Learning & Development Lead

Title:
Learning & Development Lead

Location:
Abu Dhabi

Sector:
Financial Services

Reporting Line:
Manager of Talent Development & Rewards

Second Line:
Chief Human Capital Officer

We are partnering with our exciting Abu Dhab based client to appoint a Learning & Development Lead. This role is within the Human Capital function, responsible for building high-impact learning solutions, driving performance excellence, and strengthening succession and talent pipelines across the organisation.

This role will suit a senior L&D or Talent professional with strong exposure to performance management frameworks, leadership development, and succession planning, ideally within a regulated or complex organisation.

Key Responsibilities

Learning & Development Strategy

• Lead the design and delivery of end-to-end learning and development programmes aligned with organisational strategy
• Conduct Training Needs Analysis (TNA) using job analysis, performance reviews and business priorities
• Develop and implement the annual training plan and learning strategy
• Design and deliver customised development programmes including:
• Leadership and executive development
• Competency and capability frameworks
• Talent and mentorship programmes
• Lead the creation and rollout of career development programmes to support internal mobility and leadership readiness
• Stay abreast of global L&D trends and continuously enhance learning methodologies and tools

Training Operations & Delivery

• Oversee coordination of all training activities including scheduling, communications, logistics and evaluations
• Manage onboarding and orientation programmes for new joiners
• Prepare, implement and track Individual Development Plans (IDPs)
• Maintain accurate learning records, dashboards and training analytics
• Manage summer internships and student placement programmes
• Draft RFPs and manage vendor selection for external training providers
• Review and evaluate training effectiveness and continuously optimise learning solutions

Performance Management

• Lead the design, implementation and continuous improvement of the end-to-end performance management cycle
• Policies, processes, timelines, scoring and calibration
• Manage the annual performance appraisal cycle across the organisation
• Partner with managers to address performance gaps and improvement areas
• Support the development and monitoring of Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs)
• Support recognition and reward initiatives in collaboration with Compensation & Benefits teams

Succession Planning & Talent Development

• Design and maintain a transparent career pathing and internal mobility framework
• Establish and manage the organisational succession planning framework
• Identify critical roles and build internal successor pipelines
• Work with business leaders to identify high-potential talent
• Define development pathways for successors to ensure leadership continuity
• Ensure succession plans are aligned with wider talent and workforce strategies

Stakeholder Management & Reporting

• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders across all business units
• Partner with HR, Talent and Leadership teams to align development initiatives
• Manage relationships with local and international training providers
• Prepare accurate and timely reports, insights and analytics for leadership
• Support positioning the organisation as an employer of choice through strong people development practices

Leadership & Governance

• Provide guidance, coaching and on-the-job development for junior team members
• Promote organisational values, ethics and a high-performance culture
• Support policy development and continuous improvement initiatives
• Ensure compliance with corporate governance, risk and business continuity frameworks

Mandatory requirements:

-Bachelors degree minimum qualifications

-Candidates preferred who are already in Abu Dhabi or willing to relocate

-Extensive experience in succession planning

-Minimum of 8 years experience in L&D