Are you a strategic learning leader with a passion for building organisational capability, developing young talent, and shaping a high‑performance learning culture? Lesaka Merchant is searching for a Head of Learning & Development to design and lead an integrated L&D strategy that accelerates growth, strengthens capability, and drives business transformation.

📍 Location: Johannesburg
📊 Reporting Line: Chief People Officer: Merchant
👥 Direct Reports: L&D Specialists, Trainers/Facilitators, Learning Content Developers

💼 Role Purpose
The Head of Learning & Development (L&D) is responsible for creating and driving an integrated learning strategy that builds organisational capability, accelerates talent readiness, and supports the Merchant Division’s strategic growth.
This role establishes and leads the Lesaka Merchant Academy, develops young talent pipelines, manages learnerships, internships, and graduate programmes, and ensures learning initiatives contribute meaningfully to the division’s BBBEE Skills Development objectives.
The Head of L&D plays a critical leadership role in shaping a data‑driven, customer‑centric, tech‑enabled learning culture that strengthens performance across sales, operations, customer experience, leadership, and technical domains.

🔍 Key Responsibilities

A. Learning & Development Strategy

• Develop and execute the Merchant L&D strategy aligned with division‑wide priorities and capability needs.
• Drive an integrated learning roadmap supporting culture building, customer centricity, leadership capability, and operational excellence.
• Partner with the Chief People Officer to ensure L&D priorities enable business transformation and scalability.

B. Establishment & Leadership of the Merchant Academy

• Build and launch the Lesaka Merchant Academy as the central hub for capability development.
• Ensure the Academy provides structured, high‑quality programmes across:
• Sales capability development (Sales Academy)
• Customer operations and support
• Technical training (product, systems, compliance)
• Leadership and management development
• Position the Academy as a strategic enabler of performance, talent readiness, and internal mobility.

C. Youth Talent Development, Learnerships & Graduate Programmes

• Design and manage end‑to‑end learnerships, internships, and graduate programmes.
• Build strong partnerships with universities, youth development partners, SETAs, and learning vendors.
• Create pathways for young talent into permanent roles within the Merchant Division.
• Track learner progression, placement rates, and impact metrics.

D. BBBEE Skills Development Optimisation

• Ensure all L&D programmes comply with BBBEE Skills Development criteria.
• Optimise documentation, planning, and evidence for Skills Development scorecard recognition.
• Partner with Finance, HR Compliance, and verification partners to ensure audit readiness.
• Prioritise accredited training programmes that support compliance and BBBEE performance.

E. Learning Experience, Platforms & Content

• Oversee creation of digital and blended learning content (micro‑learning, simulations, interactive modules).
• Manage digital learning platforms to ensure accessibility for distributed teams.
• Embed gamification, continuous learning pathways, and recognition mechanisms within the learning ecosystem.

F. Leadership & Talent Capability Building

• Design and deliver programmes that strengthen leadership and managerial capability.
• Build succession pipelines and support high‑potential talent development.

G. Measurement, Analytics & Reporting

• Use analytics and dashboards to measure participation, behavioural change, and ROI.
• Monitor improvements in productivity, sales performance, customer experience, and operational efficiency.

H. Stakeholder Engagement & Budget Management

• Partner with business leaders to identify capability gaps and co‑create solutions.
• Manage L&D budgets and ensure cost‑effective delivery.
• Maintain relationships with learning partners, SETAs, accreditation bodies, and technology vendors.

🧠 Skills & Competencies
• Strategic thinking & learning architecture
• Strong understanding of BBBEE Skills Development
• Learning programme design & instructional design
• Youth development programme design & management
• Digital learning tools & platforms
• Excellent stakeholder management & communication skills
• Data‑driven decision‑making and analytical capability
• Change enablement

🎓 Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s in HR, Industrial Psychology, Education, or related field (Master’s advantageous)
• 8–12+ years’ experience in Learning & Development, with 5 years in a senior leadership role
• 2+ years’ experience managing learnerships, internships, and/or graduate programmes
• Strong understanding of Skills Development, SETAs, and BBBEE legislation
• Experience in fintech, payments, retail, or sales‑led environments advantageous

🌟 Our Values
At Lesaka Merchant, we are guided by four core values:
✔ Entrepreneurial Spirit – We innovate boldly and act with ownership.
✔ Integrity – We operate with honesty, trust, and transparency.
✔ Collective Wisdom – We collaborate and leverage shared expertise.
✔ Bias to Action – We deliver with urgency, discipline, and focus.

📌 Preference will be made to support EE / AA measures.

Ready to lead learning transformation and build the future capability of the Merchant Division?
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