Head of Learning & Development (Any office Location)

Freeths; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Freeths is seeking an experienced Head of Learning & Development to lead the L&D function through a period of change as part of the Future Ready Talent initiative. You will own the L&D strategy, plan and budget, align with the firm's 2030 strategy, and work with Learning Leaders to shape learning across the firm.

You will establish governance, manage supplier spend and ROI, and play a senior advisory role with practice groups.

Qualifications

• Senior L&D leadership experience, ideally within a professional services firm
• Ability to design or reshape an L&D function or operating model
• Credible with partners, Exec and Steer Co; able to secure investment with evidence
• Skilled in coaching teams, facilitating senior workshops and governance meetings

Responsibilities

• Own the L&D strategy, annual plan and budget aligned to 2030 strategy
• Establish and run governance framework: policies, spend thresholds, risk register
• Lead quarterly Steer Co and monthly Learning Leaders Network meetings
• Own prioritisation using a single intake channel and transparent decision criteria
• Oversee sourcing: make-or-buy framework and supplier relationships, prove ROI
• Sponsor Learning Leaders network and recognise contributions
• Develop and manage the L&D team and internal design/delivery capability
• Report impact against KPIs and reassess maturity regularly
• Design and deliver senior-level leadership development and advisory work
• Develop and design client training at senior levels

Skills

Leadership

Governance

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Coaching

Learning strategy

Change management

Tools

L&D systems

KPIs & analytics

Job description

Role Location - This role can be based from any of our Freeth office locations.

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Head of Learning & Development to lead our L&D function through an exciting period of change. As part of the Future Ready Talent initiative, you’ll build and lead our L&D team, set the strategy and standards for learning across the firm, and work hand in hand with our Learning Leaders - the experienced colleagues in every part of the business who design, deliver and champion learning locally.

This is a rare opportunity to help shape an L&D function rather than inherit one. You’ll own the L&D strategy, plan and budget, aligned to the firm’s 2030 strategy; you’ll establish the governance that makes prioritisation transparent and supplier spend demonstrate its worth; and you’ll report progress and impact. You’ll also keep your hand in where it counts most: senior leadership development, facilitation and trusted-adviser conversations with our practice groups.

Key responsibilities

• To own the L&D strategy, annual plan and budget, aligned to the firm’s 2030 strategy and Future Ready Talent commitments.
• To establish and run the governance framework: policies, decision rights, spend thresholds, the L&D risk register and the annual review cycle.
• To lead the rhythm of the function: preparing and presenting to the quarterly Steer Co, running the monthly Learning Leaders Network with the team, and holding a monthly People Team update.
• To own prioritisation: a single intake channel and a transparent method for deciding what we must, should and could do, so effort and investment follow firm priorities.
• To own sourcing: the make-or-buy framework, the preferred supplier list and our supplier relationships, consolidating spend and evidencing return on investment.
• To sponsor the Learning Leaders network: its mandate, membership, support and recognition.
• To lead, develop and manage the L&D team, building our internal design and delivery capability over time.
• To report impact against agreed KPIs, and to reassess our L&D maturity regularly to evidence progress.
• To design and deliver at a senior level: leadership development, facilitation and advisory work with practice groups and business services.
• To develop and design training to our clients.

Your skills and qualifications

Candidates must have senior L&D leadership experience within, ideally law firms, including designing or significantly reshaping an L&D function or operating model. You’ll need to be credible with partners, Exec and a Steer Co, comfortable making the case for investment with evidence, and equally at home coaching a team, chairing a governance meeting or facilitating a senior workshop.

Required experience includes

• Leading an L&D function or major L&D transformation, including strategy, budget and governance
• Building prioritisation, supplier management and measurement from a low base and demonstrating ROI
• Strong grasp of learning practice: 70:20:10, learning in the flow of work, and evaluation through to impact
• Leading, developing and managing a team
• Influencing at Board, Exec or partnership level; excellent communication skills
• Experience of communities of practice or networked/distributed delivery models is highly desirable
• Commercial and budget management skills; confident with data, KPIs and learning systems
• Business psychology and behavioural change expertise is desirable

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