Job Title - Head of Learning & Development
Salary - £125,000
Reporting to - Chief People Officer
Job Location - London / hybrid
Contract Type - Permanent
The Role
Strategic and operational leadership of the firm’s learning and development infrastructure, through the design, development, and delivery of a global L&D programme encompassing technical/legal training, management development, and core skills.
Key Responsibilities
- Leadership of the L&D function: Provide strategic direction and leadership to the L&D team, ensuring alignment with the firm’s overall objectives.
- Management of development programmes: Oversee leadership and management programmes and other key initiatives, acting as a central point of coordination for global programmes, including communications, pre-work, programme design, delivery (in-house or via external providers), and evaluation.
- Coaching and support: Provide executive coaching and mentoring to senior leaders and high-potential employees, supporting a culture of continuous learning.
- Stakeholder engagement: Work closely with senior lawyers, knowledge specialists, HR, and business services leaders to identify current and future learning needs, collaborating with international colleagues on global and local initiatives.
- Strategic partnerships: Build and maintain relationships with external training providers, industry bodies, and academic institutions. Source appropriate providers, venues, and courses, negotiate terms, and maintain a contacts database.
- Technical legal training oversight: In conjunction with Knowledge Management, coordinate the delivery of structured technical legal training, ensuring high standards are maintained.
- Firm-wide training: Oversee the development and delivery of compulsory firm-wide training, supporting rollout and managing relationships with internal contributors.
- Networking and industry involvement: Actively participate in learning and development networks and industry groups.
- Collaboration with HR: Partner with HR to review and enhance firm-wide induction programmes for new starters.
- Early careers support: Work with early careers and training teams to support trainees throughout the training cycle, from induction through qualification.
- Regulatory compliance: Ensure compliance with relevant professional regulatory requirements relating to learning, development, and continuing professional development, including record-keeping and reporting.
- Intranet content: Maintain up-to-date, engaging, and informative L&D content on the firm’s intranet.
- Budget management: Manage the central global L&D budget, including forecasting, monitoring spend, and identifying cost-effective training solutions.
- Line management: Lead, develop, and support the L&D team, providing guidance and professional development opportunities.
- Strategic projects: Lead key strategic initiatives, such as implementing a learning management system and developing mentoring programmes.
- Innovation: Champion innovative learning practices and technologies to enhance the firm’s learning culture.
- Additional duties: Undertake ad hoc responsibilities as required.
Key Skills & Experience Required
- Minimum of 10 years’ relevant experience in a professional services environment; experience within a law firm is highly desirable.
- Postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline (e.g. organisational development, learning and development, organisational psychology).
- Extensive experience designing, delivering, and evaluating development activities within a global organisation.
- Strong programme management experience, particularly with senior-level learning initiatives.
- Accreditation in personality or psychometric profiling tools (desirable).
- Advanced team coaching experience, ideally supported by a formal coaching qualification.
- Strong understanding of professional regulatory requirements relating to learning and development.
- Proven people management capability, including mentoring and developing diverse teams.
- Excellent relationship-building skills with internal and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrated success in strategic project management within an L&D context.
- Ability to manage sensitive situations with professionalism and discretion.
- Comfortable working across a wide range of roles and seniority levels.
- Resilient, proactive, and collaborative approach.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong professional presence.
- Flexibility regarding working hours, including occasional attendance at events outside normal office hours.
