Senior Leadership Development Designer, Fixed Term Contract

QinetiQ Limited; Farnborough; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a Senior Leadership Development Designer to architect innovative leadership programs that support cultural transformation. This strategic role involves designing impactful learning experiences for leaders, leveraging expertise in leadership development and adult learning. The ideal candidate will possess a strong portfolio and a deep understanding of leadership models and behavioural change.

Benefits

Matched contribution pension scheme

Competitive holiday allowance

Compressed working option

Health Cash Plan

Private Medical Insurance

Employee discount portal

Volunteering Opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of experience in leadership development or learning design.
• Proven track record in designing complex leadership development programmes.
• Experience developing content for major change or cultural transformation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design of leadership development workshops and programmes.
• Translate leadership frameworks into immersive learning experiences.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure content relevance and impact.

Skills

Leadership Development Expertise

Advanced Learning Design

Strategic Thinking

Culture & Change Expertise

Psychological Safety & Empowerment

Evaluation & Continuous Improvement

Stakeholder Engagement

Business Acumen

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Organisational Psychology, Learning Design, HR, Business

Recognised certification in instructional design or leadership development

Job description

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Location:

Farnborough, England, United Kingdom

Role Type: Fixed Term – Full Time

Package: Competitive Salary + Benefits

Role ID: SF18286

Summary of Role

The Senior Leadership Development Designer is a pivotal strategic role within the Learning and Development function, responsible for architecting cutting-edge, experiential senior leadership programmes that directly support the organisation’s culture and performance transformation. This individual will design high-impact, in-person learning experiences for leaders at all levels, translating strategic priorities and behavioural expectations into immersive, actionable development journeys. As a senior expert in leadership development and adult learning, the role combines design mastery with business acumen, influencing the broader talent agenda while equipping leaders to lead with accountability, empowerment, and impact.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead the end-to-end design of leadership development workshops, programmes, and learning journeys that are experiential, outcome-focused, and aligned to organisational priorities.
• Translate leadership frameworks, behavioural expectations, and business challenges into immersive learning experiences that shift mindset and enable sustained behavioural change.
• Collaborate closely with senior facilitators, internal L&D colleagues, and business stakeholders to ensure the relevance, quality, and impact of all content.
• Design learning interventions that empower leaders to drive accountability, psychological safety, productivity, and high performance within their teams.
• Bring a behavioural science lens to design — ensuring content is grounded in evidence-based approaches and aligned with how adults learn and change.
• Regularly review and evolve content based on business feedback, facilitator insight, and participant data to maintain relevance and excellence.
• Act as a senior learning consultant and thought partner to the business, influencing the design of leadership experiences across change, culture, and talent initiatives.
• Lead or contribute to the creation of supporting materials including facilitator guides, case studies, reflection tools, simulations, and follow-up content.
• Establish success criteria and evaluation methods to assess the effectiveness of design in achieving measurable leadership and organisational outcomes.

Key Capabilities & Knowledge

• Leadership Development Expertise – Deep understanding of leadership models, behavioural change, and development strategies that drive measurable impact.
• Advanced Learning Design – Mastery in experiential learning, instructional design, and the creation of emotionally engaging, business-relevant content.
• Strategic Thinking – Ability to translate organisational goals and people strategies into leadership development priorities.
• Culture & Change Expertise – Skilled in designing interventions that support cultural transformation and leadership in times of change.
• Psychological Safety & Empowerment – Strong capability in designing learning experiences that foster inclusive leadership, trust, and high-performance mind-sets.
• Evaluation & Continuous Improvement – Experienced in assessing the impact of leadership development interventions and using data to drive refinement.
• Stakeholder Engagement – Excellent consulting and influencing skills; able to work closely with senior leaders, HR, and external partners.
• Business Acumen – Understands how leadership capability translates into organisational performance, engagement, and strategic success.

Experience

• Minimum 8 years of experience in leadership development, learning design, organisational development, or consulting roles.
• Proven track record in designing complex leadership development programmes for senior and mid-level leaders.
• Experience developing content in support of major change or cultural transformation initiatives.
• Strong portfolio of high-impact, experiential learning design, with measurable business outcomes.
• Experience collaborating with facilitators, HR leaders, and business stakeholders in large, matrixed organisations.
• Global or cross-cultural experience is highly desirable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Organisational Psychology, Learning Design, HR, Business, or related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• Recognised certification in instructional design, learning architecture, or leadership development (e.g., CIPD, ATD, ILM) is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with psychometric tools, behavioural assessments, and leadership diagnostics is an advantage.

Why Join QinetiQ?

As we continue to grow into new markets around the world, there’s never been a more exciting time to join QinetiQ. The formula for success is our appetite for innovation and having the courage to take on a wide variety of complex challenges.

As a QinetiQ employee, you’ll experience a unique working environment where teams from different backgrounds, disciplines and experience enjoy collaborating widely and openly as we undertake this exciting and rewarding journey. Through effective teamwork, and pulling together, you’ll get to experience what happens when we all share different perspectives, blend disciplines, and link technologies; constantly discovering new ways of solving complex problems in a diverse and inclusive environment where you can be authentic, feel valued and realise your full potential. Visit our website to read more about our diverse and inclusive workplace culture. www.qinetiq.com/en/careers/life-at-qinetiq

• Matched contribution pension scheme, with life assurance
• Competitive holiday allowance, with the option to purchase additional days
• Compressed working option with Friday afternoons or alternative Fridays off
• Health Cash Plan, Private Medical Insurance and Dental Insurance
• Employee discount portal: Personal Accident Insurance, Travel Insurance, Restaurants, Cinema Tickets and much more
• We are proud to support the Armed Forces community by honouring the Armed Forces Covenant
• Volunteering Opportunities - helping charities and local community

Our Recruitment Process:

We want to make sure that our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible and we aspire to bring out the best in our candidates by creating an environment where everyone feels value, heard and supported. If you have a disability or health condition that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your Recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Many roles in QinetiQ are subject to national security vetting being completed, applicants who already hold the appropriate level of vetting may be able to transfer it upon appointment. A number of roles are also subject to additional restrictions, which mean factors such as nationality or previous nationalities may affect the roles that you can be employed in.

Please note that all applicants for this role must be eligible for SC clearance, as a minimum.