Director of Learning & Development, Retail

About Rent the Runway:

Described by Forbes as “Tech’s Next Billion Dollar Star” Rent the Runway is set to disrupt the $1.7T Global Fashion Industry by ensuring that rental is a habitual, convenient, daily part of getting dressed. We believe that every woman in the U.S. and soon every woman in the world, should have a subscription to fashion that is powered by a mobile-first experience, aided by top-notch customer service and serviced by omni-channel capabilities. We also believe that fashion is an industry that should be democratized by giving everyone access to the real thing and the associated feelings of self-confidence that comes with. Since our launch in late 2009, we have raised over $125MM and built a transformative business model, proprietary technology all coded in-house, a unique reverse-logistics operation and one of the most beloved brands on earth. 6MM women in the U.S. are members of our community - many have used Rent the Runway for some of the most important events in their lives. We have also launched a foundation to support female entrepreneurship and help women build scalable businesses. There is a revolutionary spirit in our founding DNA that permeates to our culture today; Our team is smart, aggressive, entrepreneurial and ready to continue challenging old systems and rewriting new rules.

Position Overview:

As the Director of Learning & Development, you will create and implement a strategic training program for our Retail Team. This department encompasses employees who are on the front line of our business and who assist our customers throughout the funnel from consideration to conversion to loyalty. Our retail and customer experience teams are responsible for improving all stages of the customer experience from pre-order to post-order including education around our FAQ’s, advice on styling, and support on all post-order issues. You will be responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining strategic training initiatives in this high growth and entrepreneurial environment to be scaled across our Retail department. Additionally, you will support talent development by creating innovative approaches around culture and development to retain and support our employees. This role reports directly to the VP of Retail and Customer Experience.

Responsibilities:

• Develop a strategic training program for our Retail team that is motivating, inspiring and sets the foundation for long-term growth
• Partner strategically with internal departments such as marketing, product, creative, tech, PR, customer experience etc. to understand key business objectives, product launches, new developments etc. and consistently translate these into tactical training materials
• Become quickly immersed into the company culture, working closely with key business leaders to understand OKRs (Objective and Key Results) and ensure training programs support and align with larger company goals
• Create and implement training programs such as new hire training and onboarding, on-going development and new launches
• Design in-house scalable solutions that include a blended approach to learning such as coaching, classroom training, 1:1 sessions, action learning & e-learning
• Focus on delivering high impact training that maximizes learner participation, comprehension and application of the material utilizing technology, interaction, and innovative tactics
• Create and execute consistent cadence and brand voice across Retail that supports new hires and develops existing team members
• Ensure consistency across the department as new training programs and operational standards are rolled out, including HR training
• Assist HR leadership in continually building bench-strength of leadership by determining needs through talent assessment, succession planning and individual development plans
• Develop solutions for increasing managerial and leadership effectiveness

Qualifications:

• BA/BS plus 5-8 years of experience in Retail/HR/Learning & Development/Organizational Development
• Experience in a retail/start up environment is a plus
• Advanced training and facilitation skills
• Outstanding interpersonal skills; demonstrated influence and excellent communication style
• Must be flexible in order to respond quickly and positively to shifting demands and opportunities; ability to work under tight deadlines and plan, organize and carry out multiple, detailed tasks
• Analytically sound with experience creating a framework for assessing, measuring and tracking L&D programming success
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills