Manager, Chair Learning & Development in Portsmouth

The Manager of Chair Enablement equips Vistage Chairs (CEO Coaches) with the skills, tools, and community needed to deliver exceptional value to their members and sustain high-performing practices. This leader ensures Chairs are not only successful in launching and growing their groups, but also continually deepening their mastery of the art and business of Chairing. The Manager will design and operationalise a holistic Chair enablement system encompassing training, upskilling, community engagement, and ongoing performance support. Success in this role is measured through measurable outcomes such as increased Chair productivity, member retention, and group growth. This role requires a balance of strategic leadership and hands-on execution; someone who can shape programmes, lead cross-functional initiatives, and engage directly with Chairs as peers and partners in success. The Manager, Chair Enablement will report directly to the UK Managing Director and lead a team of two reports.

Vistage is the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organisation for small and medium size business (SME) leaders. We offer the most effective approach for SME enterprises to achieve better results and grow faster as well as for SME leaders to maximise their impact. The 45,000+ members we serve are MDs/CEOs, owners and executives of SME organisations located across the UK and around the world. These SME executives typically spend a day or more with Vistage every month to immerse themselves in our comprehensive platform for making better decisions, getting better results and becoming better leaders. Our platform features three core elements: valuable perspectives from a trusted group of peers, professional guidance and meeting facilitation from an accomplished business leader (the Chair), and deep insights from subject matter experts. Vistage was founded more than 65 years ago and we’ve grown every year since then by innovating to stay on the cutting-edge of business and being relentless in delivering value to our members. Our success is demonstrated by the fact that Vistage member companies grow 2.2 times faster than non-Vistage peer companies.

Vistage’s success is anchored by a unique culture which reinforces employee commitment to the Vistage mission. It is a spirit of collective success and achievement which is also reflected in our workplace. Here’s a sample of the employee experience that helps drive our success:

• Welcome to our home. Our UK Office sits in Hedge End, Southampton while our US headquarters sits in San Diego, California. The Hedge End office features an open, modern aesthetic with lots of collaboration spaces and free coffee!
• We invest in your career. Each employee has an actionable career progression plan developed through individual collaboration with their manager. We focus on promoting from within and employee progression plans are complemented by all, we invest in staff development days as well as access to tons of individualised development resources and a tuition reimbursement programme.
• We invest in you. Our employee benefits programme is incredibly generous! We offer life insurance of 4 times your base salary up to a maximum £1,250,000 benefit. Take care of your financial future with a pension plan where employees are automatically enrolled at a 5% contribution, and matching of 4%. You’ll also start with 20 days annual leave to allow you to relax and recharge. Employees receive additional annual paid days off based on tenure. All employees also have access to our Employee Assistance Programme, Travel Emergency Service, and more!
• We keep it fun! Whether you’re enjoying office celebrations or toasting your co-workers at our epic annual holiday party, you’ll see that we take having fun as seriously as helping our members succeed! The office vibe is business casual with flexible schedules that take a hybrid approach, splitting time between working in the office and working from home on an agreed cadence. We value mutual respect and laughter; we hate stiff formality.

Vistage’s culture and sense of mission drives employee loyalty: more than half of our staff has been with the company for five years or longer. Are you ready to start your Vistage journey?

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Chair Success Enablement: Develop and lead a comprehensive enablement strategy that drives Chair performance, satisfaction, and long-term retention.
• Programme Design & Execution: Create, refine, and deliver learning pathways, workshops, and experiences that elevate Chairs’ mastery of both the art (coaching and facilitation) and business (practice growth and member engagement) of Chairing.
• Performance Outcomes: Partner cross-functionally with Marketing, Growth, and Operations to track, analyze, and improve Chair productivity, member retention, and group expansion.
• Community Engagement: Foster connection and knowledge-sharing across the Chair community through events such as ChairWorld, National Chair Meetings, and VCGs.
• Enablement Systems: Develop and operationalise an annual enablement calendar with aligned content, cadence, and communication strategies.
• Continuous Improvement: Use data and feedback to assess enablement impact, identify gaps, and iterate quickly to enhance programme effectiveness.
• Leadership & Collaboration: Serve as a trusted thought partner to senior leadership, modeling accountability, executive presence, and a deep understanding of Chair needs and motivations.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 7+ years in leadership roles spanning enablement, learning & development, or performance consulting.
• Proven success designing programmes that drive measurable behaviour change and performance outcomes.
• Deep understanding of executive coaching, leadership development, or peer advisory models.
• Experience collaborating cross-functionally across business units to deliver scalable, high-impact programmes.
• Strong analytical, communication, and project management skills.
• Expertise in facilitation, instructional design, and programme evaluation.
• Experience working with independent contractors or franchise-style networks is a plus.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

• Focused on outcomes over effort.
• Treats Chairs as entrepreneurial partners, not customers or employees.
• Demonstrates executive presence and growth mindset.
• Collaborates cross-functionally and challenges constructively.
• Delivers consistently and with polish.

JOB LOCATION

London OR Hybrid in Hedge End; a mix of on-site and off-site days.