L&D Operations Partner

Distinct Recruitment; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Distinct Recruitment has a Learning & Development Operations Partner role based in Burton or Manchester on a hybrid basis. The salary is £40,000 - £45,000, and the function is in an evolving L&D team. You will own programmes end to end, drive engagement, and build strong stakeholder relationships to show impact using LMS data.

You will work with a small team to shape how learning supports business priorities, focusing on capability and outcomes rather than just activity.

Qualifications

• Hands-on L&D professional who can manage programmes operationally and drive impact.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills.
• Comfort with ambiguity and turning high-level briefs into action.
• Self-sufficient with the confidence to challenge and innovate.
• Curiosity, resilience and continuous improvement mindset.
• Confident using data and reporting to demonstrate ROI and business impact.

Responsibilities

• Own L&D programmes end to end with strong coordination and delivery discipline.
• Drive learner engagement and maintain momentum across initiatives.
• Build relationships with stakeholders to understand needs and support business priorities.
• Use LMS data and insights to improve reporting and demonstrate impact.
• Support and improve Thrive as a core learning platform.
• Own operational L&D activity while contributing to broader direction of the function.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Data analytics

Programme management

LMS reporting

Tools

LMS

Job description

L&D Operations Partner

Location: Burton or Manchester hybrid

Salary: £40,000 - £45,000

We are looking for an L&D Operations Partner to join a growing Learning & Development function at an exciting stage of its evolution. This is a newly defined role in a small but ambitious team, offering the chance to help shape how L&D supports the business moving forward.

The opportunity

L&D has been built largely from scratch and has already introduced key foundations including an LMS, apprenticeships, compliance learning and a leadership programme. The next phase is about moving from a reactive, operational service to a more strategic, outcomes-led function.

This role is designed to bring capability, not just capacity. It will suit someone who enjoys owning programmes end to end, building strong stakeholder relationships, and using data and insight to show the impact of learning.

What you’ll be doing

• Owning L&D programmes end to end, ensuring strong coordination, organisation and delivery discipline
• Driving learner engagement and maintaining momentum across key initiatives
• Building relationships with stakeholders across the business to understand needs and support wider business priorities
• Using LMS data, feedback and wider business insight to improve reporting and demonstrate impact
• Supporting and improving the use of Thrive as a core learning platform
• Taking ownership of operational L&D activity while also contributing to the wider direction of the function

What they’re looking for

• A hands on L&D professional who can manage programmes operationally but also think more broadly about impact
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills
• Confidence working with ambiguity and taking a high-level brief and turning it into action
• A self-sufficient approach, with the confidence to challenge constructively and bring fresh thinking
• Curiosity, resilience and a continuous improvement mindset
• Confidence using data, insight and reporting to help demonstrate ROI and business impact

What this role is not

This is not a role for someone whose main motivation is classroom delivery or facilitation. There may be opportunities to support delivery, but the core focus is programme ownership, stakeholder partnering, operational excellence and impact measurement.

Why it’s interesting

This is a chance to join at the point where L&D is gaining traction and visibility, and to help shape what comes next. You’ll be joining a two-person team initially, with real scope to influence how learning is positioned and measured across the business.