Learning & Development Manager in Reading

Salary: up to £55k plus company car allowance

• 28 Days holiday including bank holidays
• Plus your birthday off
• 24 weeks enhanced maternity leave
• Secondary carer leave
• Wedding/commitment day leave
• Free meals on shift
• Bespoke training and development opportunities
• Apprenticeships opportunities for all experience levels
• Pension and life insurance
• Discounts available on our Perkbox app; high street shops, holidays & cinema
• Access to employee assistance programme
• Cycle to work scheme

BaxterStorey has an exciting opportunity for a strategic and commercially minded Learning & Development Manager to help shape capability, leadership, hospitality, and performance across the business. Based in London/Reading with UK travel, this role offers the chance to join a progressive hospitality organisation where people development is central to business success. You will partner with subject matter experts and business leaders to design and deliver high-impact learning solutions that strengthen management capability, support operational excellence, and build a strong culture of growth, inclusion, and progression.

This role is ideal for an experienced L&D professional who combines strategic thinking with hands-on delivery. You will lead the design and implementation of learning initiatives that support leadership development, hospitality, and operational capability, while using data, insight, and stakeholder feedback to continuously improve impact. The successful candidate will be confident working across a fast‑paced, complex, multi‑site environment and passionate about creating meaningful development experiences that align with commercial priorities.

We believe that it is our people that set us apart, that’s why as a member of our team, you will be supported in an inclusive environment that encourages growth and celebrates diversity. We will invest in your development with ongoing training, to ensure that you have the skills and knowledge to thrive in your role, and we guarantee a good work‑life balance, because we believe that people excel when they are given the space to take care of themselves.

Job Description

• Shape and deliver the L&D agenda in line with business priorities and future capability needs.
• Partner with operational and functional leaders identifying capability gaps and shaping development priorities that support business performance.
• Use business insight, performance data, and stakeholder feedback to diagnose learning needs and recommend practical, high‑impact solutions.
• Lead the design and delivery of programmes across leadership, hospitality, management, onboarding, compliance, and hospitality excellence.
• Influence and support leaders to take ownership of development within their teams, embedding learning into day‑to‑day practice.
• Drive engagement with blended learning approaches, including workshops, coaching, digital learning, and on‑the‑job development.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts and external partners to design, source and implement learning solutions aligned to organisational priorities.
• Monitor the impact of learning interventions, using data and feedback to evaluate effectiveness and continuously improve outcomes.
• Build strong relationships across the business to embed a positive, high‑performance learning culture.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a Learning & Development, Training or People Development role, ideally within hospitality or another fast‑paced service environment.
• Strong track record of designing and delivering impactful development solutions for managers and teams.
• Strategic and commercially minded, with experience diagnosing business needs and translating them into practical development solutions.
• Confident stakeholder management with the ability to influence, challenge and build credibility with leaders at all levels of the business.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of the drivers of operational performance within a multi-location environment.
• Experience of blended learning, digital platforms, and data‑informed evaluation.
• Organised, proactive and comfortable managing multiple priorities and projects across a multi-site business.
• Experience working with large scale complex matrix businesses, CIPD or relevant L&D qualification and Insights Practitioner are desirable.

Additional Information

For almost 20 years, for every client, in every location (whether that’s an office, stadium, cathedral or university), we have created beautiful spaces, exciting menus and friendly teams, so that each and every customer can have the hospitality experience they deserve. We need the brightest and the best to join us to make this all possible. We will support you to create your hospitality legacy and build a career that you are proud of.

Our drive and belief in our people, means that we always strive to supercharge our team’s careers. ‘Better’ is a daily habit that sits deep within our DNA, meaning learning will be front and centre of your experience working with us. Join us, and be part of the food revolution!

BaxterStorey Values

• ALWAYS VISIONARY - We strive for better, we never settle, never compromise, never follow. We lead the way, blazing our own trail.
• WHOLEHEARTEDLY POSITIVE - We are up‑beat, motivating and inspiring. Our love for what we do radiates through our food, and is amplified by our people.
• CREATIVELY COLLABORATIVE - We embrace our differences to push creativity and we work together to be better.
• FOREVER CONSCIOUS - We work together as a team to lead by example, protecting the planet and supporting local communities.

Our inclusive culture is built on our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. We encourage applications from people of all ages, abilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, races, religions, and socio‑economic backgrounds. We are proud to be an inclusive employer and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We celebrate individuality and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We are committed to encouraging equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) among our workforce and aim to have a workforce that is truly representative of all sections of society, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. Our ambition is to be recognised for having the most inclusive culture in hospitality. Join us and bring your unique perspective to our team.