Head of Learning & Development

Virgin Active; Greater London; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading fitness organization in the UK is seeking a Head of L&D to lead and implement a company-wide learning strategy. This role requires extensive experience in leadership development and a proven ability to manage high-performing teams. You will collaborate with senior leaders to align learning initiatives with business goals and oversee various training programs that enhance employee growth and member experiences. The position also offers generous perks including complimentary membership and a focus on mental health support.

Benefits

25 days annual leave plus a Celebration Day

Access to Scottish Widows Pension with 5% match

Complimentary Virgin Active membership

Private Dental and Healthcare Insurance

Life Assurance 4x salary

Employee discounts across Virgin Active

20% off food and drinks at KAUAI branches

Access to Salary Finance

BUPA employer assistance programme

Complimentary corporate letting services

Access to ePoints for online discounts

Discount on Academy courses

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading Learning & Development at a senior level.
• Strong track record of building and leading high-performing L&D teams.
• Expertise in compliance training and management development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, delivery, and evaluation of learning strategies.
• Partner with senior leaders to identify capability needs.
• Manage the L&D budget and demonstrate ROI of learning initiatives.

Skills

Leadership development

Stakeholder management

Data-driven mindset

Strong communication skills

Tools

Learning technologies

Job description

Virgin Active are committed to changing people’s lives for the better through wellness. Our team are dedicated to delivering a unique leisure and relaxation experience throughout all our clubs. All our team members pride themselves on incorporating Virgin Active values and ensuring the highest Brand Standards into their work, so our members can experience the finest facilities and service. We take value in recruiting the very best team members who work behind the scenes to support our clubs in delivering a world class member experience. We are looking for a Head of L&D to join our People Team.

The Head of L&D is responsible for leading the design, delivery, and evaluation of learning strategies that drive business performance, leadership excellence, and employee growth across Virgin Active. Reporting to the Head of People, this role will champion a culture of continuous learning, with a strong focus on leadership and management development, world-class induction, compliance training, Apprenticeship Levy optimisation, and embedding Unreasonable Hospitality principles throughout the organisation.

Managing a team of L&D professionals, you will play a key role in shaping capability, strengthening culture, and ensuring our people are equipped to deliver exceptional member experiences every day.

The Role

Develop and implement a company-wide Learning & Development strategy aligned to Virgin Active’s business goals and people priorities.

Partner with senior leaders to identify current and future capability needs, with a strong focus on leadership and management development.

Design and deliver high-impact leadership and management programmes to build confident, future-ready leaders.

Create clear development pathways for aspiring leaders and embed coaching and mentoring across the business.

Lead the design and delivery of training that embeds Unreasonable Hospitality principles across all teams and member touchpoints.

Oversee a world-class induction programme that ensures new starters feel engaged, connected, and productive from day one.

Ensure all compliance and mandatory training is up to date, engaging, and meets legal and regulatory requirements.

Maximise the value of the Apprenticeship Levy by introducing relevant programmes, managing provider relationships, and demonstrating ROI.

Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing L&D team, fostering innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Oversee learning technology and digital platforms, championing modern, blended learning approaches.

Manage the L&D budget, using data and insight to measure effectiveness and inform decision-making.

Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external learning partners.

Experience

Proven experience leading Learning & Development at a senior level, ideally within a multi-site, customer-focused or luxury environment.

Strong track record of building, leading, and developing high-performing L&D teams.

Expertise in leadership and management development, induction, compliance training, and apprenticeships.

Experience managing budgets, suppliers, and external learning providers.

Strong knowledge of learning technologies and modern L&D practices.

Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills.

Data-driven mindset, with experience measuring impact and ROI of learning initiatives.

Our Perks

• 25 days (excluding bank holidays) annual leave, plus a Celebration Day – and we want you take them
• Access to Scottish Widows Pension with us matching contributions up 5%
• Complimentary Virgin Active membership for you and a buddy. You can also get free membership for your children too, ability to take advantage of our Club V.
• Private Dental and Healthcare Insurance – your physical health is important, and we want you to have the access to healthcare should you require it.
• Life Assurance 4x your salary – which we hope you will not need.
• We want you to love Virgin Active like we do, so you get discounts across Virgin active – everything from guest passes to 50% offPTsessions.
• You will join Virgin Family - where not only can you communicate with your colleagues across Virgin Group, but also many discounts (including Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Holidays and Virgin Media / O2)
• Maintaining a healthy diet while at work can be hard, so we offer all our team members 20% off food and drink at our KAUAI branches located in clubs.
• Managing finances can be difficult, so we offer access to Salary Finance. They can support you with loans and savings plans, as well as help you become a personal finance expert.
• Mental health is a cornerstone of wellbeing. Our BUPA employer assistance programme is there when you need a helping hand with 4 free counselling sessions.
• We know finding a new home to rent can be stressful. We partner with Dexters who offer complimentary corporate letting services – meaning no tenant charges.
• Access to ePoints, offering loads of online discounts to retailers.
• Always wanted to take that yoga course? Well VA offer discount on all their Academy courses, trained by the very best instructors.