Joining Arup
Arup’s purpose, shared values and collaborative approach has set us apart for over 75 years, guiding how we shape a better world.
Arup is the creative force at the heart of many of the world’s most prominent projects in the built and natural environment. Working in more than 140 countries, the firm’s designers, engineers, architects, planners, consultants, and technical specialists work with our clients on innovative projects of the highest quality and impact. As a wholly independent organisation, we are owned in trust for the benefit of our employees and their dependants: with no shareholders or external investors we determine our own business priorities and direction.
About Arup University
Established in 2009, Arup University (AU) sits at the heart of how Arup learns, innovates, evolves, and delivers its best work. We enable our firm to see further, design better, and create lasting impact. Our mission is to help our members, leadership, and clients navigate change, deliver excellence, and thrive in a fast-changing world.
The core focal areas of Arup’s Strategy – enabling Total Design, being immersed in our markets, being agile and borderless, and providing an industry leading member experience – are all enabled by the capabilities, programmes, and services provided by AU. This includes our strategic foresight, research and innovation capability, our learning function, capabilities in knowledge- and information management, as well as our global skills networks and work in heritage.
https://www.arup.com/about-us/arup-university/
The Opportunity
The Performance & Operations Learning Lead is a strategic role within AU Learning responsible for the integrated design, delivery, and continuous improvement of learning across the Performance & Operations portfolio. The role brings together the existing Foundation (including Mandatory), HSEQ, and Operational Excellence learning accounts into one capability, ensuring globally consistent yet locally relevant learning that strengthens project delivery, assures compliance, and builds operational excellence across regions.
The successful candidate will be part of the AU Learning leadership team and will partner closely with senior stakeholders across Performance & Operations, Commercial, Risk & Assurance, and HSEQ.
Desired outcomes for the firm
A unified global Performance & Operations learning strategy, integrating Foundation, HSEQ, and Operational Excellence and remaining responsive to regional needs, that measurably elevates the member learning offering and enables safer, more consistent project delivery.
- Consistent learner experience and quality standards worldwide, resulting in increased engagement and completions, in particular for risk, assurance, and compliance learning.
- Clear line‑of‑sight between learning and project performance through data‑driven evaluation and reporting (e.g., quality, safety, client satisfaction, commercial outcomes).
- Reduced duplication and faster mobilisation of project teams through clearer learning pathways and accessible, curated content.
- Compliance related project risks are measurably reduced as increased member uptake and completion of relevant learning translate into consistently better informed project practices.
- Trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and SMEs that position AU Learning as a strategic enabler of business outcomes.
Key Responsibilities
- Integrate the Foundation (incl. Mandatory), HSEQ, and Operational Excellence Learning accounts into a single, coherent Performance & Operations portfolio, clarifying boundaries, eliminating duplication, and sequencing a unified roadmap to deliver a member centred offering.
- Serve as the primary AU Learning point of contact for the Performance & Operations Leadership, aligning agendas, providing timely reporting and insight, and managing escalation/decision processes.
- Work with leaders to identify critical business priorities within the Performance and Operations portfolio
- Develop a formal global Learning plan in partnership with senior stakeholders to deliver transformational outcomes for Arup’s members, adjusting to respond to regional needs when appropriate.
- Take responsibility for the quality and success of all learning solutions delivered through the area of Performance and Operations Learning, managing the full learning lifecycle from definition of capabilities, diagnosis, design, delivery of learning projects and evaluation to deliver excellence.
- Design and facilitate workshops for stakeholders and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to assure that technical Learning is robust and meets the organisation's needs.
- Assure global quality standards and governance for content, including accessibility, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
- Report progress, risks, and impact to AU Learning leadership and key stakeholders; use insights to prioritise investments and iterate programmes.
- Role-model excellent learning standards and behaviours including highly collaborative working arrangements with the Learning professionals in all regions.
- Guide and manage Learning project teams globally, with a hands-on approach, to ensure the operational aspects of Learning are handled effectively, including budget management and resource planning.
- Foster a “one team” environment across the Learning function, engaging learning team members across locations to co-design and deliver initiatives, ensuring inclusive input and shared ownership.
- Apply innovative adult learning methodologies ensuring that learning solutions and approaches are effective, engaging and fit for purpose.
Is this role right for you?
- +8 years proven success leading learning programmes in a complex, matrixed, and global environment.
- Proven ability to build teams and networks that influence positive change through learning across the region and globally.
- A strong desire to understand the business, its challenges and opportunities, and the ability to partner to achieve business goals.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written in english, with the ability to engage and collaborate with stakeholders at all levels. Additional languages advantageous for stakeholder engagement.
- Demonstrated expertise in leveraging AI and learning technologies to scale programme design and delivery, accelerate innovation, and evidence measurable impact.
- Strong analytical skills and data acumen to target funding and assess the effectiveness of learning programmes.
- Experience of programme and budget management, including resource planning and vendor/partner coordination.
- International mindset with cultural awareness; comfortable working across time zones in a hybrid environment (flexibility is required for early/late calls across time zones and occasional international travel.)
What We Offer You
At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together.
Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.
We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.
- Professional Growth & Development: Benefit from continuous learning opportunities, training programs, and mentorship to enhance your skills and advance your career at Arup.
- Global Opportunities: Collaborate with colleagues worldwide and explore potential short-term or long-term assignments at other Arup offices and project locations.
- Financial Well-being & Ownership: Receive a competitive salary and benefits package and share in Arup's success through our global profit-sharing programme.
- Work-Life Balance: We offer a hybrid working model and flexible working arrangements to support work-life balance.
- Well-being and Culture: Access to a range of well-being programs, including sports subsidies, social activities, and initiatives promoting a healthy work-life balance. We foster a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone feels welcome, respected, and valued.
- At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective – in which we encourage individuality to thrive. Our strength comes from how we respect, share and connect our diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas.
- You will have the opportunity do socially useful work that has meaning – to Arup, to your career, to our members and to the clients and communities we serve.
We adhere to the Code of Principles of Generational Diversity of the Generation and Talent Observatory promoted by the 50Plus Think Tank Association, committing ourselves to equal opportunities regardless of age.
Different people, shared values
Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.
Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup.
We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please contact lia.wiltsher@arup.com to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.
To understand what to expect next, please visit https://www.arup.com/careers/recruitment-process/
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