Head of Learning & Development Transformation

The opportunity:

The global HR team is undergoing a significant transformation to position it more effectively to support the rapidly changing needs of the British Council. The Transforming HR programme will: 

• Enable the HR organisation to operate at a level that ensures that our organisation’s people have the skills and capabilities to lead the British Council in this challenging environment to meet its vision and aspirations for 2025.
• Provide a core bedrock on which sound HR services can deliver strategic people management initiatives that provide benefit to our people.
• Ensure HR operations are underpinned by digitally enabled HR services that provide better experience for users, with a properly embedded infrastructure that allows us to deliver changes to talent management, performance management and leadership. 

The successful individual’s role will be to transform learning and development across the British Council globally from the current traditional face to face, classroom-based approach to a 21^st century learning organisation where learning is accessible to all, is learner-centred and relevant in a multi-cultural environment.  The role will also entail designing the appropriate operating model to deliver this sustainably in 110+ countries around the world and ensuring you are engaging key stakeholders in the change process whilst implementing and embedding the necessary behaviour change to support success.

Opportunities:

• To make a significant difference in an organisation with a somewhat traditional approach to learning and development
• To build a new approach from the ground up, embed significant behaviour change and work with leadership teams, HRBPs and key stakeholders to develop a learning organisation 

Challenges:

• There is limited appreciation of the effectiveness of non-classroom-based learning across the organisation or much understanding of what it might look like
• Current learning management systems aren’t fit for purpose, there is a plan to address this but it is 18 months down the line
• Limited bandwidth and some government restrictions can make it difficult to use some technology platforms in some countries 

About You: 

• CIPD or equivalent qualification in learning and development
• Proven ability to drive learning and development change in a multi-country context for a commercial or not for profit organisation
• Knowledge of learning platforms, social learning and experience of working with learning partners
• Experience of leading teams through change
• Experience of supporting and/or implementing learning and development change in a multi-cultural organisation
• Excellent communication and senior stakeholder management skills. 

For further information please see the attached documents:

Role Profile.docx

BC Core Skills.pdf
BC Behaviours.pdf

Benefits include:

Excellent Civil Service Pension Scheme

32 Days Holiday

Annual Travel Season Ticket Loan

Annual Performance related bonus

About us:

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.  We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.

We work in over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society.  Each year we reach over 20 million people face to face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications.

Our Equality Commitment:

Valuing diversity is essential to the British Council’s work. We aim to abide by and promote equality legislation by following both the letter and the spirit of it to avoid unjustified discrimination, recognising discrimination as a barrier to equality of opportunity, inclusion and human rights. All staff worldwide are required to ensure their behaviour is consistent with our policies, and finance as a function is absolutely committed to this. 

Further details:

If you are interested in the post and feel that you are suitable for the role, then we would really like to hear from you. Please apply by Sunday 3^rd November 2019, closing at 23:59 UK time.

Interviews are planned for 14^th & 15^th November 2019.