Learning & Development Business Partner (12-month FTC)

We are a leading European intellectual property firm, advising some of the world’s most innovative and successful companies. Together, we help to improve lives by supporting innovation. We hire talented and passionate people who think creatively and enjoy a challenge. Working collaboratively, we share our knowledge and experience across teams, actively learning from each other in a friendly and sociable environment. We are passionate about creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. Diversity of thought is vital to our business; it’s how we approach challenges differently and offer our clients creative and original solutions. Through our work with organisations such as IP Inclusive, Stonewall and Business in the Community via the Race at Work Charter, we are putting the right steps in place to make sure that all our people feel supported and empowered to be themselves. Further information on our commitment to diversity and inclusion is available on our website.

A healthy work/life balance is very important to us, and we run regular wellbeing events in addition to the large number of clubs and social activities that are available to everyone at the firm. We are also enthusiastic supporters of our local community through partnerships with the Social Mobility Foundation and Holborn Community Association.

This is a fixed term role covering maternity leave. We are looking for an experienced Learning & Development professional to drive impactful learning and capability initiatives for Senior Associates, Counsel, and Business Services teams, with a strong emphasis on leadership development and competency frameworks. This is a hands-on, advisory role with responsibility for end-to-end design and delivery of programmes that shape the firm’s future leaders. Working closely with senior stakeholders including Partners and Senior Business Services Leaders, you will have the opportunity to make a tangible difference to capability development across the firm.

This is a well-established role with strong visibility across the Fee-Earner and Business Services areas and requires excellent presentation, organisational, prioritisation, and stakeholder management skills. You will also have close collaboration with the Early Careers L&D BP, People Partners, Systems & Data Specialist, Knowledge Management and Business Services Leaders to ensure a clear career-stage learning alignment. There will be ad-hoc support to broader people initiatives as required (e.g., internships, inductions, events).

Summary Of Key Responsibilities

• Business Partnering & Advisory to Practice Group leaders and Business Services leaders/managers to identify L&D needs for post-qualification fee earners and support teams
• Provide guidance and coaching to managers on development approaches, skills gaps and team capability
• External vendor management ensuring effective delivery and value for coaching and internal programmes
• Translate business priorities into practical, deliverable learning solutions
• Monitor and evaluate engagement and participation of learning initiatives
• End-to-end project management of learning programmes & delivery including:

• Management and leadership development
• Career Development Frameworks (with wider project team)
• Professional and commercial skills (milestone programmes for Senior Associates, Counsel and Business Services)
• Compliance and regulatory training including practicing certificate renewals
• Coaching
• LMS Management
• External Training Requests
• Maintain programme quality and relevance to firm and market needs
• Support induction and onboarding initiatives for assigned populations

Skills And Experience We’re Looking For

• Confidently present to senior audiences (Partners and Business Services Leaders)
• Exposure to talent management, leadership development programmes and career frameworks
• Programme design experience
• Requires strong written and verbal communication skills
• Experience in LMS Management (Cornerstone or similar)
• CIPD qualification (or equivalent), or relevant professional qualification
• High integrity, discretion, and professionalism
• Self-starter, able to work independently and manage multiple priorities

The recruitment process

Applicants can expect a welcoming two-way interview process, where there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions about the opportunity and to discover more about life at the firm. Typically, there will be two stages consisting of the following:

• Interview with Head of People and L&D BP (we will be asking you to talk us through an example of end-to-end leadership programme/initiatives design and delivery)
• Interview with a Partner and Business Services Leader

We’re committed to ensuring all candidates are treated equally and fairly, allowing them to perform at their best during the recruitment process. If you have a disability, if you’re neurodivergent, or if you have a condition that you believe may affect your performance during our recruitment process, we encourage you to share your requirements for any adjustments in the relevant section of our application form, or via your recruitment agency. A member of our recruitment team will be in touch to discuss how best we can support you during each stage of the process.

Examples Of Adjustments May Include

• allowing extra time for assessments.
• providing some extra information about what to expect.
• additional rest breaks.
• adjusting room setup.
• a time of day that works for you.

What We Offer

We offer a competitive benefits package that currently includes the following:

• 25 days’ holiday, increasing by 1 day per year up to our maximum of 28 days.
• Employer pension contribution of 5% in your first year, with a minimum 3% employee contribution, increasing to 10% employer contribution after one year’s service.
• Holiday buy scheme, with the option to purchase up to 5 additional days.
• Holiday bonus, starting at £400 per year, increasing each year up to a maximum of £2,000.
• Private medical insurance via Bupa, where you’ll be eligible to join the month following your start date. You will also have the option to add dependants, subject to a monthly cost.
• Free confidential access to 24/7 medical, mental, legal and financial wellbeing support via Health Assured and WeCare from your first day of employment.
• Access to internal Mental Health First Aiders, all of whom have completed the Mental Health First Aid England accredited training programme and champion wellbeing across the firm.
• Life assurance of 4x your base salary.
• Income protection, with cover for up to 5 years and compensating for up to 75% of your base salary.
• Cycle2Work scheme.
• Season ticket loan.
• Access to Payroll Giving or GiveAsYou Earn (GAYE) which allows you to donate to charity through your monthly pay.
• We’re passionate about the benefits of corporate volunteering and offer all employees 1 paid volunteer day per year.
• We’re very proud of our collegiate culture and the value that working together brings. Through our commitment to enabling everyone to do their best work, we offer a range of family and life-friendly policies.
• This includes competitive enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, surrogacy and shared parental leave schemes, if you’ve been with us for at least 26 weeks. Furthermore, our fertility policy aims to assist employees with both the logistical and emotional aspects of undergoing fertility treatment. This includes paid leave of up to five days for fertility treatment.
• We also recognise the needs of balancing home life around the requirements of your role. Depending on the work you do and your team, we offer informal arrangements such as hybrid and agile working, as well as more formal arrangements such as flexible hours and part-time working. We’re very happy to discuss flexible and life-friendly working options during the recruitment process and upon joining us.

We are proud of our inclusive culture where individual differences are celebrated, and we are committed to providing equal opportunities to all employees and job applicants. We do not tolerate discrimination either directly or indirectly on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, age, disability, pregnancy and maternity, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our approach is embodied in our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, as well as our diversity and inclusion programmes.

Please note that we do not accept unsolicited CVs or speculative approaches from recruitment agencies unless they have been explicitly instructed on this vacancy by a member of our recruitment team.