Senior Learning and Development Specialist in Cambridge

Location: Cambridge, UK – This position can accommodate flexible working options. However, candidates must be based (or be willing to relocate) within a comfortable commuting distance of our Cambridge office to be able to attend the office as required.

Shape and deliver an outstanding Learning and Development strategy in line with the needs of an established and growing games business. You will focus on identifying skills and capability needs, designing the right learning solutions, and bringing them to life in engaging, modern formats, from bitesize Slack nudges to curated pathways and partner led programmes. A big part of your impact will come from strengthening how we manage performance, building everyday coaching habits and giving leaders practical tools and confidence so they can get the very best from their teams. You will also take the lead on establishing and leveraging the UK apprenticeship levy internally, working closely with the Talent Acquisition team to build a cohesive early careers approach that supports progression, builds critical capabilities and makes smart use of our levy funds. You will manage external L&D providers, work closely with internal stakeholders to build targeted in-house solutions, and act as a proactive connector who keeps initiatives aligned, impactful and grounded in what people really need. Strong experience of digital platforms is also needed for this role to be successful, for example Microsoft Teams, Slack and learning platforms.

Team placement: Employee Experience & Internal Comms within People & Culture (partners closely with HRBPs and wider P&C).

You’ll work with: HRBPs, Senior HR Advisor (SHRA), HR Operations, Talent Acquisition, Senior Leadership and Management, Finance, External L&D and apprenticeship partners and providers.

Responsibilities

• Skills, capability and L&D planning
  • Partner with HRBPs, senior leaders and managers to identify skills and capability needs across teams and disciplines.
  • Use data from our HRIS, Bob, and other sources to shape a quarterly and annual L&D roadmap.
  • Remain up to date on industry best practice to prioritise where learning and development can have the biggest impact, recommending clear focus areas.
  • Identify priorities around leadership, coaching and performance management, ensuring these are built into the roadmap.
• Design and delivery of progressive learning solutions
  • Complete learning needs analyses and translate into targeted learning solutions using a mix of formats, from micro learning and nudges to curated pathways, peer learning solutions and workshops.
  • Liaise with internal subject matter experts to concrete relevant in-house content and experiences that fit with our ways of working and values.
  • Commission, brief and assess external providers, ensuring learning outcomes, measures of success and Jagex culture are at the heart of any solutions implemented.
  • Deliver internal learning sessions where appropriate, for example using the learning management system.
  • Embed learning in the flow of work so that experiences feel bite sized, timely and practical, not just “another course”.
• Establish and lead our approach to the UK apprenticeship levy
  • Work with Talent Acquisition, Finance and business leaders to identify priority roles and pathways.
  • Select and manage providers.
  • Integrate apprenticeships into our wider early careers and capability strategy.
  • Track uptake, quality and impact to ensure we make smart, compliant use of levy funds.
• Coaching, performance and leadership development
  • Partner with HRBPs and leaders to strengthen our approach to performance management, making it clearer, more timely and easier to engage with.
  • Design and deliver practical support for managers to build everyday coaching habits, including giving feedback, holding great one to ones and supporting growth.
  • Curate and create resources, toolkits and learning experiences that help leaders do their best work with their teams.
  • Gather feedback from leaders and employees to iterate on our approach and ensure it is driving meaningful behaviour change.
• Manage and report on mandatory training
  • Partner with Finance, Legal, Cyber Security and P&C leads to ensure completion of mandatory training programmes, for example Cyber, Health and Safety and compliance related training.
  • Implement and own regular reporting on completion to ensure business wide compliance.
• Budget management
  • Own L&D budgets, managing spend in partnership with Finance; tracking ROI and making clear, data informed recommendations on where to invest or reallocate.
• Stakeholder and provider management
  • Act as a proactive point of contact for L&D, setting expectations, updating stakeholders and problem solving to remove blockers.
  • Own relationships with external L&D vendors, from selection and scoping to contracting and renewal, feedback and continuous improvement.
  • Ensure key stakeholders are aligned on priorities, timelines, measurement and messaging.
• Insight, experimentation and continuous improvement
  • Help define and track success metrics for L&D, including participation, feedback, behaviour change and impact on key people metrics.
  • Use data and qualitative insight to refine programmes, retire what is not working and experiment with new, industry leading development opportunities.
  • Maintain simple, useful documentation, tools and templates so managers and employees can self-serve where possible.

How success is measured:

• Clear, prioritised L&D roadmap aligned to business and capability needs, reviewed regularly with key stakeholders.
• Quality and impact of learning solutions, evidenced by feedback, application on the job and improvements in priority capability areas.
• Measurable improvement in the quality of performance and development conversations and increased leader confidence in managing and coaching their teams.
• Engagement with progressive learning formats and channels, including uptake of micro learning and Slack based content.
• Stakeholder feedback on responsiveness, collaboration and proactivity across HRBPs, senior leadership, managers and external providers.
• Delivery to plan: programmes and campaigns launched on time and within budget, with risks surfaced early and managed collaboratively.

What we’re looking for:

• Significant experience (typically 5+ years) in L&D, with hands on responsibility for needs analysis, solution design and evaluation.
• Experience working with the apprenticeship levy and launching apprenticeships.
• Experience working in a small or scaling organisation, ideally in Games or tech, where you have had to be both strategic and hands on.
• A strong track record of managing stakeholders at different levels, from individual contributors to senior leaders.
• Experience managing external L&D providers and vendors, including scoping, contracting, quality assurance and evaluation.
• Experience designing and delivering progressive learning solutions, not just classroom or webinar formats: for example, micro learning, peer learning, self-directed pathways, digital resources and nudges.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability and want to work from the Cambridge office on a regular basis (at least twice a fortnight) to build relationships and stay close to business priorities.
• Experience with learning platforms, HRIS and collaboration tools (for example Learning 360, Bob, Slack, Miro, Microsoft Teams, Confluence).
• Facilitation experience, for example running workshops, manager sessions or learning communities.
• Previous involvement in levelling up the L&D experience in a growing organisation.

What we offer:

• When you join Jagex you can look forward to a generous Perks & Benefits package including:
• Private Healthcare, including Dental Plan.
• Minimum 6% Pension contributions.
• Employee Assistance Programme & Mental Health programmes.
• Life Insurance.
• Discretionary annual performance bonus.
• Enhanced family leave policies from day 1.
• Flexible working hours.
• 25 days annual leave.