L&D Specialist | Retail | IKEA

Job Requisition ID: 179639 

Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail and healthcare; employing more than 35,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, Al-Futtaim Group partners with over 200 of the world's most admired and innovative brands. Al-Futtaim Group’s entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enables the organization to continue to grow and expand; responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate. 

By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration and integrity; Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers each and every day

• The Learning & Development Specialist is responsible for ensuring the delivery of effective learning solutions across store and regional levels, aligned with the co-worker journey, business priorities, and brand competence of IKEA. The role involves planning, coordinating, and monitoring learning activities in accordance with the Learning Service Level Agreement (SLA) to achieve impactful learning outcomes. The specialist collaborates closely with Store Management Teams, HR Business Partners, Regional L&D, and other stakeholders to balance strategic planning with operational execution, ensuring compliance and support for mandatory learning, competence development, and behavioral alignment to the IKEA brand and culture.

Learning Planning & SLA Delivery

• Translate business and training needs into annual and monthly learning plans aligned with regional priorities and SLA commitments.
• Ensure learning activities are planned, communicated, and deployed within agreed timelines (monthly, quarterly, annual cycles).
• Deliver learning plans as per agreed timelines and achieve stakeholder alignment with Store Management, HRBP, Regional L&D.

Training Deployment & Coordination

• Coordinate the end-to-end delivery of learning solutions including classroom, virtual, blended, and self-learning formats in line with learning pathways and priorities.
• Ensure availability and readiness of facilitators, buddies, and learning resources to meet service expectations.
• Maintain an active facilitator and buddy pool and deliver learning activities as scheduled.

Learning Experience & Engagement

• Drive learning engagement through campaigns, communication, and social learning initiatives.
• Promote a strong learning culture aligned with IKEA values and ways of working.
• Ensure high learning participation and completion rates and execute engagement campaigns effectively.

Monitoring, Reporting & Quality Assurance

• Monitor learning delivery, completion, and certification through agreed platforms and dashboards.
• Ensure accuracy, compliance, and timely reporting in line with SLA standards.
• Deliver monthly learning dashboards on time and meet certification and compliance targets.

Stakeholder Partnership

• Act as a learning consultant for Line Managers, HRBP, SMEs, and Regional L&D.
• Support managers in enabling development, performance cycles, and individual development plans (IDPs).
• Achieve manager satisfaction and collaboration in the learning process.

Continuous Improvement & Regional & Retail Division Contribution

• Contribute to regional and Retail learning initiatives, projects, and continuous improvement of learning solutions.
• Share insights, best practices, and learning outcomes with regional stakeholders.
• Participate actively in regional learning initiatives and projects.

• Strong organisation, planning, and follow-up skills.
• Proficiency in digital tools and platforms used for learning delivery and coordination.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to build relationships with managers, HR, facilitators, and co-workers.
• Adaptability and ability to work effectively in a fast-paced retail environment.

• Diploma, Higher Diploma, or equivalent vocational qualification in Human Resources, Learning & Development, Business, or a related field.
• 1-3 years of experience in Learning & Development, HR, or a people support role, preferably in a retail, operational, or multi-stakeholder environment.
• Experience in supporting learning delivery, onboarding, or training coordination.
• Ability to work with learning systems (LMS), maintain accurate learning records, and track completion, attendance, and certification.

About Al-Futtaim Retail

Al-Futtaim Retail has established itself as one of the leaders in Retail across the Middle East, Africa & Asia over the past 30 years. We have developed partnerships with some of the biggest and most respected Brands in the world including IKEA, ACE and Toys R Us in the Middle East and the Inditex Group of Brands (Zara, Mango, Bershka and P&B) across Asia. We are also one of the largest Global partners of Marks and Spencer’s in both regions with over 75 stores offering both fashion & food options.
 
Most recently we have been responsible for bringing brands to the Middle East for the first time with the exciting launches of Watsons and B&Q and we aim to continue to be agile and adaptive to our markets with new launches and further development. For this to be possible we aim to recruit the best talent from all backgrounds who will continue to challenge and develop our diverse workforce which includes over 100 nationalities across 12 countries. Join us today and make a difference…

About Al-Futtaim IKEA

GROWING TOGETHER...

We are a values-driven company with a passion for life at home. Our vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people.

Al-Futtaim IKEA holds the franchise rights for IKEA in Egypt, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.