Learning & Talent Development Manager

The Learning & Talent Development Manager will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering Whitewater Group’s learning, talent development and succession planning agenda as the business continues to scale across multiple international locations. Responsible for building the capability, leadership pipeline and early-career talent required to support continued growth, the role will work closely with senior leaders to ensure the organisation has the skills, knowledge and future talent needed to achieve its strategic objectives.

This is a highly visible and hands-on role within a fast-growing organisation. While the successful candidate will be responsible for developing and implementing the Group’s learning and talent development strategy, they will also be actively involved in the day-to-day coordination, administration and delivery of learning initiatives across the business. As Whitewater Group continues to expand, the role will be instrumental in establishing and embedding the systems, processes, programmes and governance frameworks required to support sustainable growth.

Working closely with senior leaders, managers, HR, Health & Safety, IT and Finance, the role will identify current and future capability needs, design and deliver practical development solutions, coordinate mandatory training requirements and ensure robust reporting and governance. The role will also lead the selection and implementation of a Group-wide Learning Management System, maximise available learning grants and funding opportunities, and drive a culture of continuous learning across the organisation.

The successful candidate must be comfortable operating at both a strategic and operational level, balancing long-term capability building with practical execution. They will be expected to roll up their sleeves, build programmes and processes from the ground up, work directly with stakeholders across the Group, and ensure learning and talent initiatives deliver measurable outcomes for the business.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Degree in Human Resources, Learning & Development, Organisational Psychology, Business, Education or a related discipline.

• CIPD qualification or equivalent professional accreditation is highly desirable.

• Significant experience in Learning & Development, Talent Management, Organisational Development or a comparable role.

• Proven experience designing and implementing learning strategies, talent processes and succession planning frameworks.

• Experience conducting Learning Needs Analysis across varied functions and geographical locations.

• Demonstrated experience implementing or managing a Learning Management System.

• Experience developing apprenticeship, graduate or early-career programmes.

• Experience managing learning budgets, forecasts, external providers and procurement decisions.

• Experience identifying, applying for and administering learning grants or external training funding is highly desirable.

• Strong project management, stakeholder management, facilitation, communication and presentation skills.

Skills and Competencies

• Strategic and commercially aware, with the ability to translate business priorities into practical people-development plans.

• Credible and confident when influencing senior leaders and collaborating across functions and countries.

• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple programmes, deadlines, budgets and stakeholders.

• Data-driven and analytical, with strong attention to detail and confidence preparing dashboards, forecasts and business cases.

• Proactive, solutions-focused and comfortable building new frameworks, systems and processes.

• Collaborative, inclusive and passionate about creating meaningful development opportunities.

• Able to balance long-term capability building with immediate operational and compliance priorities.

• Competitive salary package
• Opportunity to shape and lead the Group’s learning and talent development strategy. 
• Exposure to senior leadership and international operations in a growing organisation. 
• Ongoing professional development and continuous learning opportunities. 
• Collaborative working environment with the opportunity to make a visible, long-term impact. 
• Group Pension Scheme
• Life Assurance

• Develop and implement a Group-wide Learning & Development strategy aligned with the business strategy, workforce plans and future capability requirements. 
• Conduct annual and ongoing Learning Needs Analysis across all functions, disciplines and Group locations. 
• Identify current and future skills gaps and translate findings into prioritised learning plans and measurable development interventions. 
• Design, source and coordinate leadership, management, technical, professional and behavioural development programmes. 
• Establish structured learning pathways for key job families, business-critical roles and specialist disciplines. 
• Apply adult learning and instructional design principles to ensure learning is practical, engaging and relevant. 
• Create evaluation methods to measure participation, knowledge transfer, application, business impact and return on investment. 
• Manage external training providers, professional bodies and educational partners, ensuring quality, value and appropriate governance. 

• Develop and embed a consistent Group-wide talent management framework. 
• Lead the annual talent review and succession planning process in partnership with the senior leadership team and HR. 
• Support leaders to identify high-potential employees, critical roles, critical knowledge and succession risks. 
• Create targeted development plans that improve readiness for future leadership, management and specialist roles. 
• Maintain succession pipelines and readiness assessments for business-critical positions. 
• Partner with managers to strengthen career development, internal mobility and retention of key talent. 
• Develop competency and capability frameworks that provide clear expectations and development pathways. 

• Lead the requirements definition, selection, implementation and launch of a Group-wide Learning Management System (LMS). 
• Develop LMS governance, ownership, administration processes, content standards and reporting requirements. 
• Build and maintain a relevant learning catalogue covering mandatory, technical, leadership, professional, digital and compliance learning. 
• Coordinate data, system and process requirements with HR, IT, Health & Safety and other stakeholders. 
• Drive adoption of the LMS among employees and managers and provide appropriate guidance and support. 
• Produce regular dashboards on assignments, completion, overdue learning, compliance and programme effectiveness. 
• Continuously improve the platform, user experience and learning content based on data and stakeholder feedback. 

• Partner with Health & Safety to identify and coordinate statutory, regulatory, client, site-specific and role-specific training requirements. 
• Maintain training matrices and support accurate, accessible evidence of completion and certification. 
• Monitor completion, certification expiry and overdue training, escalating compliance risks through agreed governance channels. 
• Work with IT to identify and coordinate required technology, cybersecurity, information security and business systems training. 
• Align mandatory training calendars, communications and reporting across HR, Health & Safety and IT to provide clear ownership and avoid duplication. 
• Support managers to understand and meet the training requirements applicable to their teams. 

• Design, implement and continuously improve Group apprenticeship, graduate and early-career development programmes. 
• Develop structured onboarding, rotations, technical learning, professional development, mentoring and progress review frameworks. 
• Partner with business leaders and managers to identify suitable placements, learning experiences and future workforce needs. 
• Build relationships with universities, colleges, apprenticeship bodies and educational partners. 
• Monitor participant progress, programme quality, retention, conversion into permanent roles and overall programme effectiveness. 
• Promote a consistent employee experience while allowing for relevant local requirements across Group locations. 

• Develop and manage the annual Group Learning & Development budget, aligning planned investment with strategic priorities, workforce plans, compliance requirements and identified capability gaps. 
• Partner with Finance during annual budgeting and periodic forecasting to consolidate training requirements and expected expenditure across functions and Group locations. 
• Agree clear budget ownership, coding, approval and reporting arrangements with Finance and relevant business stakeholders. 
• Monitor actual and committed expenditure against budget, investigate variances and provide regular forecasts and updates. 
• Prepare business cases for significant learning initiatives, setting out the need, expected benefits, costs, funding options and measures of success. 
• Identify and assess available learning grants, training subsidies, apprenticeship supports and other relevant state or industry funding schemes across the countries in which the Group operates. 
• Prepare and submit accurate, timely grant and funding applications, claims and supporting documentation. 
• Work with Finance to ensure funding income, eligible expenditure and associated documentation are correctly tracked, reconciled and reported. 
• Maintain an auditable register of applications, approvals, conditions, claim deadlines, receipts and outstanding actions. 
• Build relationships with government agencies, training bodies, apprenticeship providers, professional bodies and educational institutions. 
• Report on learning investment, grant income, cost avoidance, budget utilisation and return on investment, and recommend actions to maximise available funding.