Learning & Development Manager
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Key skills for this role
About the Role
Independent Food Company seeks an L&D Manager to lead the learning function across its hospitality concepts. You will develop and execute the L&D strategy, design training programs, and ensure service excellence aligns with brand DNA.
Key Skills for This Role
Responsibilities
- Own and develop the company wide L&D strategy and learning culture, including a practical capability and competency framework spanning service, culinary, leadership, and support functions
- Understand each brand's distinct DNA and translate it into tailored learning journeys, partnering with brand teams to embed service excellence
- Design and deliver high impact programmes like service excellence, brand standards, SOPs, onboarding, compliance, and leadership development through blended learning
- Build a network of internal trainers and brand ambassadors to scale delivery
- Drive talent development and the internal talent pipeline, including Emirati talent and graduate programmes aligned to national talent frameworks (Nafis)
- Manage the LMS and learning technology, track learning analytics and ROI beyond completion
- Manage the L&D budget and external partners
- Ensure mandatory and regulatory training (food safety, health & safety, HACCP, local authority requirements) is delivered, tracked, and audit ready across all sites
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in HR, Hospitality Management, or related field
- L&D certification (CIPD, ATD, or equivalent) an advantage
- 6–8 years of L&D experience, including owning programmes or leading learning in a multi site environment
- Hospitality, F&B, aviation, or luxury service background required
- Strong brand awareness and ability to translate brand personality into guest experience
- Practical, delivery focused with strong instructional design and facilitation skills
- Ability to manage multiple stakeholders
- Sound command of LMS platforms and learning analytics
- UAE/GCC experience and familiarity with Emiratisation/Nafis preferred
- Arabic advantageous
Full Job Posting
Company Overview
- Independent Food Company is home to some of the region's most recognised hospitality concepts, including SALT, Somewhere, Parker's, Shalwa, Somewhere, and Public.
- We are a fast growing organisation with an expanding portfolio of concepts, an active acquisition strategy, and ambitious plans for growth across new and existing markets.
Role Overview
- We are looking for an L&D Manager to lead the function and build the capabilities, culture, and service standards that drive operational excellence and an exceptional guest experience across all concepts.
- Central to the role is a deep understanding of each brand's DNA every concept has its own personality, story, and guest journey, and this role will bring that identity to life on the floor.
- The role owns the end to end learning agenda while staying close to the floor, ensuring training drives behavioural change, consistent standards, and measurable business impact.
Key Responsibilities
- Own and develop the company wide L&D strategy and learning culture, including a practical capability and competency framework spanning service, culinary, leadership, and support functions
- Understand each brand's distinct DNA and translate it into tailored learning journeys, partnering with brand teams to embed service excellence that reflects each concept while protecting consistency across the portfolio
- Design and deliver high impact programmes like service excellence, brand standards, SOPs, onboarding, compliance, and leadership development; all through blended learning (in person facilitation, coaching, and digital/microlearning), and build a network of internal trainers and brand ambassadors to
- Drive talent development and the internal talent pipeline, including Emirati talent and graduate programmes aligned to national talent frameworks (Nafis), supporting succession and employee engagement
- Manage the LMS and learning technology, track learning analytics and ROI beyond completion (knowledge retention, behavioural application, guest impact), and manage the L&D budget and external partners
- Ensure mandatory and regulatory training (food safety, health & safety, HACCP, local authority requirements) is delivered, tracked, and audit ready across all sites
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in HR, Hospitality Management, or related field; L&D certification (CIPD, ATD, or equivalent) an advantage.
- 6–8 years' L&D experience, including owning programmes or leading learning in a multi site environment; hospitality, F&B, aviation, or luxury service background required
- Strong brand awareness, able to internalise distinct concepts and translate their personality into best in class guest experience and service excellence
- Practical, delivery focused, set direction and run training hands on, with strong instructional design and facilitation skills
- Ability to manage multiple stakeholders; sound command of LMS platforms and learning analytics
- Ideally, UAE/GCC experience and familiarity with Emiratisation/Nafis preferred; Arabic advantageous
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