Working as part of our HR team, the newly created Learning and Development Manager role, provides an exciting opportunity to define and develop the L&D strategy for Wickes. 

We are on a mission to create a continuous learning culture that enables our people to build their future with pride and for our business to help the nation to feel house proud. 

This is a great time to join our business, and to be part of establishing a standalone Learning and Development function which brings to life the business strategy through L&D ensuring that it is clearly aligned to our talent strategy and growth ambitions for the future, alongside continuing to build on the amazing work we do to build skills within our local communities. 

Reporting into the Head of HR, the L&D Manager will be responsible for the following:

• Developing and delivering the L&D strategy for Wickes Plc, ensuring that it is aligned to the talent strategy and the business strategy.

• Driving a self-directed learning culture, enabling this through our tools, systems and programmes

• Establishing and managing the L&D budget, ensuring that there are clear ways of working between business units to manage demand and investment

• Creating a brand and identity for the L&D proposition, driving awareness of the proposition, it’s purpose and ways to navigate

• Supporting the organisation to develop our core capabilities for the future, designing and delivering the programme that supports the delivering of these capabilities

• Working with Senior leaders and HR Business Partners to identify learning needs and ensure our internal talent pipelines have the skills they need for the future

• Leading the design and delivery of talent programmes at all leadership levels

• Leading and inspiring a team of L&D professionals ensuring that they are seen as a Centre of Excellence for the organisation

• Identifying individual and team assessment tools for use by the business and aligned to the talent strategy

• Digitising our L&D offer, finding the balance with a blended learning approach

• Designing the optimum Early Careers model for Wickes to ensure we can meet our target of developing 200 apprentices a year for the next 3 years.

What we are looking for

Significant and broad experience within Learning and Development and strategic leadership in similar medium sized, fast paced organisation will be essential for this role, as the L&D function is responsible for people development across stores, distribution and head office and encompasses a broad range of learning programmes.

Experience of developing a range of propositions and delivering learning through technology will be important particularly design and implementation of leadership programmes alongside core skills development too.  As the role includes responsibility for early careers and apprenticeships additional experience in this area would also be an advantage   

Commercially focused, you will have a proven track record of managing a learning function in a profit driven environment – business planning, budgeting and profit center management with a clear focus on ROI

An inspiring leader, managing a small team, you will be highly motivated, innovative, tenacious and be able to work in a fast-paced environment.

Partnering across the business, the role requires exceptional communication and influencing skills engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders both internally and externally too.

About Us

Wickes are a digitally led, service enabled organisation with a vision to have a project in every home.

The Wickes culture is its best kept secret; it’s a collaborative, down to earth, fun and inclusive environment where people feel part of a winning team. All our colleagues come from different backgrounds, but what we all have in common is a determination to succeed and a passion for being the best we can be. If that sounds like you, we’ll make you feel right at home.