Head of Learning & Development

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: Alderley Edge

Working style: Hybrid 50% home/office based

Closing date:  

The landscape for learning is changing, new technologies and modern learning methods enable us to access and experience learning in new and different ways. At the same time, the pace of change in society and the workplace today mean we all need to invest in keeping our skills up to date. 

At Royal London we recently conducted a review of our group wide learning delivery model to make sure it meets the needs of our business now and into the future. Our plans will ensure that we are organised and equipped to support our strategic goals and deliver fully on the empowered development commitment we have made to our colleagues.

We are building a new expert in-house learning and development team to partner with the business on strategic capability diagnosis, solution design and learning delivery. Delivered through our new Royal London Learning Academy, colleagues will be able to access the latest learning content tailored to their specific career goals, development priorities and learning preferences.

This is an exciting next step in the evolution of learning at Royal London, ensuring colleagues can advance their careers with us and we have the skills we need to deliver our Purpose and strategy.  

We are looking for highly motivated, learning and development professionals to join our team to shape and deliver our offer. If you would like to be part of our journey, enjoy working in a supportive, collaborative, and fast paced environment, using your skills and expertise and continuing to stretch and grow in your career, then we would love to hear from you.

As Head of Learning and Development you will bring excellent partnering skills, deep strategic learning expertise and commerciality alongside proven people and operational leadership experience to lead the Royal London Learning Academy team. Partnering with business leaders, you will shape the learning strategy and portfolio to deliver the organisational capability priorities needed to achieve our strategy and to embed a learning culture.

About the role

• Build strong relationships with senior and SME stakeholders to shape the design and delivery portfolio of the Royal London Learning Academy (RLLA).
• Lead engagement with senior governance forums including the RLLA SteerCo, PLT, GEC and the Mandatory Learning Forum.
• Working with the People Directors, lead the strategic SME partnering of GEC/GEC-1 level stakeholders and SME Faculty leads to diagnose the strategic organisational development priorities.
• Maintain extensive networks and undertake CPD to maintain and evolve SME knowledge and insight on the latest organisational development thought leadership and practice.
• Lead delivery of the RLLA programme portfolio, including professional and personal development, the strategic capability plans, leadership training and apprenticeships.
• Ensure the quality and effectiveness of all learning interventions are robustly measured and MI provides actionable insight to inform business investment decisions and benefits realisation.
• Manage the direct Group L&D budget and provide oversight and assurance on spend and ROI for allocated business development funding.
• Lead the RLLA service delivery to agreed service standards, efficiency measures, and risk and governance requirements developing and leading a culture and programme of continuous improvement.
• Lead and develop a high-performing RLLA team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
• In partnership with Procurement, lead the strategic commercial management of all group training partners to deliver continued value add support to the RLLA learning portfolio.

About you

• Proven track record in leading the design and delivery of organisational development in complex, matrixed organisations
• Proven experience in leading L&D operational service delivery at scale
• Experience and knowledge to act as the informed client for the functionality and CI of the Learning Management Systems (LMS)  
• Experienced leading an integrated portfolio of training
• Expert and up to date understanding of adult learning principles, instructional design and modern learning methods.
• Experienced in the management of significant L&D budgets to achieve demonstrable ROI.

About Royal London

We’re the UK’s largest mutual life, pensions and investment company, offering protection, long-term savings and asset management products and services.   

Our People Promise to our colleagues is that we will all work somewhere inclusive, responsible, enjoyable and fulfilling. This is underpinned by our Spirit of Royal London values; Empowered, Trustworthy, Collaborate, Achieve. 

We've always been proud to reward employees by offering great workplace benefits such as 28 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays, an up to 14% employer matching pension scheme and private medical insurance. You can see all our benefits here - Our Benefits  

Inclusion, diversity and belonging 

We’re an Inclusive employer. We celebrate and value different backgrounds and cultures across Royal London. Our diverse people and perspectives give us a range of skills which are recognised and respected – whatever their background.