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UK&I Learning and Talent Development Leader (L&D leader)
Job Level: Director
Status: Permanent, Full Time
Reports to: UK&I Talent Operations Leader
Location: UK wide with regular travel to London
Hybrid working: Currently a minimum two days per week in the office
Job Overview
We are a leading professional services firm in the UK and Ireland (UK&I), dedicated to developing exceptional leaders and building high performing teams to support our continued growth and ambition. As Head of Talent Development (TD), you will hold a pivotal leadership role with a clear mandate to modernise and transform Learning and Talent Development across the firm. Leading a multidisciplinary, high impact function operating at significant scale and pace, shaping the future of our learning and development landscape. You will own the full Learning and Talent Development portfolio, shaping a modern, world class technology‑enabled learning ecosystem that builds leadership capability, supports business growth, and supports our people to grow, upskill and thrive. Working with senior leaders and the wider Talent organisation, you will position Learning and Talent Development as a critical enabler of performance, culture, and long‑term success. You will also bring thought leadership to the agenda, maintaining a deep understanding of future skills requirements and external best practices, and acting as a trusted advisor to the business on how these capabilities can be delivered commercially focused, engaging and scalable way.
Key Responsibilities
Talent Development Strategy & Execution
* Define and deliver the UK&I Learning and Talent Development strategy and vision, ensuring alignment with business priorities and growth ambitions.
* Evolve the Learning and Talent Development ecosystem — continuously assessing, adopting and optimising new technologies, AI enabled solutions, and ways of working.
* Implement an employee centric operating model and governance structure that enhances efficiency, enables collaboration, and supports innovation.
* Act as a visible, inspiring leader and champion for a future focused Learning and Talent Development team.
* Provide strategic oversight and direction to functional leads, ensuring alignment and shared accountability.
* Foster a “one team” culture across the team and the wider Talent organisation.
* Strengthen a high performing environment built on trust, openness, curiosity, and continuous improvement.
* Hold overall accountability for performance, KPIs, and the delivery of Learning and Talent Development outcomes.
* Serve as an active member of the Talent Leadership Team, contributing to the broader Talent strategy and positioning Talent as a strategic business enabler.
Relationship Management
* Build strong, trusted relationships with senior business leaders, ensuring Learning and Talent Development solutions align with business strategy and deliver value.
* Working alongside Service Line (SL) talent consultants and other talent functions to ensure integrated solutions and consistent adoption of Learning and Talent Development standards.
* Collaborate closely with UK&I Talent leadership, acting as a strategic advisor across all development related matters.
* Bring thought leadership to the Learning and Talent Development agenda, staying actively engaged with and knowledgeable about future skills requirements, and acting as a trusted advisor on how these can be delivered in an engaging and cost‑effective way.
* Actively engage with global and regional Learning and Talent Development teams to share best practices, influence global thinking, and leverage global offerings for UK&I benefit.
* Build an external network across industry and professional communities to bring in market insights, innovation and best practice approaches.
* Champion and enhance the firm’s reputation in the market through visible leadership in the learning and development space.
Service Delivery & Operational Excellence
* Own the end‑to‑end Learning and Talent Development offering, ensuring it is future‑proof, scalable, technology enabled and meets evolving business and regulatory needs.
* Partner with business stakeholders, Service Lines and industry teams to ensure solutions are fit for purpose and future ready.
* Ensure operations are efficient, cost effective and enabled by appropriate technology platforms.
* Hold full fiscal responsibility for the Learning and Talent Development budget ensuring transparency and strong governance.
* Establish a robust measurement and insights framework to enhance confidence from the business.
* Collaborate with Employer Brand and Communications to design and deliver compelling learning communications and campaigns.
* Embed diversity, equity and inclusion across all Learning and Talent Development activity, partnering closely with Culture & Community teams.
Team Leadership
* Create a compelling vision for Learning and Talent Development that inspires collaboration, innovation and a growth mindset.
* Role model inclusive, purposeful leadership — empowering function leads to deliver high performance across all TD teams.
* Build strong succession pipelines and lead the ongoing development of Learning and Talent Development professionals.Strengthen team capability across instructional design, digital learning, facilitation, leadership development, coaching and AI enabled solutions.
* Set clear strategic and operational objectives for the team, ensuring strong connection and alignment with the wider People strategy.
* Lead, develop and empower a high‑performing team across learning design, leadership development, digital learning, coaching and AI‑enabled solutions.
* Build succession pipelines and enhance team capability across all disciplines.
* Set clear objectives aligned with the broader Talent strategy.
Key Skills & Qualifications
* Proven experience operating at a senior leadership level (function or business lie), ideally within professional services or a complex matrixed organisation.
* Deep expertise in Talent Development, including leadership development, digital learning, instructional design, performance enablement and talent strategy.
* Strong understanding of learning technologies, digital learning platforms and the application of AI in Talent Development.
* Agile, resilient leader with a track record of driving and navigating change.
* Strong people leadership experience, with the ability to build, inspire and develop high‑performing teams.
* Collaborative and influential, able to build strong partnerships and shape thinking at senior levels.
* Strategic, analytical thinker with strong problem‑solving skills and commercial acumen.
* Experienced facilitator with a confident presence across diverse audiences and senior stakeholders.
* Highly organised, able to prioritise effectively and operate with urgency where required.
* Values‑led, with integrity, curiosity, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
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