Director, Corporate Learning & Development

Gardner-White Furniture Inc.; Michigan; On-site; USD 130,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Gardner-White Furniture Inc. is seeking a Director of Corporate Learning & Development to lead the organization’s learning strategy with a primary focus on improving sales performance across Michigan stores.

The role designs, implements, and measures training programs that drive close rates, average ticket, productivity, and new-hire ramp-up. It also oversees field coaching, leadership development, compliance, HR, and enterprise-wide learning initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; ATD or similar certification a plus.
• 10+ years of experience in retail sales leadership, learning and development, or sales enablement, including 5+ years leading a training or enablement function with direct reports; retail, home furnishings, or commissioned in-store sales strongly preferred.
• A record of training programs tied to measurable sales results, not completion counts alone.
• Hands-on instructional design skill (adult learning, microlearning, blended programs) and LMS administration.
• Credibility on the sales floor: comfortable selling, observing, and coaching in front of associates.
• Strong data skills: able to build scorecards, read POS data, and isolate training impact.
• Clear executive communication and the ability to drive adoption across store operations without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the organization’s learning and development strategy, with a primary focus on Sales, ensuring alignment with business goals and growth objectives.
• Design and maintain comprehensive learning pathways, including seller development, leadership development, and enterprise-wide training programs.
• Build multi-year curricula covering selling processes, product knowledge, design, financing, protection plans, coaching, communication, performance management, and other critical business competencies.
• Assess organizational learning needs and implement innovative development solutions that improve employee capability, engagement, and business performance.
• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of new-hire onboarding programs to accelerate readiness and performance.
• Develop structured onboarding pathways that include certification requirements, skill assessments, and readiness milestones prior to independent job performance.
• Manage post-onboarding hypercare programs through the first 180 days of employment, including scheduled coaching sessions, performance reviews, and retention-focused interventions.
• Improve time-to-productivity, employee engagement, and early-tenure retention through targeted initiatives.
• Create, curate, and deploy scalable learning content, including training videos, facilitator guides, leader toolkits, role-play exercises, job aids, and performance support resources.
• Develop modular, field-ready training programs that can be effectively delivered across multiple locations/audiences.
• Ensure training materials remain current, relevant, and aligned with business priorities and operational requirements.
• Design and lead the field coaching model, establishing standards, methodologies, tools, and performance expectations for Sales Performance Coaches.
• Define coaching visit cadence, observation frameworks, and meeting structures to drive consistent execution.
• Monitor coaching effectiveness and implement continuous improvements to enhance performance and employee development.
• Partner with field leaders to support skill development, performance improvement, and best-practice adoption.
• Equip store and sales leaders with the skills, tools, and resources necessary to coach employees effectively and sustain training outcomes.
• Develop leadership training programs focused on coaching, communication, accountability, performance management, and talent development.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning by supporting leaders in reinforcing key behaviors and operational standards.
• Oversee development, delivery, and tracking of required and recommended compliance and enterprise training programs.
• Partner with Human Resources and Legal teams to ensure training content reflects current policies, regulations, and organizational requirements.
• Manage programs related to harassment prevention, wage and hour compliance, workplace safety, policy updates, and other mandatory training topics.
• Monitor completion rates and ensure accurate reporting and compliance documentation.
• Collaborate with Merchandising, Marketing, Operations, Human Resources, and other stakeholders to support organizational initiatives through training and communication.
• Develop and deliver training programs for new products, collections, promotions, financing offers, and operational process changes.
• Ensure employees and leaders are prepared to successfully execute new initiatives prior to launch.
• Establish learning and performance metrics to evaluate program effectiveness and business impact.
• Develop baseline measures and reporting processes to track improvements in productivity, retention, compliance, sales performance, and other key outcomes.
• Present regular reports and recommendations to senior leadership on training effectiveness, return on investment, and future opportunities.
• Design and evaluate pilot programs before broader organizational implementation.

Skills

Sales enablement

Leadership

Instructional design

Learning analytics

Coaching

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

ATD or similar certification a plus

Tools

LMS administration

Job description

Description

Summary:

The Director, Corporate Learning & Development, leads the organization's learning strategy and capability-building initiatives, with a primary focus on driving sales performance. This role is responsible for designing, implementing, and measuring training programs that improve key business outcomes, including close rate, average ticket, productivity, and new-hire ramp-up. The Director oversees the field coaching function to ensure training is effectively adopted on the sales floor and extends the same performance-driven approach to leadership development, compliance, HR, legal, and enterprise-wide learning initiatives.

Job Responsibilities:

Learning Strategy & Curriculum Development

• Develop and execute the organization’s learning and development strategy, with a primary focus on Sales, ensuring alignment with business goals and growth objectives.
• Design and maintain comprehensive learning pathways, including seller development, leadership development, and enterprise-wide training programs.
• Build multi-year curricula covering selling processes, product knowledge, design, financing, protection plans, coaching, communication, performance management, and other critical business competencies.
• Assess organizational learning needs and implement innovative development solutions that improve employee capability, engagement, and business performance.

Onboarding, Certification & Employee Development

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of new-hire onboarding programs to accelerate readiness and performance.
• Develop structured onboarding pathways that include certification requirements, skill assessments, and readiness milestones prior to independent job performance.
• Manage post-onboarding hypercare programs through the first 180 days of employment, including scheduled coaching sessions, performance reviews, and retention-focused interventions.
• Improve time-to-productivity, employee engagement, and early-tenure retention through targeted initiatives.

Training Content & Program Development

• Create, curate, and deploy scalable learning content, including training videos, facilitator guides, leader toolkits, role-play exercises, job aids, and performance support resources.
• Develop modular, field-ready training programs that can be effectively delivered across multiple locations/audiences.
• Ensure training materials remain current, relevant, and aligned with business priorities and operational requirements.

Field Coaching & Sales Performance

• Design and lead the field coaching model, establishing standards, methodologies, tools, and performance expectations for Sales Performance Coaches.
• Define coaching visit cadence, observation frameworks, and meeting structures to drive consistent execution.
• Monitor coaching effectiveness and implement continuous improvements to enhance performance and employee development.
• Partner with field leaders to support skill development, performance improvement, and best-practice adoption.

Leadership Development & Enablement

• Equip store and sales leaders with the skills, tools, and resources necessary to coach employees effectively and sustain training outcomes.
• Develop leadership training programs focused on coaching, communication, accountability, performance management, and talent development.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning by supporting leaders in reinforcing key behaviors and operational standards.

Compliance & Enterprise Training

• Oversee development, delivery, and tracking of required and recommended compliance and enterprise training programs.
• Partner with Human Resources and Legal teams to ensure training content reflects current policies, regulations, and organizational requirements.
• Manage programs related to harassment prevention, wage and hour compliance, workplace safety, policy updates, and other mandatory training topics.
• Monitor completion rates and ensure accurate reporting and compliance documentation.

Business Partnership & Launch Readiness

• Collaborate with Merchandising, Marketing, Operations, Human Resources, and other stakeholders to support organizational initiatives through training and communication.
• Develop and deliver training programs for new products, collections, promotions, financing offers, and operational process changes.
• Ensure employees and leaders are prepared to successfully execute new initiatives prior to launch.

Training Analytics & Performance Measurement

• Establish learning and performance metrics to evaluate program effectiveness and business impact.
• Develop baseline measures and reporting processes to track improvements in productivity, retention, compliance, sales performance, and other key outcomes.
• Present regular reports and recommendations to senior leadership on training effectiveness, return on investment, and future opportunities.
• Design and evaluate pilot programs before broader organizational implementation.

Learning Systems, Operations & Budget Management

• Oversee learning technologies and systems, including the Learning Management System (LMS), content libraries, certification tracking tools, and digital learning platforms.
• Manage relationships with external vendors, training partners, and technology providers.
• Develop and administer the Learning & Development budget, ensuring efficient use of resources and alignment with strategic priorities.
• Identify and implement technology and process improvements that enhance the employee learning experience and operational efficiency.

Requirements

Qualifications needed to perform this position:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; ATD or similar certification a plus
• 10+ years of experience in retail sales leadership, learning and development, or sales enablement, including 5+ years leading a training or enablement function with direct reports; retail, home furnishings, or commissioned in-store sales strongly preferred
• A record of training programs tied to measurable sales results, not completion counts alone
• Hands-on instructional design skill (adult learning, microlearning, blended programs) and LMS administration
• Credibility on the sales floor: comfortable selling, observing, and coaching in front of associates
• Strong data skills: able to build scorecards, read POS data, and isolate training impact
• Clear executive communication and the ability to drive adoption across store operations without direct authority.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position will have supervisory responsibilities including Sales Performance Coaches (field) today, with new positions to be added as the function grows.

Work Environment:

This job operates in an office environment.

Physical Demands:

This employee will regularly be sitting at a computer and will also be standing, walking, driving, and speaking.

Travel:

The position will be required to regularly travel to stores across Michigan markets.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time, position working a schedule based on the needs of the business.

This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of qualifications, skills, duties, and responsibilities associated with the role.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.