Talent Development Operations Lead in Manchester

At MAG we provide the airport facilities and travel services that people need to connect with the world. As the largest UK owned airport operator, we serve over 60 million passengers a year from Manchester, London Stansted, and East Midlands Airports. With over 270 destinations across the globe, our businesses not only bring people together but also support the prosperity of the regions in which we operate. Sustainability is one of our core values, and it shapes everything we do. We’re committed to protecting the environment and supporting our local communities. Our programmes include airport and airline decarbonisation, comprehensive education, skills and employment support and community engagement initiatives including volunteering opportunities.

At MAG, we recognise creating a first‑class journey for our customers starts by creating a first‑class development journey for our colleagues and we are committed to building inclusive environments in which our people can learn and thrive.

• Free parking
• Subsidised public transport
• Huge range of company discounts
• 2 volunteering days per year
• Free Virtual GP service, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• Care Concierge service

Are you passionate about making Talent Development impactful, and future‑ready? We’re looking for a Talent Development Operations Lead to join our Talent Development Centre of Excellence and help shape how we support, coach and develop our exceptional talent across our organisation. This is a strategic and hands‑on role where you’ll drive operational excellence, champion inclusive development practices, and harness the power of technology and data to deliver a best‑in‑class colleague experience. You’ll be instrumental in ensuring our development processes reflect our commitment to equity, diversity, and belonging—making MAG a place where everyone can thrive.

• Be a key leader – Oversee the planning, coordination, and execution of large‑scale talent development programmes, ensuring seamless delivery, stakeholder engagement, and operational excellence.
• Own and evolve our systems – Work collaboratively with the Talent Digital Optimisation Specialist to ensure the right systems, tools, and platforms are in place to enable scalable talent development solutions.
• Operational excellence – Support the Head of Talent Development to build operational excellence, project management and a continuous improvement mindset across the business.
• Use data to drive decisions – Optimise the use of strategic insight and data to inform decision‑making, programme design, and evaluation of talent and development initiatives.
• Make a difference – Translate complex data into clear, compelling insights and narratives that not only influence stakeholder buy‑in for new initiatives but also demonstrate the measurable impact and value delivered by the Talent Development function.

Supporting a workforce of 8,000+ colleagues across MAG. Measuring the effectiveness of the Talent Development function through key outputs such as enhancing operational efficiency, improving the learner experience, and equipping Talent Development Specialists with the necessary tools and training to support their key stakeholders. Enhancing operational, learning experience, and development programme quality. Driving measurable improvements in diversity outcomes and embedding inclusive practices across the development lifecycle.

• Prioritising talent initiatives based on business goals, resource availability and impact potential.
• Allocating resources across programmes, platforms, and partnerships to maximise ROI.
• Defining success metrics and deciding how to measure the effectiveness of development programmes.
• Setting operational standards to ensure consistency, scalability, and compliance.
• Evaluating systems and processes to support a skills‑based approach and future‑readiness.

This is more than a job—it’s a chance to lead meaningful change. If you’re passionate about developing Talent to drive performance and engagement, operational excellence, and making a real impact, we want to hear from you.