Divisional L&D Lead - UK
Wolverhampton (primary) with responsibility for a second UK site
We’re partnering with a well-established, engineering-led manufacturing business to appoint an L&D Lead to shape and deliver capability development across its UK operations.
This is not a traditional central L&D role. It’s a hands-on, business-facing position focused on building practical capability at plant level — working directly with site and functional leaders to identify skills gaps, prioritise interventions, and ensure learning translates into performance.
If you’re someone who prefers being close to the operation, understands how industrial businesses really work, and can turn broad ideas into tangible delivery, this should feel like a good fit.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Acting as the primary L&D partner to UK site and functional leadership teams
- Translating operational priorities into focused, practical learning interventions
- Identifying critical capability gaps across areas such as operations, engineering, supply chain, and leadership
- Building and executing a clear, site-level L&D plan with visible progress and outcomes
- Shaping how learning is delivered — combining internal capability with external providers where it adds value
- Managing L&D spend and ensuring investment is directed to the highest-impact areas
- Supporting delivery of leadership and management development where it drives business performance
- Providing clear, pragmatic challenge to stakeholders on where learning will (and won’t) add value
What Success Looks Like (First 6–12 Months)
- Clear priorities established across both UK sites, aligned to business needs
- A simple, structured L&D plan in place with tangible delivery milestones
- Strong relationships built with site and functional leaders
- Learning activity that is visible, relevant, and applied in the workplace
- Better alignment between capability needs and how training is delivered
The Environment
- Multi-site UK manufacturing operation
- Engineering and operationally driven culture
- High degree of local ownership and autonomy at site level
- Requires influence rather than central authority
What They’re Looking For
- Proven experience in L&D within an industrial, engineering, or manufacturing environment
- Credibility with operational stakeholders — you understand shopfloor realities and leadership pressures
- Track record of translating business needs into practical, applied learning solutions
- Comfortable working with ambiguity and shaping direction rather than following a defined playbook
- Strong stakeholder management skills — able to influence without formal authority
- Experience managing L&D budgets and external training providers
Useful (But Not Essential)
- Experience building or reshaping an L&D function or approach
- Exposure to multi-site or federated organisations
- Broader understanding of talent, succession, or workforce planning
- Familiarity with LMS tools and digital learning (practical use rather than technical ownership)
Style & Approach
- Pragmatic, direct, and outcome-focused
- Comfortable being hands-on and close to the detail
- Able to simplify complexity and focus on what matters
- Commercially aware — understands the link between capability and performance
Why This Role
This is an opportunity to step into a role where you can genuinely shape how capability is built within a complex, industrial environment — without being constrained by overly centralised or theoretical L&D structures.
You’ll have the chance to work closely with senior leaders, focus on real operational impact, and build something that is visible and valued by the business.
