Training and Development Partner

Role Summary

The Training and Development Partner is a full-time, exempt position within the Human Resources department, based on-site at the Books-A-Million Corporate Office. Reporting to the Director of Training, this role drives the growth, readiness, and leadership trajectory of associates across the organization.

Role Responsibilities

• Serves as a primary owner of leadership development programming, leading participant selection, curriculum design, facilitation, and post-program follow-through.

• Designs and delivers immersive, cohort-based learning experiences that build leadership capability at all emerging leader levels.

• Owns succession planning infrastructure, partnering with leaders to identify, track, and develop high-potential associates across the organization, including structural build-out, cohort documentation, readiness tracking, and development plan follow-through.

• Develops and maintains growth pathway frameworks for associates, managers, and corporate team members, ensuring clarity around advancement requirements, skill expectations, and development resources at each level.

• Conducts training needs assessments in partnership with department leaders to identify capability gaps and define development priorities before program design begins. Identifies skill gaps across roles and levels, creating targeted resources — toolkits, job aids, and role-specific guides — to close them.

• Tracks program participation, cohort progress, and development plan completion across succession and leadership programs, surfacing insights to the Director of Training. Connects development data to business outcomes — using readiness indicators, promotion rates, and retention metrics to evaluate program impact and inform continuous improvement.

Role Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Education, Organizational Development, a related field, or equivalent experience required.

• 3–5 years of experience in training, learning & development, talent management, or a related role.

• Demonstrated facilitation experience delivering leadership and development programming to professional or management-level audiences.

• Experience with succession planning processes, readiness tracking, or structured in-training programs.

• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple cohort programs simultaneously.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present to and influence senior leaders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a multi-site or multi-state retail environment.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and SharePoint.

• Familiarity with succession planning systems or HRIS platforms used to track associate readiness and development.

• Demonstrated ability to manage relationships across departments and with senior stakeholders, influencing outcomes without direct authority.

• Experience supporting technology rollouts or AI-adjacent training initiatives.

• ATD, SHRM, or similar professional development credential a plus.