Head of Learning & Development

Talent, Support, Success.

FBD is Ireland’s largest homegrown insurer, supporting consumers, farmers, and businesses nationwide for over 60 years. With a local network of 34 branches and a commitment to genuine customer service, we are uniquely positioned to meet our customers’ needs.

As an Irish-owned company, we take pride in fostering an inclusive environment, evidenced by our Gold Accreditation from Investors in Diversity (IiD) through the Irish Centre for Diversity. Our culture values work-life balance and creates a friendly atmosphere where our people can thrive, feel valued and contribute to achieving FBD’s strategic goals.

About the Role

Reporting to the CHRO, the Head of Learning & Development (L&D) is responsible for leading the organisation's learning, leadership and capability agenda, ensuring that learning and development initiatives support FBD's strategic objectives and business priorities. The role partners with senior leaders across the organisation to develop workforce capability, build leadership effectiveness and create a culture of continuous learning and professional development.

The role provides strategic oversight of all learning and development activities, ensuring a consistent, effective and future-focused approach to capability building, leadership development, succession planning and regulatory learning requirements.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver the Learning & Development strategy in support of organisational priorities and the HR Strategic Plan.
• Partner with Executive and senior leadership teams to identify capability requirements and development priorities.
• Lead the design and implementation of leadership, management and professional development programmes.
• Oversee organisational capability frameworks and development pathways to support career growth and succession planning.
• Ensure learning solutions are aligned to business objectives, regulatory requirements and best practice.
• Drive innovation in learning methodologies, technologies and digital learning solutions.
• Oversee the effective governance and utilisation of the Learning Management System and learning technologies.
• Ensure all regulatory and mandatory learning requirements are delivered and appropriately monitored.
• Provide leadership and direction to the Learning & Development team, supporting high performance and continuous improvement.
• Manage external learning providers and strategic partnerships to ensure quality and value for money.
• Monitor and report on learning activity, outcomes and business impact using appropriate metrics and insights.
• Work collaboratively across HR and the wider business to support organisational change, transformation and employee development initiatives.
• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders and act as the subject matter expert on learning, leadership and capability development.
• Lead learning-related projects and initiatives as required.
• Any other duties/responsibilities that may reasonably be assigned to support the delivery of strategy.

Education

• Third-level qualification in Human Resources, Learning & Development, Business, Psychology or a related discipline.
• Professional qualification in Learning & Development, Coaching, Organisational Development or a related field is desirable.
• A recognised Insurance qualification although not essential would be an advantage. .

Experiences

• Minimum 5 years experience in a similar role leading a Learning & Development, Talent Development or Organisational Development function.
• Experience working in a similar role in a similar regulated financial services environemnt would be an advantage.
• Proven experience developing and implementing organisation-wide learning strategies.
• Demonstrated experience working with senior leadership teams to drive business outcomes through learning and capability initiatives.
• Strong experience in leadership development, organisational change and capability building.
• Experience managing learning technologies and digital learning solutions.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, suppliers and external learning partners.
• Strong communication, facilitation and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience working within a regulated environment is desirable.
• A strategic thinker with a proactive and collaborative approach and a focus on delivering measurable business outcomes.

Competencies

Learning & Development Leadership

Provides strategic direction for learning and capability development. Demonstrates expertise across the full learning lifecycle, including capability planning, learning design, implementation and evaluation.

Strategic Thinking

Anticipates future capability needs and aligns learning initiatives to organisational goals and business priorities.

Leading Others

Creates an environment where individuals and teams can perform at their best. Develops capability, empowers others and fosters accountability and high performance.

Planning & Organising

Effectively plans and prioritises resources and activities to deliver business objectives and strategic outcomes.

Communicating Effectively

Communicates clearly and credibly with stakeholders at all levels, influencing decisions and building commitment to learning and development initiatives.

Cultivating Relationships

Builds productive relationships across the organisation, fostering collaboration and partnership to achieve shared goals.

Continuous Improvement Through Innovation

Champions innovation and continuous improvement, leveraging new approaches, technologies and insights to enhance learning effectiveness.

Customer Focus

Understands the needs of internal stakeholders and ensures learning solutions deliver measurable value to the business.

Our Benefits Include:

• Competitive performance-related bonus

• Employer pension contributions

• Private health insurance allowance

• Paid maternity and paternity leave

• Discounts on insurance: 50% off private car and home insurance, 30% off travel insurance

• Professional Development Opportunities

• Wellness wallet and wellbeing initiatives

• Monthly lunch allowance*

• Hybrid working model: 3 days from home, 2 days in the office*

*Location dependant

MCC

This is not an MCC role. However, the role is responsible for overseeing compliance with MCC learning requirements across relevant business areas.