Senior Manager - Education

Publicis Groupe Middle East; Dubai; On-site; AED 350,000 - 650,000; Full time

Job summary

Publicis Groupe Middle East is seeking a Senior Manager – Education to shape and drive learning across the Groupe. You will partner with senior leaders to translate business priorities into practical learning solutions with measurable outcomes.

You’ll manage a portfolio from needs assessment to impact evaluation, setting standards for quality and collaborating with SMEs and external partners to strengthen performance and embed continuous learning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Learning and Development or related field.
• 7–9 years of corporate learning or talent development experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex learning portfolios or programs across functions/markets.
• Strong expertise in adult learning, instructional design, blended learning and facilitation.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and mentor others.
• Experience managing external learning partners and program budgets.
• Proficiency with learning management systems, digital tools and analytics.

Responsibilities

• Own design and delivery of blended learning programs and curricula across markets.
• Lead needs assessments and translate findings into objectives and plans.
• Facilitate high-impact workshops for managers and senior stakeholders.
• Guide SMEs to develop content, guides, micro-learning and tools.
• Oversee learner journey, communications, and manager involvement.
• Set quality standards for content and platform experiences; refresh portfolio.

Skills

Learning & Development

Instructional design

Facilitation

Stakeholder influence

Leadership

Analytical judgement

Planning & delivery

Strategic thinking

Communication

Change management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Education, Learning and Development, Organisational Psychology, or related field

Master’s degree or cert in instructional design, facilitation or talent development

Tools

LMS platforms

Learning analytics tools

Job description

We’re growing our Talent team and looking for a Senior Manager – Education to help shape and drive learning across the Groupe. This is an opportunity to partner with our leaders, build capabilities and create learning experiences that make a real impact on our people and business.

The Senior Manager - Education leads the planning, design and delivery of learning programs that build capability across the Groupe. Partnering with the Academy Lead, Capability Leads and senior business stakeholders, the role translates business priorities and skills gaps into practical learning solutions with measurable outcomes.

The role owns a portfolio of learning initiatives from needs assessment through to evaluation, sets standards for learning quality and leads collaboration across teams, subject matter experts and external partners. It combines strategic thinking with hands‑on design and facilitation to strengthen performance and embed a culture of continuous learning.

Main Tasks

Technical and Product

• Own the design and delivery of blended learning programs, curricula and learning paths across capabilities and markets, ensuring relevance to business and employee development needs.
• Lead needs assessments with Capability Leads and business stakeholders, translating findings into clear learning objectives, program plans and assessment approaches.
• Facilitate high‑impact workshops, panels and learning experiences for varied audiences, including managers and senior stakeholders.
• Guide subject matter experts and learning partners in developing practical content, learner guides, micro‑learning and tools that support application on the job.
• Oversee the learner journey, including communications, post‑session reinforcement, communities of practice and manager involvement.
• Set quality standards for learning content and platform experiences; regularly review and refresh the portfolio to maintain relevance and accessibility.

Business Acumen and Operational Efficiency

• Develop and manage the learning roadmap for the assigned portfolio, aligning priorities, timelines and resources with the Academy Lead and business stakeholders.
• Manage agreed program budgets and external partner performance, evaluating proposals and ensuring quality, value and timely delivery.
• Define success measures beyond attendance, including knowledge acquisition, application, behaviour change and relevant business outcomes.
• Present insights and recommendations to the Academy Lead and senior stakeholders, using evidence to guide investment, improvement and program prioritisation

Innovative and Analytical Mindset

• Use skills‑gap analysis, learner feedback and engagement data to identify capability priorities and improve learning effectiveness.
• Pilot and evaluate new learning approaches, including AI‑enabled learning, gamification, scenario‑based experiences and practical workplace assignments.
• Anticipate emerging capability needs in partnership with the business and develop scalable learning solutions that respond to changing priorities.
• Make evidence‑based recommendations to expand, redesign or retire programs, balancing innovation with measurable value.

People and Leadership

• Act as a trusted learning partner to senior stakeholders, constructively challenging briefs and advising on solutions that address the underlying capability need.
• Lead cross‑functional program teams and mentor junior colleagues, providing clear direction, feedback and support to strengthen delivery and learning expertise.
• Build strong relationships with Capability Leads, managers and external partners, securing commitment to learning priorities and shared accountability for outcomes.
• Promote an inclusive learning culture and equip managers to reinforce learning and support development within their teams.

Self

• Demonstrate sound judgement, accountability and autonomy in managing competing priorities and resolving delivery challenges.
• Communicate confidently and influence at senior levels, adapting recommendations to the audience and business context.
• Seek feedback, maintain expertise in learning and development, and model curiosity, adaptability and continuous development.

Education and Experience Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Learning and Development, Organisational Psychology, Communication or a related field. A master’s degree or relevant certification in instructional design, facilitation or talent development is an advantage.
• 7–9 years of relevant experience in corporate learning, capability building or talent development, ideally within an agency, professional services or fast‑paced matrix environment.
• Demonstrated experience independently leading complex learning portfolios or programs across multiple functions or markets, from needs assessment to impact evaluation.
• Strong expertise in adult learning, instructional design, blended learning and facilitation, with experience engaging management and senior audiences.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders, lead cross‑functional initiatives and mentor or develop junior colleagues.
• Experience managing external learning partners, program budgets and delivery priorities.
• Confidence using learning management systems, digital learning tools and analytics to improve learner experience and evaluate results.

Core Attributes

• Strategic thinking
• Learning expertise
• Stakeholder influence
• Leadership and coaching
• Analytical judgement
• Planning and delivery
• Facilitation and communication
• Innovation
• Accountability