Annual salary: up to £45,000.00 Learning Partnership Lead Remote, full-time role paying a salary of £45,000, plus great company benefits. We are seeking a dynamic and strategic Learning Partnerships Manager to lead our customer-focused learning partnerships service. This role is pivotal in ensuring the delivery of high-quality training solutions that align with business needs and industry standards. You will develop and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external training providers to drive excellence in learning and development. Mears is one of the UK’s leading housing providers to both the public and private sector, with over 5,500 employees, working with clients to help develop, fund and implement their placemaking ambitions. With 30 years of delivering market-leading repairs and maintenance services, Mears is trusted to deliver in excess of 6,000 repairs daily to a portfolio of more than 1,000,000 homes nationwide. We provide tailored rapid-response and planned maintenance services through partnering arrangements with more than 70 local authorities, Arm’s Length Management Organisations and Housing Associations. About the Role: The ideal candidate will have a strong background in education, training, or learning and development, with an understanding of qualifications frameworks, quality standards, and compliance requirements. Experience working with apprenticeship providers or colleges is highly desirable, as you will be responsible for managing these partnerships and ensuring service excellence. You will have the confidence and relationship-building skills to engage effectively with colleges and training providers, fostering strong partnerships that deliver a high standard of service and collaboration when required. A strategic mindset is essential, enabling you to assess provider offerings, ensure value for money, and align with investment decisions based on business needs and return on investment. While direct management experience is not essential, you will lead a team of Learning Advisors, providing guidance and support to ensure high-quality service delivery. Your ability to analyse sector intelligence and make informed decisions will be key to shaping our learning partnerships and driving continuous improvement. Key Responsibilities: Manage a team of Learning Advisors that deliver high-quality operational results, while building and maintaining strong partnerships to foster effective collaboration and communication Act as the primary stakeholder to manage relationships with third-party training providers, ensuring alignment of training offerings with organisational skills needs and standards Develop and maintain an engagement plan for learning partnerships, detailing the management approach for monitoring, reviewing, and future-proofing services Source and onboard new training providers, ensuring thorough due diligence to guarantee high-quality delivery and compliance with company standards and regulatory requirements Monitor and evaluate the performance of training providers, conducting rigorous assessments to regularly verify compliance, maintain high-quality standards and identify areas for improvement Ensure that all training activities adhere to company policies and external regulations, maintaining up-to-date knowledge of relevant compliance requirements and industry standards Manage and oversee the exit strategy for each learning partnership, ensuring smooth transitions, including to new providers where necessary Assist in obtaining necessary records for compliance management, ensuring all training activities are properly documented and auditable, collaborating with internal teams to update management information systems, promoting available courses and ensuring accurate data Role Criteria: To succeed in this role, you will have: Proven experience in managing learning partnerships or training provider relationships. Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage and develop a team. Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills. Knowledge of compliance and regulatory requirements within learning and development. A proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the learning partnerships strategy within a forward-thinking organisation. You will have the autonomy to drive change, influence decision-making, and make a meaningful impact on workforce development. If this sounds like your perfect opportunity; please apply via the link attaching your CV and a Cover Letter explaining why you would be a good candidate and why you want to work for Mears. For any extra enquiries or assistance please email vickie.rudgemearsgroup.co.uk. Mears Group is a Disability Confident employer and recognises our people as our greatest asset, we hire individuality, recognising and valuing everyone is individual and ensuring equal access to opportunities for all regardless of social economic background or individual make up. Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant DBS/Security checks either before or upon commencement of employment. We are also a Forces Friendly employer and an ERS Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award holder. We are the people behind the smile At Mears we look for people who share our vision and values - to make a positive difference to the communities we serve. We do this by improving homes, improving communities and improving lives. We are proud of our business and the opportunities we provide to colleagues working across the UK. Our Values - Customers / Innovation / Teamwork / Responsibility