Manager, Leadership Development

Kroger•Cincinnati, OH

About The Position

Responsible for designing, implementing, and sustaining leadership development strategy and programs that build capability and align with organizational strategy. Partners with senior leaders and HR teams to deliver impactful development experiences, manages vendor relationships, and integrates technology solutions to ensure scalability and effectiveness. These functions are performed to strengthen the leadership pipeline, support succession planning, and drive measurable business outcomes through enhanced leader performance. Demonstrate the company’s core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion, and safety.

Requirements

Minimum High School Diploma or GED
5+ years progressive HR leadership experience, including leading talent strategy and designing learning programs
3+ years’ experience with vendor management and contract governance
Proficiency in HR and learning management systems such as Oracle HCM and Axonify
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholders and drive accountability across teams

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field
Experience as a Human Resources Business Partner, Training Manager or Instructional Designer
Any experience leveraging AI and automation for HR processes

Responsibilities

Design and implement a cohesive enterprise-wide leadership development strategy to strengthen leadership capability and align programs with organizational goals by strengthening leadership capability and supporting succession planning.
Provide strategic oversight of leadership training programs, ensuring content quality, relevance, and alignment with business priorities across all levels of leadership.
Lead and coach training managers and instructional designers, setting performance expectations, providing feedback, and supporting professional growth.
Manage vendor relationships and technology integrations to deliver scalable, innovative learning solutions and maintain compliance with organizational standards.
Collaborate with senior leaders, HR Business Partners, and COEs to ensure leadership programs support succession planning, executive development, and talent pipeline objectives.
Define success metrics and evaluate program impact, leveraging data analysis, site visits, and stakeholder feedback to drive continuous improvement and deliver return on investment.
Oversee change management and content deployment, ensuring seamless integration with learning platforms and strong adoption across the organization.
Design and deliver experiential learning, simulation-based, and role-specific programs (e.g., Pearl Street Academy) that accelerate readiness for key leadership roles.
Incorporate modern learning modalities (e.g., blended learning, microlearning, and peer-to-peer coaching) to meet evolving leader expectations.
Partner with cross-functional stakeholders (Operations, Merchandising, Associate Experience and Communications) to ensure leadership development programs reflect enterprise values, culture, and strategic priorities.
Curate and manage open-catalog leadership learning offerings that complement formal programs and enable self-directed development to increase engagement and retention enterprise-wide.
Travel up to 20% to support relationship management and operational alignment across departments and vendor sites.
Supervise and coach direct reports in the performance of their duties; complete performance reviews and provide feedback to direct reports.
Ability to work cooperatively in high paced and sometimes stressful environment.
Ability to manage conflict in a reasonable, nonconfrontational and cooperative manner.
Ability to act with honesty and integrity regarding customer and business information.
Ability to follow directions and seek assistance when necessary to resolve customer and business issues.
Provide support and assistance through direct interaction with minors, individuals with special needs, and/or older adults.
Must be able to perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation.