Job Summary
Guided by a heartfelt mission to honor and share our culture, we believe our greatest strength is our people—the associates who bring authenticity, warmth, and dedication to every customer experience. Our Manager of Learning & Development plays a vital role in helping our people grow and thrive. This leader creates meaningful learning experiences that support our associates at every stage of their journey, ensuring they feel valued, supported, and empowered to build a long-lasting career with us.
Working closely with the Senior Director of Talent Management and stakeholders across the business, the Manager shapes and aligns learning strategies that strengthen performance, build confidence, and nurture a culture where continual development is part of who we are.
Leading with empathy, collaboration, and curiosity, this leader supports a talented team of Learning Consultants and Associate Team Trainers—fostering a positive, inclusive environment where people feel inspired to do their best work. Together, they design impactful, culturally grounded learning programs that stay true to our values and drive the behavioral capabilities needed for organizational growth.
Essential Duties And Responsibilities
Team Leadership & Collaboration
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Learning Consultants and Associate Team Trainers, setting clear goals and fostering a high-performing, team-oriented culture.
- Act as a collaborative team player who actively supports team members, removes barriers to success, and encourages knowledge sharing across the L&D function.
- Model and reinforce a culture of mutual accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement within the team.
- Provide regular coaching, feedback, and development planning for direct reports to support their professional growth and career advancement.
- Recognize and leverage the strengths of individual team members to collectively deliver impactful learning experiences.
- Oversees the implementation and effectiveness of associate education programs to ensure consistent, high‑quality learning experiences across the organization.
Stakeholder Partnership & Strategic Alignment
- Consult with stakeholders on the assessment and identification of learning needs, holistic development of learning solutions, and development of curriculum content, determination of training delivery strategy and coordination of training delivery/sessions
- Serve as a trusted partner to the Senior Director of Talent Management, contributing to the overall talent strategy and translating organizational priorities into actionable L&D programs.
- Build and maintain strong collaborative relationships across Northgate at all levels including store operations leaders, HR business partners, department leaders, and other stakeholders to identify learning needs and co-create solutions.
- Participate actively in planning sessions, and initiatives, contributing ideas and supporting team goals with a collaborative mindset.
- Engage with vendor partners, external facilitators, and industry networks to bring best practices and innovative approaches to the organization.
Learning Program Design & Delivery
- Oversee program design, development, and delivery of all L&D channels of learning to include leadership development programs, onboarding, role-specific, compliance, and all
- Ensure learning solutions are relevant, engaging, and accessible for a diverse workforce, including hourly associates and all levels of leadership including retail and corporate associates.
- Lead the execution of training programs across in-store, classroom, and digital learning modalities, ensuring consistent quality and experience.
- Lead and partner with Learning Consultants to conduct needs assessments, build curriculum, and develop learning content aligned to operational priorities.
- Oversee and support Associate Team Trainers in delivering effective training experiences that drive performance and reinforce company standards.
- Operate as the Axonify expert to effectively strategize and use the LMS platform to facilitate and deliver instructional content and assessments.
- Oversees and leads all learning and training efforts for new store openings, ensuring teams are equipped with the knowledge, tools, and support needed for a successful grand opening.
Measurement, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
- Establish and track key learning metrics, including completion rates, learner engagement, and business impact indicators, to assess program effectiveness and inform improvements.
- Deliver data-driven insights and recommendations to the Senior Director of Talent Management and other stakeholders to guide strategic L&D investment decisions.
- Continuously evaluate and update learning programs to reflect changes in the business, industry trends, and associate feedback.
- Manage L&D budget in partnership with the Senior Director, ensuring resources are allocated effectively to maximize learning impact.
- Maintain compliance with applicable food safety, regulatory, and company-mandated training requirements.
Competency Highlight
Manages Complexity
Synthesizes complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information
to effectively prioritize and lead the design of learning solutions.
Develops Talent
Builds the capability of Learning Consultants and Associate Team Trainers through real-time coaching, feedback, and targeted development experiences to support strategic objectives.
Drives Engagement
Creates meaningful learning experiences that motivate associates and leaders, reinforce purpose, and translate learning into on-the-job impact. Creates a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help Northgate achieve its objectives.
Collaborates
Drives a spirit of collaboration and partners cross‑functionally to co‑create learning solutions, influence outcomes, and foster a culture of continuous development and knowledge sharing.
Strategic Mindset
Anticipates future capability needs and aligns learning strategy to organizational priorities, operational goals, and industry trends. For example, knows what to prioritize for the greatest strategic impact on the organization.
Builds Effective Teams
Leads inclusive, high‑trust learning teams that leverage diverse strengths to deliver consistent, high‑quality learning outcomes. For example, holds constructive dialogue with the team
regularly; takes multiple perspectives into account when making decisions.
Cultivates Innovation
Introduces new approaches, tools, and methodologies to enhance learning effectiveness, scalability, and learner experience.
Manages Ambiguity
Leads learning initiatives effectively in evolving environments, maintaining focus, momentum, and clarity amid change. For example, remains calm and positive and keeps others focused during transitions or chaotic situations. Provides coaching or support to keep people
moving forward despite incomplete information.
Education/Experience/Skills
Required Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Learning, Organizational Development, Education, Business Administration, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Master’s Degree preferred
- Formal training or certification in learning, instructional design, facilitation, or organizational development
Required Experience
- 5–7 years of progressive experience in learning and development, training, or talent management
- Minimum of 2–3 years of people management experience.
- Experience designing and delivering learning programs in a large, growing workforce at all levels of the company.
- Proven experience leading end‑to‑end learning initiatives, including needs assessment, curriculum design, delivery, and evaluation
- Demonstrated experience managing compliance, safety, or regulatory training programs at scale
- Experience managing budgets, vendors, and external learning partners
Required Skills & Capabilities
Learning & Development Expertise
- Proficiency with bilingual Spanish/English translation includes speaking and writing in both languages utilizing proper grammar and syntax.
- Strong knowledge of adult learning principles and instructional design methodologies.
- Leadership Proficiency with LMS platforms, virtual learning tools, authoring tools and content development technologies
- Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills with the ability to communicate clearly to diverse audiences
Leadership & People Management
- Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop high‑performing learning teams
- Strong feedback, performance management, and talent development capabilities
- Demonstrates servant leadership and fosters an inclusive, collaborative team culture
- Builds strong, trust‑based relationships through consistent communication, active listening, and empathy.
- Serves as an approachable resource who creates a safe space for feedback, learning, and problem‑solving.
Salary- $95,3014/yr- $120,000/yr
Physical Demands and Conditions
- The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Some requirements may be modified to accommodate individuals with disabilities:
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; stand; and use the hands to handle, finger, or feel objects, tools or controls;
- The employee must frequently walk, talk or hear, and reach with the hands and arms; occasionally, the employee must crouch or kneel;
- The employee must occasionally exert or lift to 15 pounds carrying boxes of records and forms and frequently exert or lift moderate amounts of weight;
- Successful performance requires specific vision abilities that include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
- The job requires the ability to travel.
- The work environment is that typical of an office and retail store. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER NOTICE
The job duties, elements, responsibilities, skills, functions, experience, educational factors, and the requirements and conditions listed in this job description are representative only and not exhaustive of the tasks that an employee may be required to perform. The Employer reserves the right to revise this job description at any time and to require employees to perform other tasks as circumstances or conditions of its business or the work environment change.
