Development Manager

Performance Development Manager

Department: Business Support

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: West Malling

Reporting To: Kelly Grayland

Compensation: £40,000 - £60,000 / year

As a Performance Development Manager, you’ll be at the heart of how our people learn, grow, and perform. You’ll design and deliver high‑impact training that supports operational excellence, safety, and compliance across our field and office‑based teams.

This is a hands‑on, influential role for someone who knows the utilities world inside out and enjoys combining strategic thinking with real operational engagement. You’ll mentor our people, support our projects, and help embed a culture of continuous improvement across the business.

• Design & Deliver Training: Create and lead a tailored, future‑ready training framework using classroom, practical, and digital learning methods.
• Boost Performance: Identify skills gaps and drive initiatives that improve efficiency, quality, and reliability across the business.
• Support Growth & Bids: Partner with Project Managers to demonstrate workforce capability during bids and proposals.
• Create Engaging Learning Content: Develop presentations, manuals, e‑learning modules, workshops, simulations, and hands‑on exercises.
• Measure What Matters: Implement assessments, track impact and ROI, and continuously refine training programmes.
• Develop Our People: Mentor and coach employees at all levels, supporting personalised development and career progression.
• Collaborate & Influence: Work closely with Operations, HR, HSEQ, Project Managers, and service owners to align training with business needs and compliance.
• Support Talent & Onboarding: Play a key role in recruitment, inductions, onboarding, appraisals, and performance improvement plans.
• Lead Change: Act as a driver of organisational improvement and quality enhancement.
• Stay Operationally Engaged: Maintain a hands‑on presence, supporting field operations when required.

Technical Expertise: Strong knowledge of the utilities sector, ideally within clean water networks including valve operations, flushing, sampling, and CALM networks.

Operational

Experience:

Proven experience working across both field‑based and desktop operations.

Training & Development: Demonstrated expertise in training design, development, and delivery.

Leadership & People Management: A confident and empathetic leader with the ability to motivate, mentor, and influence diverse teams.

Organisation & Project Management: Highly organised with strong project management and planning skills.

Adaptability: Comfortable adapting to change in a fast‑paced, growing business environment.

Technical

Skills:

Proficient in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.

Digital Learning: Experience developing e‑learning and digital training solutions.

Compliance Knowledge: Understanding of regulatory and compliance requirements within the water industry.

Talent Development: Familiarity with performance management and talent development frameworks.

• Pension: 4% employer contribution (+1% above auto‑enrolment minimum)
• Holiday: 26 days + bank holidays, rising to 30 days with long service
• Location: Head office with flexible hybrid working
• Equipment: Company phone, laptop, monitors, uniform, PPE, and required tools
• Benefits: Benenden Health & Lifestyle Rewards (24/7 GP, private healthcare options, retail discounts)
• Development: Funded professional qualifications and memberships
• Culture: Company wide summer and winter events, annual appraisal and salary review, refer‑a‑friend scheme