Head of Learning and Development Jobs
Organizations that fail to take learning and development seriously stagnate in their marketplace and lose their best talent to rival companies. Fortunately, all large forward-looking companies not only have L&D at the heart of their HR strategies, they have teams of people dedicated to that end alone. The head of L&D oversees the team, which could be anything from one or two L&D specialists in an office to dozens around the country.
The head of learning and development’s main task is designing and executing coaching strategies that are custom made for the needs of the company and its employees. For maximum impact this is a two-way street, so employees at all levels are appraised but are also given the chance to air their own views on the most contentious and defining subjects, and this information is then fed back into their personal development programmes. The ultimate aim is to increase productivity by enhancing engagement and reducing employee churn.
The skills required
The typical head of L&D companies are looking for are already a senior learning and development professional or are someone who has a proven track record of delivering L&D to teams of employees. Sometimes a blank canvas is preferred as the company is able to instil its values and culture into the role, but a deep experience of a challenging L&D execution is usually preferred.
A firm background in HR is a requirement for most positions, so that the candidate needs to be aware of how learning and development fits into the bigger picture. Experience of dealing with the sector in which the company operates will also be advantageous to the applicant, as all fields have different expectations.
Head of Learning and Development Jobs in Reading
Situated in the Thames Valley where the Thames and River Kennet converge, Reading is a town in south-east England known as a centre of commerce and an excellent choice for those seeking Head of Learning and Development vacancies.
The area was first settled in the 8th century, the local abbey was founded in 1121 and by 1538 Reading had become one of the largest towns in the area. The region thrived on the wealth generated by trading cloth until the English Civil War.
With the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, Reading was again making a name for itself, this time with a combination of ironworks and brewing.
The region benefited from improved trade with London due to the building of better roads, the establishment of various railways and the opening of the river to boat traffic. Indeed, the Kennet and Avon canal was opened in 1810, which meant that goods could travel by barge all the way to the Bristol Channel.
Fast forward to today and Reading is a centre for technology, finance and retail.
Top companies headquartered in the town include ING Direct, Yell Group and BG. Meanwhile, Prudential, PepsiCo, Holiday Inn, Bang & Olufsen, Intel, Cisco, Symantec, Nvidia, Virgin Media, Xerox and Verizon all have offices in Reading.
Popular locations
Find Head of L&D Jobs with Cast UK
With offices in London, Birmingham and Manchester and a client list that covers the whole of the UK, Cast UK is the first place many HR professionals contact when they are ready to take the next step in their careers.
Similarly, many companies now come direct to us the moment they deduce that they need a head of learning and development. That’s how we are able to provide a fast, high quality service to clients and candidates alike. We can only put your name forward if we have your details, however.
That’s why you should call us today on 0333 121 3345 so that we can get your name in our system and let you know of any openings that could be attractive to you.
Contact us