Academy Lead - AI, Emerging Skills, Tech, Data & Online

Academy Lead – AI, Emerging Skills, Tech, Data & Online Location

Asda House

Full time

Permanent

37.5

Competitive salary plus benefits

Learning and Development

3 August 2026

The Academy Lead – AI, Emerging Skills, Tech, Data & Online owns the end-to-end learning and capability pathways for colleagues AI, technology, data, and online functions. The role is accountable for ensuring learning is simple, accessible, commercially relevant and directly linked to business performance and organisational priorities.

Working closely with People Partners, functional leaders, SMEs and external partners, the Academy Lead identifies critical capability requirements, prioritises learning investment and ensures the academy delivers the skills needed to support Asda's transformation agenda, digital growth and adoption of future technologies. The role is focused on enabling capability and adoption of emerging technologies.

• Define and maintain capability strategy and pathways for AI, data and technology adoption across Asda.
• Define and deliver the learning pathways required to support the business to effectively land technology transformation.
• Ensure learning pathways support business priorities, functional capability requirements and long‑term strategic ambitions.

• Build strong relationships with functional leaders, People Partners and subject matter experts.
• Translate business priorities, transformation programmes and capability gaps into learning requirements.

• Ensure critical capabilities are identified, prioritised and supported through effective learning solutions.
• Develop approaches that support AI adoption, digital fluency, data literacy and technology capability across the organisation.
• Promote continuous learning and professional development.

• Ensure learning interventions align to Asda learning standards and governance processes.
• Determine the most appropriate delivery model using internal expertise, curation, SMEs and external suppliers.
• Monitor learner experience and ensure solutions remain relevant and effective.

• Monitor capability development, learner engagement and business outcomes.
• Use performance, skills and learning data to prioritise activity and demonstrate value.
• Provide insight and recommendations to stakeholders on future capability investments.

A defined and accessible set of learning pathways that provide clarity on skills, development expectations and career growth opportunities across AI, Tech, Data and Online populations.

An annually reviewed and business‑aligned capability roadmap that focuses investment on the skills and roles that will have the greatest impact on organisational performance.

A network of capable SMEs who understand their responsibilities within the Academy Model and are equipped to maintain and support local learning solutions.

Regular reporting and recommendations that inform workforce capability decisions, academy priorities and future investment.

• Experience leading learning, capability and adoption initiatives at scale.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience translating business strategy into capability requirements.
• Understanding of modern adult learning methodologies and capability frameworks.
• Ability to work with data and insights to inform decision making.
• Experience managing multiple priorities and delivering through matrix teams.

• Experience with in AI, Technology, Data, Digital or Online functions.
• Understanding of AI capability development and digital transformation.
• Experience working within retail, technology or large‑scale organisational change environments.
• Knowledge of skills taxonomies and capability assessment approaches.

• Critical AI, Technology and Data capabilities have clear learning pathways.
• Leaders have visibility of capability strengths, risks and…