Head of learning

Band 8a · Learning and development specialist · 560 job evaluation points

Leads learning and development across the organisation, setting the learning strategy and managing the learning team, budget, and systems.

Responsibilities

Set the organisation's learning strategy, linked to the people strategy and workforce plan.
Lead and manage the learning and development team and its services, including mandatory training and the learning management system.
Hold the learning budget, including apprenticeship funds and external training spend.
Report learning activity, compliance, and impact to executive committees.
Lead leadership and management development programmes with organisational development colleagues.
Make sure learning is accessible, inclusive, and available to staff on every shift.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Learning design and deliveryThis reference	Expert (4)	You can: set the organisation's learning strategy and standards lead the learning offer, its technology, and its funding show the return on the organisation's investment in learning
Skills frameworks and career pathwaysThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: run skills gap analysis for a team or profession and report the results design career pathways and development routes using framework levels use framework skills to write consistent job descriptions and assessments
Organisational developmentThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: diagnose organisational issues and design interventions to address them lead team development, leadership development, and engagement programmes evaluate the effect of interventions using evidence
People strategy and HR leadershipThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: write and lead people plans for a directorate in line with the people strategy advise senior leaders on people risks and priorities lead part of the HR function, setting its standards and priorities
Capability building for digital, data and technologyUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	Senior leadership skill: the UK GDaD PCF defines it with one statement, not by level. You can: Examples of leadership using this skill: guide the organisation to ensure it has the specialist digital, data and technology skills it needs develop organisational processes and ways of working so that digital and data roles you support can thrive continuously improve and optimise the organisational environment prioritising capability needs that will have the most impact negotiating for longer-term investment in people by articulating the risks and benefits of different staffing strategies advocating for good practice in ways of working and supporting people to adopt this practice growing digital and data communities
Leadership and guidanceUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: make decisions characterised by medium levels of risk and complexity and recommend decisions as risk and complexity increase build consensus between services or independent stakeholders identify problems or issues in the team dynamic and rectify them engage in varying types of feedback, choosing the right type at the appropriate time and ensuring the discussion and decision stick bring people together to form a motivated team and help create the right environment for a team to work in facilitate the best team makeup depending on the situation
People managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: line manage a team, setting objectives and running appraisals support wellbeing and manage attendance, performance, and conduct plan the team's development and succession
Budget managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: hold and manage a budget, forecasting and explaining variances build a business case with costs and benefits
Equality, diversity, and inclusionThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: carry out equality impact assessments build inclusive teams and practices

Typical qualifications and experience

A recognised learning and development or HR professional qualification at advanced level, or a master's degree in a related subject, or equivalent experience.
Extensive experience of leading learning services.

Band 8a outline

Knowledge: Expert knowledge of a discipline and its management.
Autonomy: Interprets organisational policy for a service; sets the team's direction.
Scope: A service area or a discipline across the organisation.
Leadership: Manages a team, or leads a discipline without line management.
Accountability: A service area, its staff, and its budget.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	5	Gives highly complex or contentious information needing developed persuasion and negotiation, presents to large groups, or communicates where there are significant barriers to acceptance.	45
Knowledge, training, and experience	7	Highly developed specialist knowledge across the range of the specialism (master's level or equivalent).	196
Analytical and judgemental skills	5	Judgements on highly complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	60
Planning and organisational skills	4	Plans a broad range of complex activities or strategies, adjusting them as needed.	42
Physical skills	2	Skills gained through practice, such as standard keyboard use or driving.	15
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	4	Implements policy and develops policy or services for a service or several areas.	32
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	3	Authorises payments, buys some assets or supplies, monitors or holds a delegated budget, or maintains assets.	21
Responsibility for people	5	Line manages several departments, or manages training or a large part of HR across the organisation.	45
Responsibility for information resources	3	Takes formal minutes, regularly writes reports or queries, or maintains information systems as a significant duty.	16
Responsibility for research and development	2	Regularly does research, development, trials, or equipment and system testing as part of the job.	12
Freedom to act	5	Works within general policies, and in most cases decides how to interpret them.	45
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	3	Frequent concentration on unpredictable work, or occasional prolonged concentration.	12
Emotional effort	1	Rare exposure, or occasional indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	5
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 8a: 540 to 584)			560

People is level 5 because the job manages training across the organisation.