Learning & Talent Development Lead

Learning & Talent Development Lead

The Learning & Talent Development Lead is responsible for designing, delivering, and evaluating the Company’s learning, development, and early careers strategies, programmes and plans. The role has a significant focus on early careers pathways, including apprentices, Higher Level Apprentices, placement students, and graduates, to ensure a strong and sustainable talent pipeline that supports long-term workforce planning and succession needs.

The postholder will lead initiatives that enhance employee capability, engagement, and retention, while ensuring full compliance with legal, regulatory, and accreditation requirements. They will provide monthly KPI reporting to Directors to demonstrate programme impact, progress, and risks.

• Department:
  People Team
• Reporting to:
  People & Culture Manager
• Working Hours:
  
  Full time permanent position, 40 hours per week, Monday to Thursday 8/8.30am – 5/5.30pm and Fridays 8/8.30am to 2.30/3pm.

• Lead the design and delivery of the Company’s Learning & Talent Development strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and future workforce needs.
• Support the People & Culture Manager and Head of People in delivering the wider People strategy, taking ownership of projects relating to learning, development, and early careers.
• Conduct ongoing Training Needs Analysis across all departments to identify skills gaps and development priorities.
• Ensure all learning solutions, internal or external, are aligned to business needs and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive Training & Skills Matrix that reflects legislative requirements, industry standards, and evolving business needs.
• Partner with managers and industry bodies (Engineers Ireland, CIOB, RICS) to design structured learning pathways for technical and behavioural skills.
• Prepare and deliver a Skills for Growth application and manage training courses and compliance paperwork in relation to this project.

• Lead the end-to-end management of all early careers programmes, including apprenticeships, HLAs, placements, and graduate pathways.
• Build strong relationships with academic institutions to ensure high-quality, compliant, and future-focused programmes.
• Monitor student progress through regular meetings with apprentices, mentors, and academic partners and directors escalating concerns where necessary.
• Attend sectoral events, briefings, and forums to ensure the Company remains compliant and competitive in early careers provision.
• Develop and deliver initiatives that strengthen the Company’s succession planning and internal talent pipeline.
• Provide monthly KPI dashboards to Directors, highlighting progress, risks, and outcomes across all early careers cohorts.

• Coordinate and schedule training programmes that build practical skills and support career development.
• Provide coaching and support to managers to enhance leadership capability and people‑management skills.
• Maintain a Preferred Supplier List of training providers, ensuring value for money and quality assurance.
• Personal delivery of in‑house training programmes where appropriate (e.g., lunch & learns, skills workshops, people policy & procedure).
• Ensure full compliance with mandatory training requirements, proactively managing expiring certifications and coordinating renewals.

• Identify opportunities to streamline learning and early careers processes through digitalisation and automation, including content creation where appropriate.
• Develop data‑driven business cases to support improvements and investment in learning technologies.
• Produce accurate monthly and ad‑hoc reports for Directors, using data to demonstrate impact, trends, and risks.

• Support the wider People team with shared processes including induction, training, appraisals, and performance management.
• Act as a trusted member of the People team, maintaining confidentiality and professionalism at all times.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties…