Academy Lead - AI, Emerging Skills, Tech, Data & Online

Asda; Leeds; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Company pension 7%

Car allowance

Colleague discount 15%

Job summary

Asda seeks an Academy Lead to own end‑to‑end learning and capability pathways for colleagues in AI, emerging tech, data and online functions. You will align learning with business priorities and transformation programmes to drive digital growth.

You will lead with a strong focus on capability development, partner with senior stakeholders and ensure learning is simple, measurable and linked to outcomes across the organisation.

Qualifications

• Experience leading learning, capability and adoption initiatives at scale.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience translating business strategy into capability requirements.
• Understanding of modern adult learning methodologies and capability frameworks.
• Ability to work with data and insights to inform decision making.
• Experience managing multiple priorities and delivering through matrix teams.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain capability strategy and pathways for AI, data and technology adoption across Asda.
• Define and deliver learning pathways to land technology transformation.
• Ensure learning pathways align with business priorities and long‑term ambitions.
• Build strong relationships with functional leaders and SMEs; translate priorities into learning requirements.
• Identify critical capabilities and develop effective learning solutions to drive adoption.
• Monitor learner experience and ensure solutions stay relevant and impactful.

Skills

Capability strategy

Learning pathways

Stakeholder management

Adult learning methodologies

Data-informed decision making

Project leadership

Tools

AI & data literacy

Job description

Academy Lead – AI, Emerging Skills, Tech, Data & Online

Location

Asda House

Employment Type

Full time

Contract Type

Permanent

Hours Per Week

37.5

Salary

Competitive salary plus benefits

Category

Learning and Development

Closing Date

3 August 2026

The Academy Lead – AI, Emerging Skills, Tech, Data & Online owns the end-to-end learning and capability pathways for colleagues AI, technology, data, and online functions. The role is accountable for ensuring learning is simple, accessible, commercially relevant and directly linked to business performance and organisational priorities.

Working closely with People Partners, functional leaders, SMEs and external partners, the Academy Lead identifies critical capability requirements, prioritises learning investment and ensures the academy delivers the skills needed to support Asda's transformation agenda, digital growth and adoption of future technologies. The role is focused on enabling capability and adoption of emerging technologies.

Key Accountabilities

Own the Capability Strategy & Pathways

• Define and maintain capability strategy and pathways for AI, data and technology adoption across Asda.
• Define and deliver the learning pathways required to support the business to effectively land technology transformation.
• Ensure learning pathways support business priorities, functional capability requirements and long‑term strategic ambitions.

Partner with the Business

• Build strong relationships with functional leaders, People Partners and subject matter experts.
• Translate business priorities, transformation programmes and capability gaps into learning requirements.

Drive Capability Development

• Ensure critical capabilities are identified, prioritised and supported through effective learning solutions.
• Develop approaches that support AI adoption, digital fluency, data literacy and technology capability across the organisation.
• Promote continuous learning and professional development.

Govern Learning Quality

• Ensure learning interventions align to Asda learning standards and governance processes.
• Determine the most appropriate delivery model using internal expertise, curation, SMEs and external suppliers.
• Monitor learner experience and ensure solutions remain relevant and effective.

Measure Impact

• Monitor capability development, learner engagement and business outcomes.
• Use performance, skills and learning data to prioritise activity and demonstrate value.
• Provide insight and recommendations to stakeholders on future capability investments.

Key Outputs & Deliverables

Clear Academy Pathways

A defined and accessible set of learning pathways that provide clarity on skills, development expectations and career growth opportunities across AI, Tech, Data and Online populations.

Prioritised Capability Plan

An annually reviewed and business‑aligned capability roadmap that focuses investment on the skills and roles that will have the greatest impact on organisational performance.

Enabled SME Community

A network of capable SMEs who understand their responsibilities within the Academy Model and are equipped to maintain and support local learning solutions.

Skills & Capability Insights

Regular reporting and recommendations that inform workforce capability decisions, academy priorities and future investment.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Essential

• Experience leading learning, capability and adoption initiatives at scale.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience translating business strategy into capability requirements.
• Understanding of modern adult learning methodologies and capability frameworks.
• Ability to work with data and insights to inform decision making.
• Experience managing multiple priorities and delivering through matrix teams.

Desirable

• Experience within AI, Technology, Data, Digital or Online functions.
• Understanding of AI capability development and digital transformation.
• Experience working within retail, technology or large‑scale organisational change environments.
• Knowledge of skills taxonomies and capability assessment approaches.

What Success Looks Like

• Critical AI, Technology and Data capabilities have clear learning pathways.
• Leaders have visibility of capability strengths, risks and priorities.
• Learning investment is focused on the areas that most impact business performance.
• AI adoption, digital capability and data literacy improve across target populations.
• Learning is simple, relevant, measurable and clearly linked to business outcomes.

Benefits & Working Life

To ensure we balance moments where we know we need to collaborate together and the need for flexibility, Asda has a hybrid way of working with a minimum 3 days a week in one of our Home Offices. Over and above this, each area of Asda may have additional requirements which may require spending more days in the office, visiting suppliers, stores or depots.

You will also get an excellent benefits package including:

• Discretionary company bonus
• Company pension up to 7% matched
• Company Car allowance of £5,700
• 15% colleague discount in store and online
• Free access to wellbeing services such as Stream, 24/7 virtual GP, counselling, health and dental cash plans and a 24/7 employee assistance helpline, alongside discounts across a range of services and activities, from airport parking, enhanced to theme parks and cinemas.
• Asda Allies Inclusion Networks – helping colleagues to make sure everybody is included and that our differences are recognised and celebrated
• Excellent parental leave policies, including maternity & adoption leave, paternity leave, shared parental leave, neonatal care leave, and support for those doing fertility treatments.

We want all colleagues to be able to bring their best and true selves to work, every day. Simply put, we want our colleagues to be proud to be Asda and proud to be themselves.