Head of Learning & Development in Bristol

We’re BDO, an accountancy and business advisory firm providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world. We work with companies that are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high growth businesses that fuel the economy – and directly advise the owners and management teams leading them.

Learning and Development (L&D) is more than just a function; it’s a key enabler of our people strategy. It supports our ability to attract, develop and retain talented people who take pride in their work and successfully deliver for our business. Effective L&D underpins quality and productivity by supporting our people to develop the necessary knowledge and skills to perform their work, helping them reach their personal and professional potential.

Our firmwide L&D function works hand-in-hand with the business to pinpoint and address learning needs, developing and delivering innovative, high-quality and commercially viable learning and development opportunities that enable both individual growth of our people and achievement of our firm’s strategic priorities, all whilst adhering to the regulatory standards expected of us as a professional services firm.

Our goal is to cultivate a learning culture that equips our people with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve their personal and professional aspirations alongside delivering excellence for our clients. Our team of L&D professionals spans across a number of BDO offices, with a significant presence in our vibrant London office. Regular travel to London and other locations will be required.

The Head of L&D role is a senior leadership role responsible for managing the firmwide L&D function. Initially, the role will primarily focus on supporting the Audit stream, with a view to expanding across other streams over time, with future activities informed by a detailed learning needs analysis exercise to be performed shortly. Reporting to the Director of L&D, this role involves collaborating with other central teams to deliver effective, high-quality learning aligned with strategic priorities.

You’ll be someone who is comfortable working proactively and managing your own tasks as well as confident collaborating with others and communicating regularly with Senior Managers, Directors, and BDO’s Partners. You’ll help deliver accurate and transparent reporting to all relevant stakeholders as you provide long term value.

Responsibilities:

• Leading the day-to-day operations of the L&D function, collaborating with the Head of Professional Qualification, Head of Talent & Leadership and other people teams to ensure our learning offering is cohesive and aligned with strategic objectives.
• Developing and maintaining L&D curriculums (firmwide and stream-wide), informed by the learning needs analysis, including core technical learning, skill learning, milestone programmes and ad hoc programmes.
• Managing priorities to ensure delivery of agreed curriculums on time and to expected quality standards.
• Supporting with regulatory compliance including developing responses to formal and informal queries and directly engaging with the firm’s regulators where needed.
• Ongoing engagement with central teams and the individual streams to identify emerging L&D needs and develop effective responses.
• Maintaining quality assurance procedures for learning and development across BDO.
• Overseeing the operation of systems, controls and processes across the learning cycle.
• Establishing metrics to measure learning effectiveness and managing risk.
• Handling budgeting and ongoing financial management.
• Bringing innovation, tools and the latest design thinking into our learning offering.
• Advocating L&D activities and promoting a strong learning culture.

You’ll be someone who has experience as a Senior Manager, preferably with a Learning & Development background, and a strong understanding of Audit and the regulatory environment. You should have the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders and suppliers, proven ability to influence and drive forward strategic projects, strong project management skills, critical thinking and pragmatic problem-solving skills, and a commitment to quality and excellence in delivery.

At BDO, we’ll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development. Mutual support and respect are one of BDO’s core values, and we’re proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture.

We know that collaboration is the key to creating value and satisfying experiences at work, so we’ve invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices. BDO’s people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we’ll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences.