Learning and Talent Consultants
| Posting date: | 18 September 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £44,590 per year |
| Additional salary information: | A pension contribution of 28.97% based on the listed salary. |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 18 October 2025 |
| Location: | London, UK |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | Ministry of Defence |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 423653 |
Summary
Context for the roles
There are two roles available in our LEAD (leadership, engagement, attraction and development) sub-directorate of HR. We work as a team of teams, recognising our work is all connected in service of the organisation. One role has a focus on Senior Civil Service (SCS) management including talent and performance management, SCS talent schemes and SCS learning. The other role has a focus on Professions, working to cohere the voice of profession stakeholders and frontline L&D leads and ensuring activities meet departmental needs, while supporting the implementation of key HR projects. At the heart of talent, learning and development you will be ensuring and enabling the right people in Defence have the right skills and at the right time to have the most impact in meeting the future aspirations, goals and objectives of The Civil Service today and into the future.
Who is suitable for these roles?
These roles will suit those already embedded in the people profession, especially those with experience of learning and talent development, either from working in a centre of excellence or closely with the specialism such as through business partnering or being responsible for professional and workforce capability.
It is important to read the role profile thoroughly to understand these roles are not about delivering training or supporting people individually but working at an enterprise level to provide services across a large and complex organisation of multiple customer groups.
Defence context
Defence is a large and complex organisation. LEAD and this role sit within the HR Directorate in our Department of State (DOS). We work across all of Defence covering c. 55,000 civil servants. Our main focus is on civil servants; however, we think and do whole force work (to include our armed forces colleagues) where it makes sense. For example, in delivery of training for line managers, as a lot of our civil servants are managed by an armed forces colleague.
There are other HR teams in Defence concerned with their local business areas. For example, our digital function has HR people responsible for talent acquisition, recognising the need for local and targeted support. There are also local HR teams in the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force Headquarters that contain business partners and other HR experts. We work with them as a community of practice.
Defence is undergoing a Reform programme, which is driving significant amounts of change, including to how the people function operates. It’s an exciting time and our team plays a vital part in enabling successful change. For example, by ensuring we capture data on our workforce capability and use it to inform our talent plans and development interventions.
Key responsibilities
For all roles
Develop and maintain strong working relationships between Civilian HR and our stakeholders in the business including business policy leads
Use project management methodologies to drive forward our change agenda
Use consultancy techniques to continuously improve the way we work
Contribute towards Defence’s diversity and inclusion agenda by ensuring inclusion is at the heart of decision making
Playing an active role in wider LEAD initiatives, such as shaping how we work together in the future workplace
Experience delivering changes and improvements to processes, identifying innovative solutions to meet user needs, whilst recognising the need for simplicity and efficiency.
Specifically for the roles in Capabilities Team
Engage with our internal and cross-government stakeholders to ensure a L&D and Professions offer across the business that meets the requirements.
Develop agile and ongoing approaches and plans for addressing our capability gaps across the functions, professions and the wider Defence community.
Support in the ongoing design and implementation of capability strategies and/or initiatives to support workforce planning and/or attraction, development, and retention of diverse talent across Defence.
Support the design and implementation of projects (such as implementation of our Pan Defence Skills Framework and a new HR system), working to cohere the voice of profession stakeholders and frontline L&D leads.
Engage with the pan-Defence professions and drive forward this important agenda.
Develop and maintain the Capability and Learning and Development (CAL) strategy, policy and leading on key comms and engagement for CAL activity.
Specifically for the roles in Senior Civil Service (SCS) HR Team
Lead the department’s corporate development offer for the SCS.
Lead requirements for x-govt SCS talent and development programmes, working with Government People Group in the Cabinet Office to develop a streamlined process and excellent customer experience for those on the programmes.
Lead the department’s requirements for selection for internal SCS development programmes, working with programme sponsors.
Manage the central SCS Coaching offer.
Support the design and implementation of departmental projects such as Defence HR Systems (DefHRs)
Carry out all exit interviews for the SCS to ensure data is reviewed internally and actions are taken appropriately. SCS Exit Data collated regularly to meet Cabinet Offices quarterly return.
Lead on SCS Induction policy including meeting all new SCS starters.
Remote working within this role is something that can be discussed at interview stages or with your future line manager if you are found successful.
Please note, candidates will be redirected to the Civil Service Jobs website where you will need to submit your application form. Please note the closing date above is incorrect and cannot be amended so please check the closing date on Civil Service Jobs and allow enough time to submit your application form.
There are two roles available in our LEAD (leadership, engagement, attraction and development) sub-directorate of HR. We work as a team of teams, recognising our work is all connected in service of the organisation. One role has a focus on Senior Civil Service (SCS) management including talent and performance management, SCS talent schemes and SCS learning. The other role has a focus on Professions, working to cohere the voice of profession stakeholders and frontline L&D leads and ensuring activities meet departmental needs, while supporting the implementation of key HR projects. At the heart of talent, learning and development you will be ensuring and enabling the right people in Defence have the right skills and at the right time to have the most impact in meeting the future aspirations, goals and objectives of The Civil Service today and into the future.
Who is suitable for these roles?
These roles will suit those already embedded in the people profession, especially those with experience of learning and talent development, either from working in a centre of excellence or closely with the specialism such as through business partnering or being responsible for professional and workforce capability.
It is important to read the role profile thoroughly to understand these roles are not about delivering training or supporting people individually but working at an enterprise level to provide services across a large and complex organisation of multiple customer groups.
Defence context
Defence is a large and complex organisation. LEAD and this role sit within the HR Directorate in our Department of State (DOS). We work across all of Defence covering c. 55,000 civil servants. Our main focus is on civil servants; however, we think and do whole force work (to include our armed forces colleagues) where it makes sense. For example, in delivery of training for line managers, as a lot of our civil servants are managed by an armed forces colleague.
There are other HR teams in Defence concerned with their local business areas. For example, our digital function has HR people responsible for talent acquisition, recognising the need for local and targeted support. There are also local HR teams in the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force Headquarters that contain business partners and other HR experts. We work with them as a community of practice.
Defence is undergoing a Reform programme, which is driving significant amounts of change, including to how the people function operates. It’s an exciting time and our team plays a vital part in enabling successful change. For example, by ensuring we capture data on our workforce capability and use it to inform our talent plans and development interventions.
Key responsibilities
For all roles
Develop and maintain strong working relationships between Civilian HR and our stakeholders in the business including business policy leads
Use project management methodologies to drive forward our change agenda
Use consultancy techniques to continuously improve the way we work
Contribute towards Defence’s diversity and inclusion agenda by ensuring inclusion is at the heart of decision making
Playing an active role in wider LEAD initiatives, such as shaping how we work together in the future workplace
Experience delivering changes and improvements to processes, identifying innovative solutions to meet user needs, whilst recognising the need for simplicity and efficiency.
Specifically for the roles in Capabilities Team
Engage with our internal and cross-government stakeholders to ensure a L&D and Professions offer across the business that meets the requirements.
Develop agile and ongoing approaches and plans for addressing our capability gaps across the functions, professions and the wider Defence community.
Support in the ongoing design and implementation of capability strategies and/or initiatives to support workforce planning and/or attraction, development, and retention of diverse talent across Defence.
Support the design and implementation of projects (such as implementation of our Pan Defence Skills Framework and a new HR system), working to cohere the voice of profession stakeholders and frontline L&D leads.
Engage with the pan-Defence professions and drive forward this important agenda.
Develop and maintain the Capability and Learning and Development (CAL) strategy, policy and leading on key comms and engagement for CAL activity.
Specifically for the roles in Senior Civil Service (SCS) HR Team
Lead the department’s corporate development offer for the SCS.
Lead requirements for x-govt SCS talent and development programmes, working with Government People Group in the Cabinet Office to develop a streamlined process and excellent customer experience for those on the programmes.
Lead the department’s requirements for selection for internal SCS development programmes, working with programme sponsors.
Manage the central SCS Coaching offer.
Support the design and implementation of departmental projects such as Defence HR Systems (DefHRs)
Carry out all exit interviews for the SCS to ensure data is reviewed internally and actions are taken appropriately. SCS Exit Data collated regularly to meet Cabinet Offices quarterly return.
Lead on SCS Induction policy including meeting all new SCS starters.
Remote working within this role is something that can be discussed at interview stages or with your future line manager if you are found successful.
Please note, candidates will be redirected to the Civil Service Jobs website where you will need to submit your application form. Please note the closing date above is incorrect and cannot be amended so please check the closing date on Civil Service Jobs and allow enough time to submit your application form.