About LRQA
We are the leading global assurance partner, bringing together decades of unrivalled expertise in assessment, advisory, inspection and cybersecurity services. Our solutions-based partnerships are supported by data-driven insights that help our clients solve their biggest business challenges.
Our award-winning compliance, supply chain, cybersecurity and ESG specialists help more than, clients across almost every sector to anticipate, mitigate and manage risk wherever they operate. In everything we do, we are committed to shaping a better future for our people, our clients, our communities and our planet. Every colleague has a part to play.
Purpose of role
To define, shape, lead and implement LRQA’s talent, succession and career development frameworks, working with key stakeholders across the business. The role will use data to make decisions that enable a performance driven culture, drive depth and bench strength of talent, and support the performance and career growth of colleagues across the organisation.
The role will enable the development of LRQA’s individual and leadership skills, and the capability to drive world-class performance. We are seeking a strong and professional thought leader, who can consult with the business, provide input and solutions on talent, succession, performance, learning, and career and leadership development. You will also support our cultural transformation and engagement of LRQA to ensure that all colleagues engage with and live the LRQA values and associated behaviours.
You will be responsible for building strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders from various locations and offices across the globe.
Key stakeholders
1. Internal: People Team (including People Experience Team, Global People Partners, and Chief People Officer), and business leaders and managers more broadly.
2. External: Suppliers and training providers, network partners
Strategic Priority
Relentless Client Focus/Our goal: NPS score
Accountabilities
3. Refine and implement a clear, compelling talent strategy to differentiate LRQA and support strategic priorities.
4. Deliver impactful talent initiatives with measurable outcomes aligned to our strategic priorities.
5. Establish a streamlined assessment approach to inform development and decisions.
6. Lead, design and deliver a broad portfolio of talent initiatives including leadership, mentoring, succession, and talent pool development.
7. Bring external insight and best practices to talent, performance, and career development.
What success looks like
8. Our business-aligned talent strategy is refined, developed, and further embedded, actively shaping workforce decisions, with leadership buy-in and visible differentiation in how LRQA develops talent.
9. Talent initiatives and assessments are delivering measurable outcomes such as improved leadership capability and increased internal mobility, while supporting succession and development goals.
10. External insights and best practices are continuously informing talent, performance, and career strategies, positioning LRQA as a forward-thinking employer in the market.
Market-leading revenue growth/Our goal: £m annual revenue
Accountabilities
11. Partner with stakeholders to define critical roles, skills and capability requirements for business growth.
What success looks like
12. Critical roles, skills, and capabilities are clearly defined and agreed with stakeholders, enabling targeted talent planning and development aligned to business growth priorities.
Profitable and efficient/Our goal: % EBITDA margin
Accountabilities
13. Ensure strong ROI from development interventions with clear behavioural and business impact.
14. Manage program budgets, resources, and suppliers to ensure cost-effective delivery.
What success looks like
15. Demonstrable ROI metrics collected and analysed, enabling interventions to be refined for maximum impact.
A performance driven culture/Our goal: % cultural alignment
Accountabilities
16. Design, deliver and evaluate scalable, high-impact development solutions tailored to business needs.
What success looks like
17. development solutions are modern, scalable, and business-aligned, driving capability, engagement, and strategic outcomes.
Be digital/Our goal: % serviced delivered virtually
Accountabilities
18. Offer agile, creative learning aligned with LRQA’s cultural values and future priorities.
19. Identify opportunities in the use of our systems and platforms to support talent initiatives, and other activity, and manage this change across the business.
What success looks like
20. Changes proposed and implemented for current or new systems.
Key Responsibilities
Talent strategy and planning
21. Refine and implement a clear, compelling talent strategy to differentiate LRQA and support strategic priorities.
22. Deliver impactful talent initiatives with measurable outcomes aligned to our strategic priorities.
23. Lead a broad portfolio of talent initiatives including leadership, mentoring, succession, and talent pool development.
24. Partner with stakeholders to define critical roles, skills and capability requirements for business growth.
Career development
25. Bring external insight and best practices to talent, performance, and career development.
26. Define skills and capabilities to support career development pathways aligned to the job architecture.
27. Establish a streamlined assessment approach to inform development and decisions.
28. Ensure strong ROI from development interventions with clear behavioural and business impact.
Development and upskilling
29. Design, deliver and evaluate scalable, high-impact development solutions tailored to business needs.
30. Offer agile, creative learning aligned with LRQA’s cultural values and future priorities.
Systems and resources
31. Identify opportunities in the use of our systems and platforms to support talent initiatives, our performance process, and other activity, and manage this change across the business.
32. Manage program budgets, resources, and suppliers to ensure cost-effective delivery.
Qualifications and experience
Essential | Required for role
33. Graduate or postgraduate degree in HRM, Learning & Development, Talent, Organisational Development, Leadership, Psychology or another relevant subject
34. Previous experience in implementing talent, learning, and career progression initiatives.
35. Leadership capability delivery
36. Outstanding communications skills, demonstrating a diplomatic and collaborative approach with the ability to communicate at different levels within organisations and to influence successfully and openly.
37. A driven, motivated individual who is results and goal orientated and has a proven track record of delivery.
38. Strong project management skills and a focus on delivering results on time.
39. Highly analytical and comfortable with reviewing, interpreting, designing and presenting strategy and data.
Desirable | Beneficial for role
40. Master’s degree in HR, Organisational Psychology, or MBA.
41. Certification in coaching, leadership development, or assessment tools.
42. Experience in a global or matrixed organisation.
43. Involvement in M&A or organisational transformation projects.
44. Experience using Workday, SuccessFactors, or similar talent systems.
45. Experience and understanding of change management and delivering continuous improvement.
46. Understanding of future workforce trends and digital capability needs.
47. Vendor management and procurement of solutions.