Head of Talent Development or Talent Development Manager (DOE)

Overview

Reporting into the Global People Director, the Head of Talent Development/Talent Development Manager (job title will be determined dependent on level of experience and qualifications) will be a core part of the People team. We are seeking someone experienced, strategic, and globally minded who will be responsible for leading the design, implementation, and continuous evolution of our global talent development strategy, including training courses, bite-size learning and workshops.

About Talon

At Talon, our mission is to unlock the full potential of out of home, making it more effective, creative, measurable and sustainable than ever.

We’re passionate about OOH and are on a mission to drive the growth of this sector within the media industry. In just over a decade, our desire to offer intelligent, creative, technology-led OOH solutions and a full-service OOH offering saw us grow into a team of over 450+ people located in key cities across the globe. In that time, we have been awarded for our approach to our people, our clients and our industry. We hire the finest talent to help us unlock the full potential of the Out of Home (OOH) environment for our clients; and pride ourselves on the individuals who represent our business.

The Role

This pivotal role will be responsible for shaping the future of our workforce by identifying emerging skills needs, designing clear and equitable career pathways, and delivering innovative, impactful development solutions across our global organisation.

You will champion a culture of continuous learning, leadership readiness, and career mobility, ensuring employees at all levels have access to high-quality learning experiences that drive both individual and organisational performance.

Operating in a standalone L&D capacity, you will partner closely with the rest of the People team (both People Partners and People Operations) functional Heads, and regional leadership teams, combining strategic vision with hands-on execution. You will be equally comfortable delivering and facilitating workshops, designing learning journeys and measuring impact through robust data and analytics.

This role also carries financial accountability, requiring the ability to maximise learning investments, effectively utilise the UK Apprenticeship Levy, negotiate with external providers, and work within allocated budgets to ensure strong ROI on all development initiatives.

A Day in the Life

You’ll seamlessly shift between facilitating engaging workshops and designing tailored learning journeys, while identifying skill gaps and building strong partnerships with external providers to deliver specialised content. This role blends strategic foresight with hands-on execution, placing you at the heart of how we develop talent. You’ll play a key role in shaping our learning culture and will use data and analytics to evaluate impact and continuously improve our development offerings.

What we’re looking for

• Extensive experience in Talent Development, Learning & Development, Organisational Development, preferably in complex, multi-region or global environments is essential.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing global development strategies that deliver measurable business outcomes.
• Strong expertise in career mapping, skills gap analysis, competency frameworks, and capability building.
• Experience creating and delivering leadership development and high-impact workshops.
• Coaching certification or demonstrable equivalent experience in executive/leadership coaching strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in Learning Management Systems (LMS) compulsory, with Kallidus experience advantageous.
• Strong knowledge of the UK Apprenticeship Levy and its application in structured learning programmes.
• Proven financial management skills, including budgeting, forecasting, ROI analysis, and cost optimisation in learning initiatives.
• Previous experience working with the IPA is desirable.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all organisational levels.
• High levels of business acumen, curiosity, and adaptability to rapidly changing contexts.
• Strategic Visioning: Shapes and communicates an ambitious, forward-thinking talent strategy.
• Change Leadership: Drives transformation, challenges outdated models, and champions innovative approaches to learning.
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: Creates psychologically safe learning environments, considering diverse perspectives and learning needs/support.
• Inclusive Leadership: Embeds equity and inclusion into all development initiatives.
• Coaching Mindset: Encourages growth through active listening, feedback, and empowerment.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Uses analytics and insights to inform priorities and measure impact.
• Learning Design Expertise: Creates scalable, engaging learning programmes based on adult learning and instructional design best practice.
• Global Agility: Operates effectively across cultures, adapting approaches without losing strategic consistency.
• Commercial Acumen: Demonstrates strong budget management skills, ensures ROI on L&D investment, and leverages available funding such as the Apprenticeship Levy for maximum impact.

Our Team

At Talon, our People Team is at the heart of everything we do, spanning both the UK and North America. We’re a dynamic, people-first team that lives and breathes our three core values — with “human” always front and centre. We’re collaborative, approachable, and committed to driving meaningful people initiatives, backed by strong support from the business.

Why Us

“The best thing about working at Talon is the space, time and expertise I’ve been given over the years to grow and develop my skills.” Client Director at Talon

Our Values

WE ARE BOLD

As industry provocateurs and pioneers, we respectfully challenge the status quo, take pride in our people, big ideas and partnerships.

• We challenge respectfully
• We lead the way

WE ARE HUMAN

We are a diverse collective of changemakers who value respect, fairness, and integrity and expect the same in return.

• We value collaboration and togetherness
• We are empathetic

WE ARE SMART

Our trailblazing spirit and learning centric culture ensures our knowledge provides maximum value to each other and our clients.

• We grow and learn
• We are trusted
• We are mission possible

Talon is an equal opportunities employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all individuals can thrive. We seek to employ and develop a workforce representative of the markets that we serve and brands that we represent.

Seniority level

• Director

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Training, Strategy/Planning, and General Business

Industries

• Advertising Services
• Marketing Services
• Technology, Information and Media

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