Discovery Institute of Training

Senior: Training Manager (Sales & Distribution)

Sandton - 1 Discovery Place

About Discovery

Discovery’s core purpose is to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives. We seek out and invest in exceptional individuals who understand and support our core purpose, and whose own values align with those of Discovery. Our fast-paced and dynamic environment enables smart, self-driven people to be their best. As global thought leaders, Discovery is passionate about innovating in order to not only achieve financial success, but to ignite positive and meaningful change within our society.

Key Purpose

To lead the Discovery Institute of Training (DIT) Sales and Distribution learning portfolio by ensuring that facilitated learning events, Discovery product learning, financial planning learning and sales capability projects are planned, resourced, delivered and measured to a consistently high standard. The role is accountable for enabling advisers, sales teams, distribution channels and related business stakeholders to build the product, financial planning, compliance, sales and customer engagement capabilities required to deliver quality outcomes for Discovery clients and the business.

Areas of responsibility may include but are not limited to

• Lead the end-to-end Sales and Distribution learning portfolio across Discovery products, financial planning, sales process capability and distribution-related learning priorities.
• Translate business and channel priorities into practical learning plans, annual and quarterly training schedules, project plans and delivery roadmaps in collaboration with the management team.
• Manage the scheduling, coordination and successful execution of facilitated learning events, including classroom, virtual, blended, product-launch, refresher and project-based learning interventions.
• Partner with the management team, Instructional Design, multimedia, learning technology, operations and business subject matter experts to ensure fit-for-purpose learning solutions are developed, quality assured, deployed and maintained.
• Ensure facilitators are equipped with the correct materials, product updates, facilitator notes, learner guides, assessments, attendance processes and operational support required for each learning event.
• Lead, coach and manage the Sales and Distribution training team, including performance expectations, capability development, workload planning, capacity management and daily operational delivery.
• Maintain strong stakeholder relationships with product owners, sales leaders, distribution management, compliance, operations and learning design teams to align learning to business outcomes.
• Use data, feedback, attendance, assessment results, learner sentiment and business input to evaluate learning effectiveness and recommend continuous improvements.
• Manage project delivery for sales and distribution learning initiatives, ensuring timelines, dependencies, risks, communications and handover requirements are actively controlled.
• Ensure learning delivery complies with Discovery standards, governance expectations, audit requirements, learning administration processes and relevant regulatory or product-specific requirements.
• Support innovation in facilitated learning by introducing practical sales enablement methods, scenario-based learning, coaching tools, practice labs and performance-support resources.
• Create a culture of excellence, accountability and learner-centred delivery so that every facilitated learning event and learning project achieves its intended outcomes.

Key Competency Areas:

Sales and Distribution Learning Strategy:

• Collaborates with the management team to convert Discovery product, channel and distribution priorities into an integrated learning plan that supports sales capability and quality client outcomes.
• Works with the management team to understand the distribution environment and anticipate learning needs arising from product changes, financial planning priorities, regulatory requirements and business campaigns.
• Uses learning data, stakeholder feedback and performance indicators, in collaboration with the management team, to identify capability gaps and prioritise interventions.

Discovery Product and Financial Planning Capability:

• Collaborates with the management team and Instructional Design teams to ensure that learning content reflects accurate Discovery product knowledge, financial planning principles, advice process expectations and relevant sales enablement messages.
• Works with the management team, Instructional Design teams, product owners and subject matter experts to ensure learning solutions are current, practical and appropriate for advisers, sales teams and distribution audiences.
• Supports the management team and Instructional Design teams in promoting applied learning through case studies, client scenarios, needs-based conversations, product comparisons and financial planning application activities.

Learning Operations and Scheduling Excellence:

• Works with the management team and operations to maintain the operational rhythm for training schedules, capacity planning, facilitator allocation, learner communications and post-event administration.
• Ensures that operations elements, including reporting, LMS administration and learner coordination, are managed in collaboration with the management team and operations.
• Ensures that learning events are prepared, facilitated, closed out and reported according to agreed standards and timelines.

Learning Design, Quality and Continuous Improvement:

• Collaborates with the management team, Instructional Design and multimedia teams to develop engaging, practical and consistent learning assets that align to audience needs and Discovery standards.
• Ensures learner guides, facilitator guides, assessments, presentations and supporting tools are reviewed, quality assured and ready for delivery.
• Uses learner feedback and facilitator debriefs to refine content, improve learning flow and strengthen business relevance.

People Leadership and Team Management:

• Leads facilitators and training specialists through clear expectations, coaching, feedback, performance management and capability-building plans.
• Manages team capacity, workload, scheduling constraints and development needs to ensure a reliable and resilient delivery model.
• Creates a high-trust, accountable team culture focused on preparation, professionalism, learner experience and delivery excellence.

Stakeholder, Project and Governance Management:

• Builds strong working relationships with business stakeholders, product teams, distribution leadership, compliance, operations and DIT colleagues.
• Manages sales and distribution learning projects with disciplined planning, risk management, milestone tracking, stakeholder communication and decision escalation.
• Ensures governance, audit readiness, learning records, version control and reporting are maintained for all relevant programmes and learning events.

Evaluation and Learning Outcomes:

• Defines success measures for facilitated learning events and projects, including learner experience, assessment performance, operational delivery and business feedback.
• Reviews delivery outcomes to determine whether learning interventions are building capability, improving confidence and supporting performance in the field.
• Identifies trends, lessons learnt and opportunities to improve future design, scheduling, facilitation and stakeholder alignment.

Personal Attributes and Skills

Commercially credible and learner-centred:

• Understands the connection between product knowledge, financial planning, sales capability, learner confidence and business outcomes.
• Balances commercial urgency with quality learning design, compliance awareness and learner readiness.

Organised and delivery-focused:

• Plans carefully, manages multiple schedules and projects, and maintains strong attention to detail across complex learning delivery environments.
• Anticipates operational risks and resolves issues quickly to protect the learner and stakeholder experience.

Collaborative and influential:

• Works effectively across DIT, the management team, Instructional Design, operations, product, compliance and business teams to align expectations and deliver practical solutions.
• Communicates clearly, builds trust and influences stakeholders through professionalism, evidence and delivery credibility.

People leader and coach:

• Develops others through coaching, feedback, capability-building and role-modelling high standards of facilitation and preparation.
• Creates a safe, accountable team environment where quality, continuous improvement and ownership are expected.

Quality and governance-minded:

• Upholds Discovery standards for learning delivery, documentation, audit readiness, version control, attendance records and reporting.
• Handles learner, assessment and business information professionally and within required governance boundaries.

Education and Experience

• Relevant 3-year degree and/or postgraduate qualification in learning and development, business, commerce, financial planning, education, human resources or a related field.
• Significant experience leading training delivery, sales enablement, product learning, financial planning learning or distribution learning in a financial services environment.
• Experience managing facilitators, training specialists or learning delivery teams, including performance, capacity, schedules and quality standards.
• Strong understanding of facilitated learning, adult learning principles, learning operations, LMS administration, learning evaluation and project delivery.
• Experience collaborating with management teams, Instructional Design, multimedia, learning technology, operations, product, compliance and business stakeholders.
• Excellent planning, stakeholder management, written communication, facilitation, coaching and problem-solving skills.

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY   
                             
The Company’s approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.