At NVA, we're committed to your professional growth. We support your entire career journey, offering opportunities ranging from mentorship to ownership.

At National Veterinary Associates, we want to make sure your experience connecting with us is seamless and straightforward. Here’s what to expect when interacting with us:

- We’ll always reach out via verified LinkedIn profiles or emails ending in @nva.com

- We may also contact you via text message from an identified NVA representative for recruiting-related communication

- All job opportunities and applications are hosted on our official careers site: careers.nva.com

- There is no cost or confidential information required to apply or be considered for a position

If you have any doubts about a communication, feel free to visit our careers page to verify authenticity or email us at [e-mail]. Thank you for exploring opportunities at NVA!

NVA offers a comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental, vision, a 401k with employer match, and paid time off (including sick time) for all eligible employees. The team can provide more information about compensation and benefits for your specific location during the process. For positions based in Colorado, NVA provides eligible employees with paid sick and safe leave and public health emergency leave in accordance with the requirements of Colorado's Healthy Families and Workplaces Act.

NVA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and any other state or local hiring regulations, we will consider for employment any qualified applicant, including those with arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with the applicable regulation.