Head of L&D

Head of Learning and Development

• Ideally Nottingham (flexible across UK sites)
• Full-time | Permanent
• £50-65k plus benefits

Are you a hands-on L&D leader who thrives on creating impactful training experiences – both in person and online? Do you want to shape a culture of learning and growth across a fast-paced, values-led food group?
 

Join The Compleat Food Group as our new Head of Learning and Development – and lead the charge in developing our people and performance.

About The Compleat Food Group

We’re one of the UK’s leading chilled food businesses with a mission to create Food to Feel Good. Our brands, our people, and our passion for innovation and quality set us apart. At the heart of it all? Our commitment to helping colleagues grow and succeed.

Your Purpose

As our Head of Learning and Development, you’ll design, lead, and deliver a comprehensive L&D strategy that builds capability, drives performance, and supports long-term business growth. This role is not just strategic – it’s hands-on. You’ll be actively involved in creating and delivering engaging training content, both face-to-face and digitally.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategy & Culture

• Define and deliver an engaging, practical L&D strategy aligned to business goals.
• Embed a culture of continuous learning and performance improvement.
• Proactively identify future skills gaps and respond with targeted development.

2. Hands-On Training Design & Delivery

• Develop and deliver impactful training programmes across all levels – from operational to leadership.
• Create engaging and accessible content for both in-person and e-learning formats.
• Launch a core training programme for our monthly paid colleagues, with a focus on real-world application.
• Work with local teams to ensure tailored onboarding and consistent induction across functions and sites.

3. Leadership & Talent Development

• Build leadership frameworks to develop future leaders at all levels.
• Support succession planning and high-potential development with the HR team.

4. Compliance & Mandatory Training

• Oversee delivery and tracking of essential compliance training across all sites.

5. Collaboration & Influence

• Partner with senior stakeholders and site teams to ensure learning meets business needs.
• Build strong relationships with external providers and training bodies.

6. Apprenticeships & Early Careers

• Support development of an award-winning early careers programme, aligned with future workforce needs and the apprenticeship levy.

7. Learning Technology & Analytics

• Oversee use of the LMS to manage, track, and report on training across the group.
• Use learning analytics to measure impact, improve effectiveness, and demonstrate ROI.

8. Change & Transformation Support

• Design and deliver learning to support major change initiatives (e.g. digital transformation, ERP rollouts).
• Act as a cultural ambassador during periods of change.

What You’ll Bring

• Proven experience in leading L&D strategy and delivery in a large, complex environment.
• Hands-on experience in designing and delivering training – both face-to-face and e-learning.
• Confident using digital learning tools and LMS platforms.
• Expertise in leadership development and career pathway design.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and the ability to influence at all levels.
• A passion for empowering people and enabling performance.
• Background in food/FMCG or manufacturing is desirable but not essential.

Why Join Us?

At The Compleat Food Group we’re on a mission to create tasty food that’s better for people and the planet — we call it ‘Food to Feel Good’.

We pride ourselves on being a business that gives equal emphasis to HOW we operate as well as the financial results we achieve.

Our 5,500 (and growing) fantastic people make this possible. They are passionate about creating delicious products for UK consumers, leading retailers, and our exciting, market-leading brands, including Wall’s Pastry, Vadasz, Squeaky Bean, and Unearthed.

Benefits to Include:

• 33 Days annual leave
• 2 Employee Volunteering Days per year
• Online and High-street retailer discount scheme 
• Employee well-being and community support groups
• Informal and Formal training opportunities with personalised online LMS platform
• Charity Initiatives and Team events
• 24/7 Access to Grocery Aid (Free Financial, Emotional and Practical Support)
• Physical Wellbeing Benefits – Free on demand exercise hub and various gym discounts.
• Online Wellbeing benefits
• Free Financial wellbeing – mortgage calculators, budget tools, financial aid tools
• Holiday Discounts via Online Retail Discount

The Compleat Food Group are proud to have built an inclusive and respectful culture where our colleagues feel safe, supported and valued. A place where they can bring their whole selves to work to achieve exceptional results and thrive. We continue to attract diverse talent into our teams, because we know greater diversity leads to exceptional results and provides a better working life. That’s why we’re committed to ensuring Fairness, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect in all that we do. 

Recruitment Agencies We have an active and trusted Preferred Supplier List to assist us if required. We do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions from agencies.

How to Apply:

This is an exciting opportunity to shape and lead the learning and development strategy for a fast-paced, people-first business, where your ideas will directly impact culture, capability, and performance across the group. Apply now if you feel you have the relevant skills and experience for this position.