Global Learning Manager - ekaterra

Who we are…and what we do

With an annual turnover of around €2bn, ekaterra is the world’s largest tea business, with world-class, purpose-driven brands such as Lipton, Pukka, Tazo, T2 and PG Tips. ‘eka’ is a word taken from the Sanskrit language which means unity and one purpose, while ‘terra’ represents the earth and nature. As ekaterra we are truly united in one purpose: growing a world of wellbeing through the regenerative power of plants.

In July 2022, CVC Capital Partners Fund VIII took over the full ownership of the ekaterra business from its previous owner, Unilever. As a standalone entity with a dedicated single-category focus, ekaterra is even better positioned to lead the tea industry, delivering higher growth and value, and a greater impact on the wider world. With nine production factories in four continents and tea growing estates in three countries, ekaterra is a profitable and growing business whose brands reach hundreds of millions of consumers. It has a presence in over 100 countries.

Under the ownership of CVC, ekaterra has an exciting future ahead with opportunities for increased investments in our iconic brands, our people, and our capabilities. Combining the strength and scale of our brands with a focus on speed and agility, ekaterra is brewing a corporate start-up mindset that’s opening-up new opportunities for its people to flourish every day.

At ekaterra, we put consumer love at the heart of every decision. We celebrate diverse thinkers who take personal ownership to connect ideas and make impactful things happen; people who share our values around humanity and courage and give their commitment to nurturing the wellbeing of all. In return, we offer a working culture that gives our people freedom and flexibility, and where they can grow both personally and professionally to master their field.

Be part of our amazing blend. Come and grow yourself and, in turn, help us to grow a world of wellbeing.

Your Role

Are you passionate about Learning, with proven expertise in the field, and a strong track record of delivering Learning interventions and programmes which drive business value? Do you have a creative mind to find ways of doing things differently? We are building ekaterra to be a Great Place to GROW – Grounded in reality, Respect of all, fostering Ownership, and Winning together. You would have the space for significant personal growth and development - as you would be owning and shaping the ekaterra global Learning agenda in this role.

As our Global Learning Manager, you would be responsible for the design and delivery of the ekaterra Learning and Development curriculum, collaborating with internal stakeholders and external partners to deploy impactful learning solutions aligned to our key business priorities.

Based in our Global Headquarters in Rotterdam, you would work closely with the Head of Capability Building, the Chief People Officer, and the People and Organisation global leadership team to drive the Learning agenda throughout our business. With nine factories, a global sales and marketing footprint and tea estates in three countries in Africa, we have a global workforce of over 20,000 to serve. We are also currently finalising the set-up of our new Learning Management System, so you would join at a great time to own the Learning agenda and lead key colleagues and internal partners on the journey of how we maximise the value and impact of this fantastic new asset to further develop our Learning culture.

Your Key Tasks

• Work proactively with senior stakeholders, global, regional and local P&O (People and Organisation – also known as HR) teams to define Learning requirements.
• Drive the end–to-end design of Learning and Development programmes including project management, material creation, communication and operational set up.
• Be a single point of contact for P&O colleagues around the globe on Learning and Development - advising regarding queries re the LMS, the activation of global Learning initiatives being driven, or specific individual queries.
• Work, as required, with ekaterra Subject Matter Experts to create bespoke content and work with external Learning providers to do the same.
• Where needed, support and advise local P&O colleagues in developing local Learning solutions.
• Bring external insights on current/future leadership and Learning trends, ways of working and other developments to evolve ekaterra Learning and Development thinking - including external benchmarking to identify best practices.
• Oversee and, at times undertake, Learning Management System co-ordination and administration – such as the uploading and curation of material, co-ordination of functional system contacts, management of scheduling and sign-up of live instructor sessions.
• Design and execute communication campaigns for Learning programmes in collaboration with the ekaterra Internal Communications Manager.
• Create and maintain a network of learning champions throughout the business to help with input on strategic questions, testing new content, and feeding back on ideas.
• Prepare Learning consumption/attendance reports ad-hoc, utilising reporting functionality of new LMS wherever possible, and ensure robust ROI measures are in place for all Learning programmes.
• Manage live sessions – including co-ordination of instructors and technology to be used, and, at times, facilitating these.

Stakeholder Management and key interfaces

• You would be a member of the Global P&O team.
• You would report to the Head of Capability Building but would also work directly with the Chief People Officer on specific projects.
• You would work with regional P&O leadership to drive the learning agenda into our business units, and you are likely to interact with local P&O colleagues within their teams.
• You would work directly with ekaterra Leadership Team members on key functional and business unit skill and capability priority areas (eg Chief R&D Officer, or Business President Europe).

Skills and Experience

• The successful candidate will have a minimum of 3 years’ experience in a specialist Learning and Development role, and longer periods of past experience within the field would be desirable.
• Past experience of the utilisation and management of a Learning Management System is necessary – with SAP Success Factors experience particularly valuable.
• Proven ability to manage a large and varied workload, which ranges from the accurate management of operational detail to the ability to think truly strategically and interface successfully with C-Suite level leaders, is needed.
• A professional qualification within the Learning field, and past FMCG sector experience, would both be advantageous.

Who we are looking for

We are seeking someone who has:

• A passion for Learning (and strong recent experience in the field).
• A strong service mindset.
• An analytical mind with a thirst for data and in extracting insights from it.
• Strong influencing and relationship building skills across all levels of the organisation.
• Business acumen and commercial curiosity.
• Agility and resilience.
• Curiosity.
• A willingness and comfort to move between getting the detail right and in providing strategic thought…being prepared to ‘roll their sleeves up’ to get things done but to provide a vision for Learning, and expertise within it, for the organisation.

Excited about the Role?

Please apply online by clicking on “Apply” below. Your application will be reviewed against our requirements after the closing date. Should you not meet our immediate requirements, your profile will be registered in our talent pool system and we will match your profile to suitable future vacancies.