The Metropolitan Police Service is currently recruiting for an L&D Strategy & Continuous Improvement Lead on a 6 month interim contract.
The role will be based in London, with hybrid working (3 days per week on-site). It will be offered at £500 - £550 per day umbrella (inside IR35).
This role requires a strategic, forward‑thinking leader who can shape L&D strategy, drive large‑scale transformation, and embed new ways of working across a complex organisation. You will be responsible for aligning all Learning & Development activity to organisational priorities and ensuring L&D delivers maximum impact.
You must have substantial experience leading change within L&D or the wider people profession, ideally in large or regulated environments. It is essential that you have a strong understanding of contemporary L&D practice, learning technology, commissioning, and business planning—alongside the ability to make informed, risk‑aware decisions.
Key Responsibilities
On a day‑to‑day basis, you will lead four core areas:
1. Strategic Alignment & Business Planning
- Develop and deliver the annual and multi‑year L&D Business Plan, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy and workforce priorities.
- Use workforce insight to shape L&D direction, delivery models, and investment decisions.
2. Leading and Landing Change Across L&D
- Oversee transformation across the L&D directorate, including operating model redesign, commissioning reform, and digital learning implementation.
- Manage workstream sequencing, risks, interdependencies, and benefits realisation.
- Ensure new ways of working are embedded into business‑as‑usual.
3. Financial Oversight, Commissioning & Levy Optimisation
- Provide strategic oversight of L&D budgets and commissioned services.
- Maximise apprenticeship levy value and ensure forward‑looking utilisation.
- Ensure all commissioning delivers value for money and supports strategic outcomes.
4. Continuous Improvement Across the Function
- Drive improvements in L&D governance, processes, technologies, and decision‑making.
- Ensure the directorate is efficient, modern, and focused on high‑impact delivery.
Scope for Impact
As a senior leader within L&D, your work will directly influence how the Met builds capability, designs learning, and supports its workforce. You will play a critical role in transforming L&D operations, shaping strategic priorities, and enabling the delivery of the New Met for London 2 plan.
Your work will be highly visible across senior leaders, directors, and the management board, and will be central to modernising the L&D function.
Experience & Skills Required
- Strong credibility as a senior L&D or people‑change leader in large, complex organisations.
- Proven experience delivering transformational change across L&D—digital learning, operating models, commissioning, or workforce capability planning.
- Financial and commercial acumen, including oversight of budgets, contracts, and commissioned services.
- Strong strategic thinking, analytical capability, and stakeholder leadership skills.
- Ability to influence and challenge senior stakeholders with confidence.
- Experience managing programme‑level activity (risk, dependencies, benefits).
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Desirable
- Experience with digital learning platforms and systems.
- Programme / project management training.
- Experience in wider people strategy or organisational transformation.
If you have the skills, experience, and drive to lead major strategic change across a high‑profile directorate, apply now and we will be in touch.
