JOB SUMMARY
The Talent & Development Manager is responsible for driving the Firm’s talent, capability and employee development agenda in support of its business strategy and people priorities, ensuring the Firm's talent and capability investments directly strengthen business performance, client service delivery and the Firm's competitive position in the market.
The role provides strategic and operational leadership across the employee development lifecycle, from onboarding and induction through performance management and capability development, career growth, mentoring and succession readiness.
The role works closely with Partners, Heads of Departments, managers and employees to identify current and future capability requirements, translate business needs and performance insights into targeted interventions, and evaluate the impact of those interventions. It also leads the use of learning technology, data, AI and emerging practices to strengthen the Firm’s talent proposition and build a future-ready workforce.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Talent Strategy & Workforce Capability
- Develop, implement and periodically refresh the Firm’s Talent & Development strategy, ensuring alignment with the Firm’s business strategy, workforce priorities and evolving capability requirements.
- Develop the annual Talent & Development functional plan, priorities and success measures, and track execution and impact against agreed business and people outcomes.
- Proactively identify current and future capability requirements across the Firm, based on business strategy and workforce planning, and recommend interventions to close critical skills and capability gaps.
- Lead the annual Training Needs Analysis with Partners and Heads of Department, using business priorities, performance and appraisal outcomes, employee feedback and identified capability gaps to develop the annual Talent & Development plan and calendar.
- Review development frameworks, policies and priorities periodically, adjusting them as business needs evolve.
Performance Management & Capability Development
- Manage the Firm’s end-to-end performance management cycle, ensuring alignment between business priorities, individual objectives, performance expectations and development priorities.
- Coordinate performance planning, goal and KPI setting, periodic performance conversations, mid-year reviews and year-end performance assessments, ensuring timely and consistent execution across the Firm.
- Partner with Partners, Heads of Departments and managers to strengthen performance management practices, including objective setting, quality of performance conversations, feedback and documentation.
- Monitor completion, quality and consistency across the performance management cycle, identify gaps and recommend improvements.
- Analyse performance data and trends to identify individual, team and Firm-wide capability gaps and translate these into targeted learning, coaching, mentoring and other development interventions.
- Support managers and employees in developing practical Individual Development Plans arising from performance outcomes and monitor progress against agreed development priorities.
- Support the Performance Improvement Plan process by ensuring identified performance gaps, agreed improvement actions and development interventions are appropriately documented and monitored.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of performance and development interventions and use insights to continuously improve the Firm’s performance management approach.
HRMS, Learning Technology & Digital Enablement
- Serve as the functional owner for Talent & Development processes within the Firm’s HRMS, including performance management, learning, development, AO Academy, onboarding and other relevant talent modules.
- Manage and enhance the Firm’s LMS and other learning technologies, ensuring effective administration of learning records, enrolment, assessments, development activities and reporting.
- Partner with relevant internal stakeholders and system providers to optimise HRMS functionality, workflows, automation, reporting and user experience across Talent & Development processes.
- Identify and evaluate opportunities to apply HR technology, AI and digital learning solutions to improve efficiency, accessibility, employee experience and management decision-making.
- Maintain the accuracy, integrity and accessibility of talent, performance and learning data to support reliable reporting and analysis.
- Drive user adoption of relevant HRMS and learning modules, including appropriate guidance and support for managers and employees.
Learning & Development Programme Management
- Design, coordinate and facilitate learning programmes across career levels and employee groups (Lawyers and Business Services), including programmes focused on technical, behavioral and transferable competencies, using workshops, coaching, e-learning, blended and experiential approaches, ensuring inclusive design and equitable access to development opportunities.
- Oversee curriculum and content development, coordinating internal faculty, facilitators and external providers to ensure quality delivery, including planning, logistics and post programme follow up.
- Ensure programmes remain aligned with identified capability needs, career stages and business priorities.
Onboarding & Early-Career Development
- Design and coordinate orientation, induction and onboarding programmes, ensuring new employees have the knowledge, context and support to integrate effectively.
- Partner with stakeholders to keep onboarding aligned to the Firm's culture, policies and role requirements, and monitor feedback to continuously improve the experience.
- Oversee the internship and externship programmes and support early-career initiatives that strengthen the Firm's talent pipeline.
- Coordinate the Firm’s buddy programme, facilitating buddy assignments and providing guidance and resources to buddies to support an effective onboarding experience.
Career Development, Mentoring & Succession
- Coordinate mentorship and structured career development programmes, partnering with managers and employees on growth pathways.
- Identify and coordinate opportunities for secondment, cross-functional exposure, professional development and career mobility.
- Support the identification and development of high-potential employees and succession-readiness for critical roles, through targeted development, mentoring and career exposure, while promoting employee ownership of continuous development.
Budget, Vendor & Resource Management
- Develop, manage and monitor the annual Talent & Development budget, tracking expenditure, analyzing variances and recommending efficient resource use.
- Evaluate development investments for quality, cost-effectiveness, relevance and business impact.
- Source, evaluate and manage external learning providers and consultants, overseeing approvals, quotations, invoicing, negotiations and service delivery.
Learning Evaluation, Analytics & Reporting
- Establish measures to assess participation, learning effectiveness, application and business impact, evaluating interventions through assessments, feedback and transfer-of-learning measures.
- Analyze development outcomes to identify trends, capability gaps and improvement opportunities, building dashboards and reports, including an annual Talent & Development report, for management.
- Use insight to refine programmes and optimize resources, and track delivery against the annual plan, updating the Head, People & Culture regularly.
Stakeholder Management & Business Partnership
- Represent Talent & Development in People & Culture leadership discussions, contributing data-driven insight that helps shape the Firm's broader workforce and business strategy.
- Build relationships with Partners, Heads of Department, managers and employees to understand business and talent needs, acting as the People & Culture partner on capability, development and talent readiness.
- Facilitate stakeholder discussions to identify development priorities and secure alignment on proposed interventions.
- Liaise with the relevant professional bodies responsible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points to secure accreditation for the Firm's internal training programmes and support lawyers in accumulating CPD points where applicable.
- Manage relationships with learning providers, professional bodies and other external stakeholders, ensuring timely communication and progress updates.
Governance & Continuous Improvement
- Ensure initiatives are delivered in line with Firm policy and professional development requirements, maintaining appropriate records, documentation and controls.
- Review Talent & Development processes regularly and establish feedback mechanisms to improve effectiveness and employee experience.
Future of Talent & Development
- Monitor emerging trends in talent management, learning, AI, digital learning and technology, and assess global/industry best practice for adoption.
- Introduce innovative talent and development solutions that strengthen employee experience, organizational capability and the Firm's talent proposition.
- Anticipate future skills and capability requirements, contributing to a sustainable, future-ready talent pipeline.
Other Responsibilities
- Undertake other responsibilities and projects as may be assigned by the Head, People & Culture in line with the evolving needs and priorities of the Firm.
EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Learning & Development, Organisational Development, Business Administration or a related field.
- An advanced degree or professional certification (e.g. CIPM, SHRM, HRCI) is an advantage.
