The role
Shape Organisational Learning. Influence Culture. Build Capability.
At Southern Housing, we're creating communities where everyone has a safe home in a place they're proud to live.
To achieve that vision, we know our people need the skills, confidence and capability to deliver exceptional services every day. That's where you come in.
We're looking for an exceptional Head of Learning to lead our Learning function and help shape how learning is experienced across our large, complex and purpose-driven organisation.
This is a rare opportunity for an experienced learning leader who can connect business priorities, resident needs and workforce capability to create meaningful learning outcomes. You'll lead a talented team, influence senior stakeholders, champion innovation and ensure our learning offer drives compliance, capability and a culture of continuous development.
If you're passionate about learning technologies, skills-based development, learning culture transformation and delivering measurable impact through learning, we'd love to hear from you.
Why this role matters
As our Head of Learning, you'll play a pivotal role in delivering a modern, blended and high-impact learning experience for colleagues across Southern Housing.
Working closely with our Director of Learning & Culture, you'll translate the learning elements of our People Strategy into high-quality, accessible and engaging learning solutions that help our people perform at their best.
You'll ensure learning is not simply an activity, but an integral part of how we work, develop and succeed as an organisation.
What you'll be doing
You'll lead the design, delivery and continuous improvement of a comprehensive learning offer that supports both current and future organisational needs with a strong focus on compliance.
Leading learning excellence
- Deliver a high-quality blended learning offer across the organisation.
- Ensure learning solutions are engaging, inclusive, accessible and aligned with business priorities and organisational culture.
- Embed a culture of continuous learning and self-directed development.
- Drive learning evaluation, insight and continuous improvement through data and feedback.
Learning technology and systems leadership
- Maximise the value and capability of learning systems and digital learning platforms.
- Lead LMS optimisation, governance, adoption and ongoing enhancement.
- Ensure learning data, reporting and compliance information are accurate, meaningful and actionable.
- Work closely with technology, systems and data teams to improve learning experiences and business outcomes.
Working in partnership and influence
- Build trusted relationships with stakeholders across the organisation.
- Provide expert advice and consultancy on learning and development, compliance and capability building.
- Partner with subject matter experts and business leads to identify current and future skills needs.
- Respond quickly to evolving organisational and sector requirements, leveraging technology and innovation to support workforce development.
Team leadership
- Lead, coach and develop a high-performing Learning team.
- Create an environment where innovation, accountability and collaboration thrive.
- Embrace change and support colleagues to do the same
Commercial and operational leadership
- Manage significant learning budgets, ensuring value for money and strong return on investment.
- Lead procurement activities, supplier relationships and contract performance management.
- Maintain robust governance, quality assurance, compliance and risk management processes.
What you'll need
We're looking for someone who brings a strong technical expertise and a passion for developing people.
Essential experience and skills
- Experience of Learning Management System (LMS) procurement, implementation and ongoing management.
- Extensive experience leading, motivating and inspiring teams, with a proven ability to support people through change and foster a collaborative one-team culture.
- Strong understanding of adult learning theory and methodologies, including the design and implementation of blended learning solutions.
- Experience partnering with senior leaders to support sustainable people, skills and competency development.
- Proven ability to embed diversity, equity and inclusion principles into learning and development strategies and programmes.
- Significant experience co-creating, designing and delivering training, digital learning solutions and development programmes for colleagues at all levels.
- Experience managing external learning providers, including commissioning services and effective contract management.
- Exceptional relationship-building, stakeholder management and influencing skills.
- Commercially focused, with experience ensuring value for money, efficiency and return on investment from learning and development activities.
- Experience delivering executive and senior-level coaching and facilitation to groups and individuals.
- Experience operating at a senior level within complex, geographically dispersed and diverse organisations.
- Willingness and ability to travel regularly to Southern Housing locations as required.
Qualifications
- Working towards CIPD Level 7 in Learning and Organisation Development, or able to demonstrate equivalent experience.
- Level 5 (or above) ILM or CMI qualification in Leadership/Performance Coaching.
In your supporting statement, it is important that you clearly articulate how you meet each of the above criteria providing real competency based examples.
Closing date- 16th August 2026 at 23:59
Interview dates
Fleet House, Farringdon
- Tuesday 25 August
- Tuesday 1 September
Join us and help shape a culture where learning is embedded, capability flourishes and our people can deliver their very best for residents and communities.
Applying for roles with us
About us
At Southern Housing, our residents are at the heart of everything we do. As one of the largest housing providers in the UK with over 77,000 homes across London, the Southeast, the Isle of Wight, and the Midlands, we give over 167,000 people somewhere affordable to call their own!We also understand the difference that safe, secure, and affordable homes can make to people’s lives.
A career at Southern Housing will allow you to make a difference every day you come to work. Working in the housing sector with us will bring fresh challenges and give you the opportunity to grow and develop, too.
What's in it for you
- Pension
- Life assurance
- Healthcare cash plan
- Eyecare & dental
- Birthday leave
- Retailers discounts
- Cycle to work
- Buy & sell annual leave
- Season ticket loan
- In-house academy & career development
- Flexible working
Inclusion and Diversity
We work hard to create a diverse and inclusive culture and environment where people are respected for who they are. Encouraging inclusion is not just about protected characteristics, it’s about celebrating differences of thought, opinion, experience and perspective of each individual. We’re all different in our own way and we want our colleagues to feel comfortable, that they belong, and are safe to be themselves at work, without fear of being judged or excluded, but valued for their contribution to our One Team approach.
Work Location: In person
