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

• Job Reference Code: R-100400
• Employment Type: Full time
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Hours Per Week: 37.5
• Salary: Competitive salary plus benefits
• Closing Date: 3 August 2026

Academy Lead - AI, Emerging Skills, Tech, Data & Online HR / People

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.

Key Accountabilities

Own the Capability Strategy & Pathways

• 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.

Partner with the Business

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

Drive Capability Development

• 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.

Govern Learning Quality

• 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.

Measure Impact

• 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.

Key Outputs & Deliverables

Clear Academy Pathways

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.

Prioritised Capability Plan

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.

Enabled SME Community

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

Skills & Capability Insights

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

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Essential

• 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.

Desirable

• Experience within 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.

What Success Looks Like

• Critical AI, Technology and Data capabilities have clear learning pathways.
• Leaders have visibility of capability strengths, risks and priorities.
• Learning investment is focused on the areas that most impact business performance.
• AI adoption, digital capability and data literacy improve across target populations.
• Learning is simple, relevant, measurable and clearly linked to business outcomes.

Everything you'll love

To ensure we balance moments where we know we need to collaborate together and the need for flexibility, Asda has a hybrid way of working with a minimum 3 days a week in one of our Home Offices. Over and above this, each area of Asda may have additional requirements which may require spending more days in the office, visiting suppliers, stores or depots.

You will also get an excellent benefits package including:

• Discretionary company bonus

• Company pension up to 7% matched

• Company Car allowance of £5,700

• 15% colleague discount in store and online

• Free access to wellbeing services such as Stream, 24/7 virtual GP, counselling, health and dental cash plans and a 24/7 employee assistance helpline, alongside discounts across a range of services and activities, from airport parking, enhanced to theme parks and cinemas.

• Asda Allies Inclusion Networks – helping colleagues to make sure everybody is included and that our differences are recognised and celebrated

• Excellent parental leave policies, including maternity & adoption leave, paternity leave, shared parental leave, neonatal care leave, and support for those doing fertility treatments.

We want all colleagues to be able to bring their best and true selves to work, every day. Simply put, we want our colleagues to be Proud to be Asda and proud to be themselves

Find your everything

Location

Great Wilson Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS11 5AD View directions

Why Asda?

We’re a really values-led organisation. Our mission means we encourage everyone to be open and honest. We work creatively and collaboratively with each other, valuing everyone’s input. We get on with things, we make them happen. As so many people across the UK rely on us, we have to.

Our Creating Change for Better programme tackles the major challenges facing our business and society today and guides our efforts on where we can make the biggest difference by reducing our environmental footprint, creating healthier products and supporting our communities.

Big businesses like ours offer big opportunities. With more than 1,000 stores across the UK, from superstores and Asda Living to petrol stations, as well as depots and Express stores. £60m+ in revenue taken every day. We conduct £300m worth of transactions every week. Our website handles 2 million transactions a month. And 75% of the UK shop in Asda every year.

Rewards and Recognition

Benefits you’ll only find here

10% off Asda pet insurance

10% off selected Asda Pharmacy services

10% off Asda Tyres

10% off Asda Travel insurance

20% off Asda Mobile bundles

Free remote GP service

Available to you, your partner and your children, 24/7, year round.

Pension

Save for retirement with contributions paid into your pension account by you and Asda.

Free physiotherapy consultations

Helping you and your partner take care of yourselves with 8 free sessions per year.

Colleague discounts

15% off at our stores - get discounts on groceries and George all year round.

Car cash allowance

Eligible colleagues will receive a cash allowance as part of their benefits package. In addition, all salaried colleagues can choose to register for the Salary Sacrifice Electric Car scheme*.

(*Conditions apply)

Mortgage advice

Whether you’re a first-time buyer, renewing your mortgage, looking at buy to lets, or simply after some advice in getting a mortgage, get free* unbiased advice through the Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB), one the UKs largest mortgage brokers.

Confidential support helpline

Find free emotional, practical, and financial support that’s fully confidential, through a helpline that’s available 24/7, year round.

Cycle to work

Buy a bike through this scheme and save on tax and national insurance.

Financial support

Find financial wellbeing tools and support, including the ability to stream your pay.

Free eye tests

Head to our in store opticians for a free checkup and take care of your vision.

Bonus

Sharing our success with a discretionary bonus scheme for salaried colleagues that really rewards your contributions.

Cancer support

Guidance and support for you and your family, from before diagnosis, to treatment and beyond.

Paid time off

From holiday to sick leave and other types of leave, such as parental leave.

Mental health support

Access free mental health support for you and your family.

Support and advice with care

If you’re supporting older family or friends with care and support, find free, confidential information, expert support, and guidance about later life care for your loved ones through the Legal & General Care Concierge service.

Hybrid working

To ensure we balance moments where we know we need to collaborate together and the need for flexibility, Asda has a hybrid way of working with a minimum 3 days a week in one of our Home Offices. Each area of Asda may have additional requirements which may require spending more days in the office, visiting suppliers, stores or depots

Save money on every day spends

Access to hundreds of high-street discounted Vouchers, discounts on days out, gym memberships, airport parking, and more

Setting your loved ones up for the future

As part of the team, you’ll get life assurance.

Guaranteed contracted hours

All colleagues are guaranteed weekly contracted hours / guaranteed weekly shifts via their contract of employment which is agreed with the hiring manager.

Holiday buying

Once a year our salaried colleagues are able to buy up to 5 additional days holiday via salary sacrifice (subject to eligibility).