Head of Learning & Development

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority; Abingdon; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 71,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary £64,115

7% corporate performance bonus

Final salary defined benefits pension

25 days annual leave + 2.5 privilege

3 site closure days over Christmas

Flexible working options

Disability/EDI-friendly recruitment

Job summary

United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority seeks a Head of Learning & Development to lead UKAEA’s learning and capability strategy, setting professional standards and overseeing a portfolio of programmes. You will drive investment value and lead the L&D team to deliver measurable organisational impact.

You’ll manage the budget, build strategic partnerships with professional bodies and academia, and advance learning services through continuous improvement and governance.

Qualifications

• Degree-level education with a recognised L&D or HR qualification such as CIPD Level 7.
• Coaching qualification such as ILM Level 5 or Level 7 in Coaching and Mentoring.
• Extensive experience leading an L&D function within a complex organisation.
• Proven ability to develop and deliver organisational learning strategies on time, cost and quality.
• Knowledge of learning methodologies, digital learning, evaluation, accessibility and legislation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver an organisation-wide learning and capability strategy aligned with priorities.
• Translate capability requirements into a prioritised portfolio of learning activities.
• Identify capability risks and advise senior leaders on investment priorities.
• Establish operating model, standards, governance and QA for learning.
• Ensure learning meets legislative, accessibility, funding and professional requirements.
• Manage the learning portfolio, budget and resources; monitor value and ROI.
• Approve learning solutions, programmes and external partnerships.
• Represent L&D at senior governance forums and influence workforce decisions.
• Build strategic relationships with professional bodies, providers and academics.
• Lead and develop the L&D team and improve learning services' quality and maturity.

Education

Degree-level education

CIPD Level 7 (L&D/HR)

ILM Level 5/7 in Coaching & Mentoring

Extensive L&D leadership experience

Strategic learning delivery & governance

Job description

Head of Learning & Development

Lead UKAEA’s approach to learning and capability development, turning workforce priorities into a clear and integrated strategy. You’ll set professional standards, oversee a portfolio of programmes and ensure learning investment delivers measurable organisational value. As UKAEA’s senior L&D specialist, you’ll lead the team, budget and continuous improvement of learning services.

About us

Fusion, the process that powers the sun and stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs. UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research organisations to achieve ground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid by developing the power stations of tomorrow and the skilled workforce to deliver them.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Develop and deliver an organisation-wide learning and capability strategy aligned with workforce and people priorities.
• Translate future capability requirements into a prioritised portfolio of learning and development activity.
• Identify capability risks and advise senior leaders on investment priorities.
• Establish the operating model, professional standards, governance and quality assurance arrangements for learning.
• Ensure learning activity meets legislative, accessibility, funding and professional requirements.
• Manage the learning portfolio, budget and resources, monitoring value, benefits and return on investment.
• Approve learning solutions, programmes and external partnerships.
• Represent L&D at senior governance forums and influence organisation-wide workforce decisions.
• Build strategic relationships with professional bodies, learning providers and academic partners.
• Lead and develop the L&D team while improving the quality, efficiency and maturity of learning services.

What You’ll Bring

• Degree-level education or equivalent, alongside a recognised professional qualification in L&D or HR, such as CIPD Level 7.
• A recognised coaching qualification, such as ILM Level 5 or Level 7 in Coaching and Mentoring.
• Extensive experience leading an L&D function within a complex organisation.
• A strong track record of developing and delivering organisational learning strategies and programmes within time, cost and quality requirements.
• Expert knowledge of learning methodologies, digital learning, programme evaluation, accessibility requirements and relevant legislation.
• Previous responsibility for managing teams, budgets, resources and senior stakeholder relationships.

Benefits

• A salary of £64115
• Up to 7% corporate performance bonus
• Final salary defined benefits pension scheme with an equivalent of 21.5% employer pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave plus 2.5 ‘privilege’ days; 8 Bank Holidays
• Additional 3 days of site closure over Christmas break
• Flexible working options plus family-friendly leave provisions

Our commitment to ED&I

UKAEA’s mission is clean energy for all, and we welcome talented people from all backgrounds to help us achieve this goal. We are committed to equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, and strive to ensure fair representation across our workforce.

Please email [e-mail] if you have any questions or require adjustments to help you participate fairly in our recruitment process, for example changes to the way we interview or share information. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment experience for all candidates.

We particularly encourage applications from groups currently underrepresented in STEM, including women and people from diverse ethnic backgrounds. All appointments are made on merit and further information can be found here.

Salary

£64,115 + excellent benefits including outstanding pension. View benefits.

Discipline

Engineering

Type of Employment

Full-time

Reference Number

REF4696V