head of learning & development jobs

• Provide strategic and operational leadership to HR and People Development teams, reviewing our service offerings and improving delivery across recruitment, learning and development, workforce planning, inclusion, talent, capacity, and capability. Take full responsibility for staff management and operational decisions within your remit.
• Lead the design and implementation of a three-year engagement plan that promotes development, productivity, innovation, and inclusivity, delivering measurable improvements in colleague experience within the fixed-term period.
• Drive the delivery of the People elements of the People and Place business plan, ensuring alignment with SPPA’s operational vision and priorities, and contributing to broader strategic planning.
• Work collaboratively to evaluate and improve management practices and behaviours, fostering a culture of trust and positivity. Provide professional guidance and expertise, balancing organisational and colleague needs. Promote feedback mechanisms and work with stakeholders to enhance colleague voice.
• Coach managers to assess future needs and shape integrated workforce planning strategies. Use people data to inform planning and talent decisions, collaborating with senior leaders to address short- and long-term capability gaps.
• Lead organisational design initiatives that bring together people and process, enabling adaptability and alignment with SPPA’s evolving priorities. Support change programmes and contribute to business continuity planning.
• Develop learning solutions that are fit for the organisation’s future needs. Engage stakeholders to define capability needs and deliver targeted learning interventions, leveraging technology and data. Build EDI capability in leaders and managers, and implement pragmatic plans that drive sustainable change
• Ensure the HR and PD teams are equipped for long-term success beyond the fixed-term role by embedding sustainable practices, developing internal capability, and aligning delivery models to future organisational needs. Provide professional guidance and contribute to the development of policy frameworks.

Qualifications

We welcome applications from candidates with Chartered CIPD membership or equivalent experience. If you don’t hold this qualification but have strong relevant skills, please reach out to the recruiting manager to explore your fit for the role.

Success profile

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on.

Technical / Professional Skills:

• Workforce planning. Develops and applies proactive interventions and solutions that build long-term resilience, partnering with managers to forecast needs, optimise resources, and embed sustainable practices across the organisation.

• Leadership - Level 4.
• Working together - Level 4.
• Managing a quality service - Level 4.

Stage one (application sift): Candidates will have their applications assessed against all success profile criteria listed above unless there is a large number of applications, in which case, the following process will apply:

An initial sift will be conducted using the CV and supporting statement on the Managing a quality service behaviour as listed above. Candidates who pass the initial sift will have their applications fully assessed against the rest of the Behaviours and one Experience criterion.

Stage two (interview and presentation): If successful at application sift, you will be invited to an assessment and interview where we will test all criteria listed in the Success Profile above.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service