Training Lead

Great brands are not built on products alone. They are built on people who understand the story behind every product and can bring that story to life for every customer who walks through the door. That is exactly what this role is about. As Training Lead, you will build a high performance learning culture across a leading global sportswear retail business in Nigeria. You will own the end to end Learning and Development strategy across retail stores and support functions, shaping product knowledge, customer service excellence, leadership capability, operational standards, and employee engagement. If you love building people as much as you love building systems, this is where you belong.Who are we looking for?

• You are an experienced Learning and Development or Retail Training professional who has led training functions before and knows what good looks like.
• You are a natural coach who can develop others, from frontline sales associates to store managers.
• You are someone who understands retail operations deeply and can connect learning initiatives directly to business results like conversion, ATV, UPT and customer satisfaction.
• You are creative and current, comfortable introducing modern learning methods like micro learning, gamification and blended learning.
• You are a strong communicator who can present confidently and influence stakeholders across sales, HR, marketing, merchandising and supply chain.
• You are structured and data driven, able to measure training impact and translate it into clear business reviews.

Your Responsibilities…Learning Strategy and Capability Development

• You will develop and execute the annual Learning and Development strategy aligned with business priorities.
• You will build capability across retail stores and back end support teams.
• You will drive a continuous learning culture across the organisation.
• You will establish competency frameworks for different roles within the business.

Training Program Design

• You will curate structured learning journeys for all employee levels.
• You will design onboarding, functional, leadership, sales and behavioural training programs.
• You will develop certification programs for frontline teams and managers.
• You will ensure all learning interventions align with global brand standards.

Product and Brand Education

• You will lead seasonal product training across all categories.
• You will drive deep understanding of product technologies, innovation and storytelling.
• You will help teams translate product knowledge into confident customer conversations.
• You will build strong brand ambassadors across stores.

Customer Experience Excellence

• You will develop and implement customer service standards.
• You will train teams on premium selling techniques and consumer engagement.
• You will improve conversion, ATV, UPT and customer satisfaction through capability building.
• You will drive service consistency across all stores.

Leadership and Culture Development

• You will design programs for Store Managers and Area Managers.
• You will promote brand values, culture and leadership behaviours.
• You will drive employee engagement, collaboration and team effectiveness.
• You will support succession planning and talent development initiatives.

Content Development and Learning Innovation

• You will lead the development of training manuals, facilitator guides, e-learning modules, videos and other digital learning assets.
• You will ensure training content stays current, engaging and business relevant.
• You will introduce modern learning methodologies including micro learning, gamification and blended learning.

Team Leadership

• You will lead, coach and develop the Training team.
• You will manage the performance of the On Ground Trainer and Training Content Developer.
• You will build capability within the training function to deliver best in class learning experiences.

Stakeholder Management

• You will partner closely with Sales Leadership, Retail Operations, HR, Marketing, Merchandising, Visual Merchandising and Supply Chain.
• You will coordinate with the regional Sales Academy to implement global learning initiatives and localize content for the Nigerian market.

Training Planning and Governance

• You will develop annual and quarterly training calendars.
• You will ensure timely execution of all learning programs.
• You will monitor training budgets and resource utilization.
• You will maintain training records, certifications and learning dashboards.

Training Effectiveness and Reporting

• You will measure training impact through knowledge assessments, certification scores, mystery shopping results, customer experience scores, sales productivity, product knowledge retention, store KPI improvements and employee engagement.
• You will provide regular business reviews highlighting capability gaps, action plans and the ROI of learning initiatives.

What Success looks like…

• A structured annual training roadmap executed on schedule across all stores and support functions.
• Measurable improvement in mystery shopping scores and customer experience ratings within the first year.
• Certification completion rate of at least 90 percent across frontline and management teams.
• Visible improvement in store KPIs such as conversion rate, ATV and UPT linked directly to training interventions.
• A capable, well coached training team delivering consistent, high quality learning experiences.
• Training budgets managed within approved limits with clear ROI reporting each quarter.

To be considered for this role you should have…

• An MBA, PGDM or equivalent qualification.
• 8 to 12 years of experience in Learning and Development or Retail Training.
• At least 3 years in a leadership role managing training teams.
• Experience in Sportswear, Fashion, Lifestyle or FMCG is preferred.
• Strong understanding of retail operations and consumer experience.
• Experience working with regional or global training teams is an added advantage.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong presentation, coaching and stakeholder management abilities.

Challenges you may face in this role…

• Balancing global brand standards with the realities of localizing content for the Nigerian market.
• Driving consistency in service and product knowledge across multiple stores with varying team maturity levels.
• Managing competing priorities during peak retail seasons while still delivering on the training calendar.
• Measuring and proving the ROI of learning initiatives in a way that resonates with business stakeholders.

The Goodies…

• Competitive salary
• Opportunity for learning and growth
• Great team, working environment and supportive team
• Exposure to global training frameworks and a globally recognised retail brand.