Head of Talent & Development

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The Head of Talent and Development is responsible for shaping and executing the talent management and development game plan at NEXT. This role requires a strategic thinker who can drive initiatives related to learning and development, leadership programs, succession planning, and performance management. Based at Head Office, offering a starting salary of £60,446 alongside great benefits such as a company car, private medical insurance, and Management Share Options, to name a few.

About the role

This role is about more than just learning; it's about nurturing talent throughout the employee lifecycle. It's about building a rich network of skilled individuals that enables our diverse teams to succeed in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment.

We're seeking a dynamic individual to evolve our talent development and progression strategies. You'll create inspiring talent pathways and career journeys, ensuring they align with our culture and cater to our diverse workforce. Your focus will be on fostering a high-performance culture where individuals can excel, and you'll measure the impact of our initiatives on overall talent effectiveness.

A key aspect will be establishing robust succession planning processes to identify and nurture future leaders, proactively address skills gaps, and implement strategies to retain high-potential talent. You and your team will design impactful development solutions spanning onboarding, leadership development, and performance enhancement. Additionally, facilitating internal mobility, mentoring, social learning programmes, and strategic succession planning will be central to your role.

Developing frameworks and proactively building future skills will be essential. Leveraging technology to deliver engaging talent experiences and staying updated on talent management trends is also expected.

Attracting and nurturing future talent remains a core priority. You'll champion Early Careers programmes, ensuring they offer meaningful opportunities and build a strong talent pipeline. Your vision will also promote a learning culture that embraces diversity and inclusion, with tailored pathways, inclusive leadership programmes, and mentoring opportunities across different career stages. Empowering individuals to reach their full potential is a key goal.

This role is vital to our business, given its scale and complexity. You will foster a unified approach across departments, champion collaboration, facilitate cross-functional discussions, and align everyone towards common talent development and progression goals, creating a cohesive and high-performing organization.

About you

• HR/Business degree, CIPD preferred; expertise in adult learning, instructional design, and modern learning methods.
• Adept at building, leading, and motivating high-performing teams.
• Proven success in budget management, talent development, digital learning strategies, and organizational development in complex environments.
• Strong commercial understanding and project management skills across multiple initiatives.
• Experience in coaching at various levels and managing comprehensive training portfolios.
• An innovative thinker who drives change and brings fresh perspectives.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, capable of influencing at the executive level.
• Bold, balanced, and able to work at pace with limited resources.