Senior Learning & Development Manager - Global Distribution & Packaging in Southampton

The Senior Learning and Development Manager, Packaging and Distribution is responsible for partnering with senior leaders to shape, prioritise, and deliver learning and development strategies that directly enable business performance, operational capability, and workforce sustainability.

Working closely with Operations leaders, HR Business Partners, and centres of excellence, the role translates business strategy into integrated learning, capability, and talent development solutions. The Senior L&D Manager ensures learning investment is targeted, data‑driven, and aligned to quality, safety, and performance expectations, while leveraging global best practice and enterprise standards.

This role balances strategic consulting with hands‑on oversight, ensuring that learning solutions support operational excellence, employee development, compliance, and long‑term succession requirements. The Senior L&D BP does not “own” training teams but influences, integrates, and governs delivery across internal and external providers.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Partner with senior leaders to understand business strategy, performance challenges, and future capability needs.
• Act as a trusted advisor on workforce capability, skills risk, and development investment.
• Lead capability needs analysis across leadership, technical, safety, quality, and professional skill domains.
• Shape learning roadmaps that support operational readiness, transformation, and career progression.
• Oversee the design, deployment, and evaluation of learning solutions, leveraging internal L&D teams, global content, and external providers.
• Work collaboratively with HR Business Partners, Operations leaders, and subject matter experts.
• Support leaders in embedding learning into day‑to‑day operations and performance routines.
• Establish success measures for learning initiatives, linking activity to capability uplift and business outcomes.

About you:

We are looking for someone with:

• Strong expertise in learning and development strategy, capability building, and adult learning principles.
• Proven experience partnering with senior leaders in operational or regulated environments.
• Ability to influence without direct authority in complex, matrixed organisations.
• Strong analytical capability to identify skill gaps and evaluate learning impact.
• Excellent facilitation, consulting, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong understanding of quality, safety, and compliance‑driven learning environments.
• Project and programme oversight capability, including planning, prioritisation, and risk management.
• Significant experience in learning and development, talent, or organisational capability roles.
• Demonstrated experience partnering with Operations or technical functions.
• Experience influencing learning strategy at a senior leadership level.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Learning & Development, Business, or related discipline.
• CIPD qualification in Learning & Development (Level 5 minimum; Level 7 desirable).
• Equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

Experience in manufacturing, engineering, logistics, or similarly regulated environments preferred.

What we offer:

You’ll receive competitive compensation and a fantastic benefits package including 25 days holiday, pension scheme, healthcare cover, life assurance, access to our Wellness Platform to support you in mental health and wellbeing, a discounted contact lens scheme and much more!

We are committed to our employees’ personal and professional development and offer extensive training to support your career growth and help every individual to reach their full potential. To help us achieve our goals, we’ll give you everything you need to help you achieve yours. We also provide access to LinkedIn Learning to help you develop in your career and grow with CooperVision.

As a CooperVision employee, you’ll be welcomed into a diverse and progressive global business. We appreciate how important fostering an inclusive culture is and how different perspectives add value and contribute to our success.

If you like what you see, take the first step towards your Brighter Future and apply today! All suitably qualified applicants will receive equal consideration and opportunities from CooperVision.