Head of L&D

Location: UK; 20 locations; 7000 headcount Role Definition: Lead the strategy, design, and implementation of learning and development programmes to enhance employee skills, drive organisational growth, and align talent development with strategic and operational business objectives. This position is pivotal in shaping the organisation's learning culture, ensuring employees are equipped with the skills, knowledge and behaviours to meet current and future business challenges while fostering continuous professional growth. Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement the overall UK L&D strategy within the Group framework, ensuring alignment with organisational goals and business priorities, addressing labour availability and key skill challenges Programme Design & Delivery: Oversee the creation, delivery, and evaluation of training programmes, workshops, leadership development initiatives, and culture transformation projects Talent Development: Identify skill gaps, coach senior leaders, and support career development and succession planning Learning Governance and Compliance: Accountability for mandatory, regulatory and role-critical learning, quality standards, records and reporting Budget & ROI Management: Manage the L&D budget, track programme effectiveness, and report on return on investment for training initiatives Team Leadership: Build and lead the L&D team, including sub-functions such as leadership development, diversity & inclusion, and e-learning management Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with functional leads, HR, site GMs and SMT to ensure L&D initiatives support performance and organisational objectives Innovation & Trends: Stay updated on emerging L&D trends, technologies, and best practices to enhance learning solutions Digital Learning & Technology - confident use of LMS platforms, AI enabled learning, learning analytics, digital content creation, virtual learning, and collaboration tools Change Management - lead learning interventions during automation, digital transformation, restructuring, new technology implementation, and process change Commercial Acumen - build business cases, track L&D budgets, assess ROI and link learning investment to productivity and operational outcomes External provider relationships & integration - ensure external learning and programmes are connected to ABP's framework, pathways and internal development strategy Skills & Competencies Strong leadership and project management capabilities Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to influence stakeholders at all levels Strategic thinking with the ability to translate business needs into effective learning solutions Experience in designing and implementing UK-wide L&D programs Proficiency in managing e-learning platforms and digital learning tools Commercial and analytical capability - require experience using workforce and learning data to prioritise investment and demonstrate business impact Personal specification Minimum of 8-10 years of experience in Learning and Development, with proven success in leading L&D initiatives L&D team leadership experience Professional certifications in L&D, leadership development, or organisational development Practitioner for psychometric and personality tools Regular travel throughout the UK will be required Cross-divisional stakeholder relationship management, supporting the Group-wide people agenda and initiatives Occasionally represents the organisation at industry events and contributes to the evolution of talent strategies Full, clean driving licence