Learning And Development Manager

The Role

About EQ

EQ Accountants is an accounting, taxation, audit, and business advisory practice based in Scotland and offering the full spectrum of solutions to meet our clients financial practice needs. Our specialisms include Agriculture, Engineering and Manufacturing, Healthcare, Leisure, Professions, Property and Construction, Technology and Charities.

We have offices in Dundee, Forfar and Glenrothes, and each of our employees are committed to utilising their financial and business expertise to inspire, support and encourage our clients to create their vision and realise their ambitions.

We have been supporting our clients since the early 1990s, but there has never been a more interesting or important time to join us.

Joining the EQ team at this juncture is an exciting opportunity propelled by the recent investment from Sumer Group. With an ambitious plan to triple turnover within the next five years, EQ stands as a frontrunner in Scotland’s accountancy sector.

Bolstered by Sumer’s backing, EQ gains access to a vast network of over 1,000 colleagues across 40 offices while retaining the localised expertise of its core team.

Led by a dynamic leadership team and fuelled by strategic acquisitions, EQ is poised for growth. As part of this journey, EQ fosters a culture of development and empowerment, exemplified by employee-focussed initiatives.

Join EQ and be part of a transformative endeavour reshaping the landscape of UK accountancy.

As the Learning & Development Manager, your ability to shape, develop and deliver our talent, Learning and Development strategy, framework and resources that continuously supply new skills and capabilities to the firm and develop the knowledge and experience of our thriving team will be critical to our success.

Key responsibilities

• Learning and Development Framework – Help to shape, develop, and deliver the Learning and Development Strategy and policies that are aligned to the business objectives and continuously improve the capability of the employees at EQ Accountants.
• Map out all Learning and Development needs and align our L&D programmes, policies and resources making them easily accessible to each employee.
• Learning Journeys – Design, create and embed learning journeys and blended interactive resources that are fit for purpose at all levels across each area of the organisation.
• Work placements, Interns and Graduates – Ensure that the organisation attracts and retains a continuous supply of graduates, interns, and work placements by shaping, developing, and delivering annual work placements, internships, and graduate programmes.
• Leadership Development – Work in close partnership with managers and the team to assess capabilities, identify management learning needs, source learning solutions, create flexible learning programmes and facilitate learning interventions that equip all managers who allocate work to junior, senior, and supervisory level employees to be role models with confident and effective training, coaching and mentoring skills.
• Leverage our Learning and Development expertise and resources to support the firm through its planned cycle of change and growth plans.
• Talent Development – Lead on the firm’s annual or bi-annual performance and Development process and resources, engaging and training managers to hold productive reviews with their teams.
• Lead and facilitate the organisation’s annual or bi-annual talent development review and work with the Head of People and Culture to make sure the firm has robust succession plans for all critical roles.
• Technology – Innovate to introduce Learning and Development technology that helps employees to learn during the flow of their work and helps the firm to adapt and respond to the changing needs of the industry and our clients.
• Evaluation and reporting – Evaluating and report on the outcomes of our Learning and Development workstreams and measure the return on our investment in relation to employee productivity, efficiency, service, and overall business outcomes.
• Champion forward thinking Learning and Development initiatives that serve the firm’s strategic objectives.
• Monitor, control, and report on budgeting indicators on a monthly and annual basis.
• Evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of Learning and Development inputs, and provide data driven insights that maximise development and investment.

About you

• You’ll be the ‘go to person’ for all Learning and Development expertise and needs. This is a mid-to senior level role; therefore, ideally, you’ll have a qualification specific to Learning and Development or Human Resources Management; however, it’s important that you can demonstrate a successful track record that matches the requirements of the role set out above.
• Strong skills in supporting CPD, analysing capabilities, applying effective learning theories, delivering face to face and digital learning, using a range of learning facilitation methods, social collaborative learning, coaching, and mentoring, learner engagement, designing and developing learning content.
• An awareness of motivational and behavioural science would be useful in enabling the identification of current and future skill requirements within the organisation.
• Strategic thinking and the ability to anticipate and proactively mitigates issues before they become problems.
• Positivity and confidence in your abilities, but you’re also a kind, empathetic person with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience in supporting cross functional teams, leading on the implementation of Learning and Development objectives; and therefore, the ability to build positive working relationships with all team members in a conscientious and inclusive way that enables people to develop their capability easily.
• Computer literacy with knowledge and experience of practice management systems, learning management systems, off the shelf e-learning systems, HR software systems as well as the usual MS Office applications.
• Good attention to detail and the ability to effectively analyse and report on outcomes and issues.
• Demonstrable experience and achievements in creating great places to work and of driving a culture of continuous Learning and Development.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to maintain project management and work planning systems.
• Sound and up to date knowledge of learning development technology; and the ability to share this knowledge with colleagues.
• The expectation is that you’ll work across several business locations; therefore, your ability to travel independently to each of our office locations in Scotland is a must.

Benefits

We offer an inclusive culture that values, belonging, employee welfare and continuous improvement as critical aspects of our organisational performance. As well as ongoing Learning and Development opportunities and a career development programme, we offer a competitive salary and benefits package which includes:

• Private medical insurance.
• Life cover.
• Income protection.
• Financial planning consultation.
• Pension contribution scheme.
• Flexible working.
• Approved professional subscriptions.
• Enhanced annual leave.

Closing date: 22^nd March 2024

Interview dates: from the 27^th of March 2024

At EQ, we value each person’s uniqueness and we’re committed to creating an inclusive, fair workplace. We promote diversity and inclusion in employment, and we’ll make reasonable adjustments to ensure we provide an equitable experience for all candidates who are interested in applying for this position.