Head of Learning & Development (Any office Location)

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

Job summary

Freeths is seeking an experienced Head of Learning & Development to lead our L&D function through a period of change. You will own the L&D strategy, plan and budget, and work with senior leaders to shape learning across the firm.

You will lead a team, build governance, and establish a robust measurement framework to demonstrate ROI and impact on practice areas and business services.

Qualifications

• Senior L&D leadership experience, preferably in professional services or law firms.
• Proven ability to design or reshape an L&D function or operating model.
• Credible with partners, executives and steering committees.

Responsibilities

• Own the L&D strategy, annual plan and budget.
• Establish governance, policies and spend thresholds.
• Lead the rhythm of the function with quarterly Steer Co and monthly Learning Leaders Network.
• Own prioritisation and a transparent intake process.
• Sourcing: make-or-buy framework and supplier relationships.
• Sponsor the Learning Leaders network and ensure recognition.
• Develop and lead the L&D team and delivery capability.
• Report impact against KPIs and reassess maturity.
• Design and deliver senior-level leadership development and advisory work.

Skills

L&D leadership

Stakeholder management

Budget management

Learning strategy

Facilitation

Tools

Learning management systems

Governance processes

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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