Early Careers Development Manager

Lockton Companies; Peacehaven; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading service provider in the UK is seeking an Early Careers Development Manager to enhance and maintain its Early Career programmes, including apprenticeships and internships. This pivotal role will ensure that the programmes are efficient and aligned with future organisational needs. The successful candidate should possess excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, along with experience in Early Careers development. Join us in shaping the future workforce.

Qualifications

• Comfortable delivering facilitation and training sessions.
• Strong analytical skills to translate data into actions.
• Experience supporting Early Careers development.

Responsibilities

• Develop and enhance Early Careers strategy and programmes.
• Oversee programme documentation ensuring accuracy and quality.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to deliver programmes meeting business needs.
• Research trends in workforce development for strategic insights.

Skills

Facilitation Skills

Organisational Skills

Project Coordination

Data Analysis

Communication

Stakeholder Management

Forward-thinking Mindset

Job description

We are passionate about enabling our early careers associates to stretch and grow from the moment they join the organisation.

Skills & Experience

• Comfortable delivering and facilitating sessions
• Strong organisational and project coordination skills.
• Experience in Early Careers development, talent pathways, or workforce planning.
• Ability to analyse data, spot trends, and translate insights into actions.
• Comfortable improving or building new processes and frameworks.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Forward-thinking mindset with curiosity about future skills and talent development

Candidate Profile

Key Responsibilities

• Develop a deep understanding of the business and its culture to help shape the Early Careers strategy.
• Maintain and enhance operational frameworks, workflows, processes, and tools that support programme delivery.
• Oversee programme lifecycle documentation, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and quality across all Early Careers pathways.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders, the Early Careers manager, HR Business Partners, and the Organisation Development team to deliver programmes that meet both business needs and Early Careers market expectations.
• Facilitate engaging front‑of‑room training sessions and interactive workshops to successfully deliver EC Content.
• Research emerging trends in early careers, workforce development, and skills pipelines.
• Contribute to the design and launch of new programme elements such as rotational structures, onboarding pathways, and capability frameworks.
• Support the creation of scalable programme models that enable future growth and can be deployed across Lockton’s international footprint.
• Develop proposals for programme enhancements based on stakeholder feedback and market insights.

Data, Insights & Reporting

• Capture data and maintain spreadsheets and reporting tools that monitor programme performance, participation, and outcomes.
• Track and support the performance of the Early Careers talent pool, providing updates to HRBPs, and People Function leadership.
• Provide insights that inform long‑term workforce planning and the Early Careers strategy.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Coordinate with internal teams (HR, managers, mentors, and senior leaders) to ensure alignment on programme goals and infrastructure.
• Liaise with external partners (training providers and industry networks) to manage relationships and ensure alignment with programme needs.
• Support communication plans to ensure stakeholders are informed of programme updates, launches, and changes.
• Deliver key programme management activities such as manager briefings, programme sessions and support for rotation planning and final placement processes.
• Manage and track rotation feedback, organise buddy and mentor assignments, and oversee other best‑practice programme management tasks.
• Work with internal stakeholders to source suitable projects for Early Careers participants and secure commitment from project sponsors to support and mentor participants.
• Provide training, briefings, support, and guidance to mentors, buddies, line managers, and HRBPs to ensure they are fully prepared to support and retain Early Careers talent.

About The Position

An Early Careers Development Manager is central to shaping, enhancing, and maintaining our Early Career programmes and long‑term EC strategy (including apprenticeships, internships, graduate schemes, and the wider entry‑level population). This role ensures that the infrastructure underpinning these programmes is efficient, scalable, and aligned with the organisation’s future needs.

Working closely with the Early Careers Manager, HR, and business stakeholders, the role helps build a high‑quality, sustainable Early Careers ecosystem.