APAC Director, Learning and Development

Primary Function of the Role

The Director of Asia Commercial Learning is responsible for leading the strategic vision, learning agendas and tactical execution of commercial training and development in the direct markets of Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, and India. This senior leadership role develops and delivers comprehensive learning programs to continuously support and elevate the Intuitive commercial team.  The Director drives sales effectiveness, launch readiness, and skill-building through various learning initiatives. Responsible to hire, train and develop a team of managers and individual contributors.

Strategy and Vision

• Define and execute the long-term commercial learning strategy for Asia-Pacific, in alignment with Intuitive's business goals and objectives. Strategic thought partner to GMs, commercial directors and HRBP to identify future capability needs and prioritize.
• Develop and execute department-level comprehensive strategic and tactical 12-24 month training plans to support the short- and long-term objectives of the commercial organization. 
• Work closely with multiple internal key stakeholders inside and outside the Intuitive commercial organization to ensure strategic alignment and appropriate integration of tactics into all learning & development programs

Program and content development 

• Oversee the design, development, and delivery of a wide range of training content, programs and commercial training systems of our Intuitive portfolio of products.
• Close alignment and collaboration with leadership development programs.
• Plan and execute all training activities related to new product and procedure launches, ensuring the commercial team is fully prepared.
• Deliver commercial new hire learning & development/training programs and curriculum for field and other commercial roles.  
• Collaborate closely with Business School team to deliver leadership development training programs and initiatives across the region, to scale pull through of training.
• Collaborate with Center of Excellence team to deliver training of our commercial technologies (CRM) and other customer facing systems to the commercial team.
• Ensure utilization of the most efficient or effective modalities of learning & development. Develop, measure, analyze, and report on the effectiveness of learning & development/training programs through ongoing feedback including surveys, stakeholder meetings, internal interviews, and field rides.
• Define and implement key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness and impact of training programs.
• Use data and metrics to refine and improve learning initiatives over time.
• Develop advanced learning & development/training programs that differentiates Intuitive, fosters a positive corporate culture, and contributes to the retention of high performing team members

Functional Partnering

Demonstrated effective cross-functional collaboration Demonstrated experience contracting and using external partners and services 

Project Management

Demonstrated experience managing multiple projects, both large and small to evolve the strategic needs of the business. Ability to delegate across organization as needed and effectively manage change.

Performance Management 

Effectively implement performance management strategies, coaching leaders on performance improvement, and analyzing data to inform strategies for talent development and retention.

Regulatory Compliance

Ensure all training materials, training records, etc meet regulatory and legal guidelines for each of the Asia markets

Role Overview

The APAC Director, Learning and Development plays a critical leadership role in building commercial capabilities and a strong performance culture across one of the fastest-growing and most diverse regions. This role reports to the Senior Director of Commercial Learning and is part of the regional enabling function leadership team.

The position leads a team of learning professionals across multiple countries, with both direct and matrix responsibilities, and works closely with senior commercial and HR leaders to ensure the organization has the skills and capabilities needed to succeed now and in the future.

Primary Responsibilities

The APAC Director, Learning and Development is responsible for setting the strategic direction, learning agenda, and execution of commercial training and development across key Asia-Pacific markets, including Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China, and India.

This role designs and delivers comprehensive learning programs that strengthen sales effectiveness, launch readiness, leadership capability, and overall commercial excellence. The Director also hires, develops, and leads a high-performing regional learning team.

Strategy and Vision

• Define and execute the long-term learning and development strategy for the Asia-Pacific region, aligned with overall business objectives

• Partner with General Managers, commercial leaders, and HR business partners to identify future capability needs and priorities

• Develop and deliver integrated 12–24 month strategic and tactical learning plans

• Ensure strong alignment and integration across all learning and development initiatives through close collaboration with internal stakeholders

Program and Content Development

• Oversee the design, development, and delivery of commercial learning programs and systems across the full product and service portfolio

• Align closely with leadership development initiatives to ensure consistency and scalability

• Lead learning activities for new product and procedure launches to ensure full commercial readiness

• Design and deliver onboarding and ongoing development programs for new hires and field-based commercial roles

• Partner with leadership development teams to deliver regional leadership programs

• Collaborate with centers of excellence to train commercial teams on CRM and other customer-facing systems

• Select and apply the most effective learning modalities (in-person, virtual, digital, blended)

• Measure learning effectiveness using feedback, surveys, field observations, and stakeholder input

• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess impact and drive continuous improvement

• Develop advanced learning programs that support engagement, retention, and a strong performance culture

Functional Partnering

• Demonstrate strong cross-functional collaboration across commercial, HR, and enabling functions

• Select, contract, and manage external learning vendors and partners

Project Management

• Manage multiple complex projects simultaneously across countries and functions

• Adapt to evolving business needs while effectively managing change

• Delegate appropriately and ensure accountability across teams

Performance Management

• Implement effective performance management and coaching approaches

• Use data and insights to guide talent development, succession planning, and retention strategies

Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure all learning materials, training documentation, and records comply with regulatory and legal requirements in each market

People Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a multi-country learning and development team across direct and matrix reporting lines

• Foster a high-performance, continuous learning culture

• Apply structured goal setting, regular one-on-ones, team meetings, and on-the-job coaching

• Consistently model and reinforce organizational leadership and individual expectations

Leadership Capabilities

• Build strong, trust-based relationships through clear, thoughtful, and executive-level communication

• Influence senior leaders and stakeholders across functions and geographies

Key Attributes

• Strong strategic and analytical capabilities with the ability to align learning initiatives to business outcomes

• Excellent executive communication, presentation, and facilitation skills

• Proven project and budget management experience

• Strong organizational, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills

• Effective negotiation and influencing abilities

Experience, Education, and Skills

• 10+ years of experience in learning, training, or people development

• 5+ years leading learning or development organizations in a regulated industry (medical, pharmaceutical, biotech, financial, or legal preferred)

• Proven experience leading teams through significant change and transformation

• Strong background in adult learning principles, instructional design, and commercial or sales enablement

• Demonstrated success designing and executing regional learning strategies with measurable business impact

• Experience leading high-performing teams and working closely with senior leadership

• Background in a customer-facing role (e.g., sales or services) preferred

• Experience using learning management systems for assignments, assessments, and compliance tracking

• Familiarity with CRM and content management platforms

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred

• Language requirements:

  • English: Advanced proficiency (minimum C1 level)

  • Japanese: Business-level proficiency (minimum B1 level)