At Ole & Steen, we believe our people are the beating heart of every store. We are growing fast — 26 stores across the UK with more on the way — and we are ready to make that next step count. That means building real development pathways, giving our teams genuine careers, and creating a learning culture that is as warm and energising as the spaces we bake in.
We are looking for an L&D Manager who is ready to build something — not just maintain it. This is a newly created role, which means you will have genuine ownership over how we approach learning, progression, and development across the entire business.
About the role
You will sit within our central People team, working closely with Operations to design and embed structured training frameworks that genuinely reflect how our business works. From onboarding to leadership development, from LMS content to in-store facilitation — this role combines strategic thinking with hands-on delivery.
You will own our Thrive LMS platform, create clear career progression pathways across all operational levels, and build the kind of development infrastructure that helps our teams grow with us.
What You Will Be Doing
Learning & Development
- Build and implement structured training frameworks across all operational levels
- Create clear career progression and development pathways that give teams a genuine route forward
- Design onboarding and stepping-up programmes for operational teams
- Deliver workshops, training sessions, and leadership development initiatives across the estate
Thrive LMS Ownership
- Lead the full development and implementation of the Thrive LMS platform
- Create engaging and practical learning content that works for a fast-paced hospitality environment
- Drive platform engagement and build long-term digital learning capability across the business
Operational Partnership
- Partner closely with Operations Managers and store leadership to identify training needs and implement practical solutions
- Support the evolution of our hospitality and coffee capability programmes
- Ensure training initiatives are grounded in the realities of running a busy store
- Drive consistency in leadership standards and training quality across the estate
About You
We are looking for someone who brings both structure and heart to this work. You will be as comfortable facilitating a leadership session in a store as you are designing a digital learning pathway. You combine strategic thinking with pragmatic delivery — and you thrive when you have real ownership.
You will bring:
- Experience within Learning & Development, Training, or Operational Development
- A background in hospitality, restaurant, QSR, or food-led retail — operational experience is a genuine advantage
- Proven experience designing and implementing learning programmers or frameworks
- Familiarity with LMS platforms and digital learning environments
- Confidence-facilitating workshops and leadership discussions
- The ability to balance strategic thinking with practical, on-the-ground execution
- Emotional intelligence and strong relationship-building skills — you influence and challenge constructively
- A self-motivated mindset with a strong sense of ownership
What We Are Offering
- Flexible working environment with hybrid options depending on project needs
- Private Health Care
- Pension
- Free drinks and food when at the office
Why Join Ole & Steen
This is a rare opportunity to build something meaningful from the ground up — in a business that genuinely cares about its people.
- Own a newly created role with real impact across the entire business
- Work cross-functionally alongside Operations, People, and store leadership teams
- Develop expertise in learning strategy within a growing, people-first hospitality brand
- Be trusted to lead your role and contribute to something people genuinely love
