Learning and Development Lead

Job Description:

Learning & Development Lead – Apprenticeships & Early Careers

£40,000 – £45,000 + Exceptional Enhanced Benefits Package
4-day working week | Hybrid
Derby

Eaton Syalon are delighted to be partnering with a high-growth professional services SME to appoint a Learning & Development Lead, with a particular focus on owning and leading all apprenticeship programmes across the business.

This is a newly created role and a fantastic opportunity for an experienced L&D professional to take ownership, shape strategy and truly put their stamp on a growing organisation.

The Opportunity

The Learning & Development Lead will play a pivotal role in delivering the business’s early careers, apprenticeship and wider talent development strategy.

The organisation has grown both organically and through acquisition and is now investing in formalising and strengthening its learning and development offering. Apprenticeships are a key pillar of this strategy, and this role will act as the central point of ownership for all apprenticeship programmes, ensuring they are well designed, well managed and aligned to future capability needs.

Alongside apprenticeships, you’ll support the wider employee population through structured onboarding, ongoing development and future leadership capability.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the L&D lead for all apprenticeship programmes, including compliance, governance and ongoing development
• Own the coordination, progression and successful completion of professional qualification apprenticeship routes
• Partner with line managers and senior stakeholders to assess learning needs across induction, early careers and ongoing professional development
• Manage relationships with external training providers and apprenticeship partners, ensuring quality, value and strong outcomes
• Support managers and apprentices through training plans, reviews, gateway and end-point assessment
• Monitor, evaluate and continuously improve L&D and apprenticeship programmes using data, feedback and performance measures
• Contribute to the development of clear career pathways, capability frameworks and future leadership talent

About You

Proven experience within Learning & Development, with hands-on responsibility for apprenticeship programmes

• Experience within professional services (or a similar environment) is highly desirable
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to work across all levels of the business
• Comfortable taking ownership and working proactively
• Highly organised, adaptable and able to balance operational delivery with longer-term development planning

Why This Role?

• A newly created role with genuine autonomy and influence
• Clear ownership of the apprenticeship agenda within a growing organisation
• Opportunity to build structure, processes and programmes from the ground up
• Supportive leadership team and a people-first culture
• 4-day working week and flexible hybrid model