Learning and Development Manager Jobs
All good companies base their HR strategy around retaining and attracting the best talent, and a big part of this goal is their commitment to learning and development throughout the business. The best employees demand it, but there are sound business reasons for keeping L&D up to date. To prevent grand L&D strategies from fizzling out once they leave the board room, however, it’s essential that learning and development managers are appointed to ensure the strategies are put into action, hence the need for good learning and development managers.
Depending on the size of the company, the learning and development manager either reports to a director of L&D or the board in general and may have a degree of autonomy when it comes to designing and implementing strategies. The L&D manager is judged on how well she or he delivers the KPIs laid down by the organization, which usually revolve around talent retention and performance of the department they oversee. Learning and development management is a great step in the ladder towards directorship, as it can shine a light on the manager’s ability to interpret strategies and put them into action.
The skills required
While previous experience of learning and development management is often preferred, many companies consider experienced HR professionals who have dealt with all aspects of L&D, such as appraisals, examinations, assessments and personal development programmes and have put these into action for a busy company.
You should have a rounded set of skills on the current best practice in the field of learning and development gained through continuous learning on the back of some appropriate qualifications. An ability to demonstrate that you can manage people in a methodical and consistent manner is also required – for example you need to keep on top of qualifications that may expire and ensure they are re-sat and renewed as appropriate. Experience of working in the same field is also advantageous.
Learning and Development Manager Jobs in Belfast
As Northern Ireland's capital and largest city, Belfast offers a number of opportunities for those seeking Learning and Development Manager positions.
The region was first settled during the Bronze Age and had become a thriving community by the 17th century.
During the Industrial Revolution, Belfast was known for producing a broad range of goods, including linen, rope and tobacco.
Meanwhile, its proximity to two large bodies of water - Belfast Lough and the River Lagan - made the city an ideal location for shipbuilding.
Over a period of 150 years, Harland and Wolff - once one of the city's most famous shipbuilders and currently fabricating equipment for the marine, offshore and renewable energy sectors - constructed numerous vessels. These included luxury liners like the Titanic, Olympic and Britannic, as well as the HMS Belfast, a Royal Navy light cruiser that is now permanently moored on the River Thames in central London.
Following the First World War, Belfast's economy began to slowly decline and by the 1960s and 1970s, the city's situation gradually deteriorated as civil unrest of the period known as The Troubles created a fragile financial situation and a community riddled with violence.
However, since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, Belfast has once again emerged as a city with a viable economy and there has been rapid redevelopment.
These days, Belfast is a centre for education and commerce and companies based here include Allstate NI, Moy Park, Bombardier Aerospace and Translink - Northern Ireland's main provider of public transport.
Popular locations
Find L&D Manager Jobs with Cast UK
Some of the UK’s most exciting companies that are growing and changing are trying to find good learning and development managers to ensure their employees are up to speed on all aspects of their business. If you have experience in this area, you could be just the person they are looking for. We have great relationships with companies up and down the country because we have the details of hundreds of excellent HR professionals, and our consultants are skilled at matching the two together.
Cast UK can help you get your foot in the door of these companies so you can demonstrate to them why you should be their next learning and development manager. Call us today on 0333 121 3345 to get started.
Contact us