Head of Learning & Development

Ideas | People | Trust

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world.

We work with the companies that are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high growth businesses that fuel the economy –and directly advise the owners and management teams leading them.

Learning and Development (L&D) is more than just a function, it’s a key enabler of our people strategy. It supports our ability to attract, develop and retain talented people who take pride in their work and successfully deliver for our business. Effective L&D underpins quality and productivity by supporting our people to develop the necessary knowledge and skills to perform their work, helping them reach their personal and professional potential.

Our firmwide L&D function works hand-in-hand with the business to pinpoint and address learning needs, developing and delivering innovative, high-quality and commercially viable learning and development opportunities that enable both individual growth of our people and achievement of our firm’s strategic priorities, all whilst adhering to the regulatory standards expected of us as a professional services firm.

Our goal is to cultivate a learning culture that equips our people with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve their personal and professional aspirations alongside delivering excellence for our clients. Our team of L&D professionals spans across a number of BDO offices, with a significant presence in our vibrant London office. Regular travel to London and other locations will be required.

The Head of L&D role is a senior leadership role responsible for managing the firmwide L&D function. Initially, the role will primarily focus on supporting the Audit stream, with a view to expanding across other streams over time, with future activities informed by a detailed learning needs analysis exercise to be performed shortly. Reporting to the Director of L&D, this role involves collaborating with other central teams to deliver effective, high-quality learning aligned with strategic priorities.

• Play a key role in shaping L&D strategy, ensuring learning meets individual and business needs, supports strategic priorities and meets compliance requirements.
• Join a team that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Be part of our effort to drive positive change and promote learning culture, using cutting-edge tools and leveraging the latest design thinking to enhance our learning offering.
• Work directly with senior stakeholders to achieve strategic and operational goals.
• Coach and support the team and represent BDO at external events.

• Leading the day-to-day operations of the L&D function, collaborating with the Head of Professional Qualification, Head of Talent & Leadership and other people teams to ensure our learning offering is cohesive and aligned with strategic objectives.
• Developing and maintaining L&D curriculums (firmwide and stream-wide), informed by the learning needs analysis, including core technical learning, skill learning, milestone programmes and ad hoc programmes.
• Managing priorities to ensure delivery of agreed curriculums on time and to expected quality standards. Balance people, quality and growth aims as appropriate.
• Supporting with regulatory compliance including developing responses to formal and informal queries and directly engaging with the firm’s regulators where needed.
• Ongoing engagement with central teams and the individual streams to identify emerging L&D needs and develop effective responses (at either the firmwide or stream-wide level).
• Maintaining quality assurance procedures for learning and development across BDO, to ensure learning meets the needs of the learner, support BDO commercial aims and meets expected quality standards.
• Overseeing the operation of systems, controls and processes across the learning cycle, proactively assessing and managing risks, and driving continuous improvement as part of the firm’s System of Quality…