Learning & Talent Development Manager
2 days ago
South Shields
Company Description: The Barbour story began in 1894 in South Shields in the North East of England. Founder John Barbour began supplying oilskins and other garments to protect the growing community of sailors, fishermen and dockers. Still family owned and now fifth generation, Barbour HQ remains in South Shields. Under the leadership of Chairman Dame Margaret Barbour, Barbour has grown into a lifestyle brand sold in over 55 countries worldwide including Europe, the US and Asia offering a wardrobe of stylish functional clothing, footwear and accessories inspired by the unique values of the British countryside. The iconic Barbour Bedale and Barbour Beaufort wax jackets continue to be made by hand in the factory in South Shields. In 2020, Barbour launched Wax for Life, an overarching name for all of Barbour’s wax services designed to encourage customers to extend the life of their wax garments. Wax for Life includes re-waxing and repairs (first introduced in 1921) and Barbour Re-Loved an upcycling circularity initiative. Each year over 70,000 wax garments are sent back to Barbour globally to be repaired, rewaxed or altered. Position Overview: We are currently recruiting for a Learning & Talent Development Manager join our HR team, based at Barbour House, South Shields. For this role we are looking for someone who is both a strategic and hands-on practitioner, responsible for designing and delivering innovative talent, leadership, and team development initiatives that elevate organisational capability. You will champion a culture of continuous learning, ensuring leadership, managerial, and team effectiveness are embedded across the business. By combining strategic foresight with operational excellence, you will proactively identify opportunities for improvement and align learning strategies with organisational priorities to drive measurable impact. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: LMS Strategy & Elevation • Lead the LMS strategy to position the platform as the organisation’s central learning hub, ensuring alignment with business priorities and workforce development goals., • Own the end-to-end LMS lifecycle, including roadmap development, vendor evaluation, and continuous platform enhancement to deliver a seamless, engaging user experience., • Drive adoption and impact through compelling campaigns, high-quality content, and actionable reporting that demonstrate measurable improvements in learning engagement and capability building. Leadership, Manager & Team Development • Partner with senior stakeholders to enhance manager capability, leadership standards, and a high-performance team culture across all levels of the organisation., • Design and implement tiered leadership and manager development programmes aligned to capability requirements., • Develop team development sessions that strengthen collaboration, communication, and performance across functions. Training Strategy & Delivery • Develop and execute the annual learning plan, informed by organisational priorities and skills gap analysis., • Manage vendor relationships, budgets, and ensure inclusive, accessible learning design., • Introduce innovative learning methodologies (e.g., microlearning, social learning, digital-first approaches)., • Be hands-on in delivery, facilitating workshops, individual coaching, and team development sessions where required. Career Progression & Talent Management • Own the Performance & Development cycle, talent reviews, and succession planning processes., • Implement career development frameworks and high-potential development plans to build robust talent pipelines., • Drive internal mobility and career progression opportunities across the organisation. Onboarding & Induction • Review and elevate the existing 90-day onboarding framework, curate LMS content for a consistent experience and accelerates new hire integration., • Establish feedback loops to continuously improve onboarding effectiveness. Employee Engagement & Surveys • Lead the bi-annual engagement survey process, including design, delivery, insights analysis, and action planning., • Implement pulse surveys and feedback mechanisms to monitor engagement trends and inform interventions. Skills and Experience: • Experience managing talent development in a complex organization. Experience working across global teams and cultures is a plus., • Experience in forming trusted relationships that result in change initiatives., • Preferred advanced degree in Human Resources, or related talent development field., • Excellent communication and presentation skills, with a collaborative mindset and ability to influence and inspire stakeholders at all levels of the organisation., • Strategic thinker with a passion for learning innovation and organisational development, • Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively in cross-functional teams and build strong relationships., • Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks, meet deadlines, and deliver high-quality results in a fast-paced environment., • Analytical skills with the capability of summarising key insights to be actioned., • Proven facilitation skills, working with audiences at all levels in an organisation. Benefits: • Discretionary Company bonus scheme, • Staff discount, • Staff shop, • Healthcare cash plan, • 25 days holiday as standard increasing with length of service plus bank holidays, • Free onsite parking, • Subsidised canteen Note: In the event that a sufficient volume of suitable applications are received, the post may close prior to the specified closing date. Please apply as soon as possible if interested.