Director, Talent Development

Wood Mackenzie is the global leader in analytics, insights and proprietary data across the entire energy and natural resources landscape.

For over 50 years our work has guided the decisions of the world’s most influential energy producers, utilities companies, financial institutions and governments.

Now, with the world’s energy system more complex and interconnected than ever before, sector-specific views are no longer enough. That’s why we’ve redefined what’s possible with Intelligence Connected.

By fusing our unparalleled proprietary data with the sharpest analytical minds, all supercharged by Synoptic AI, we deliver a clear, interconnected view of the entire value chain. Our trusted team of 2,700 experts across 30 countries breaks siloes and connects industries, markets and regions across the globe.

This empowers our customers to identify risk sooner, spot opportunities faster and recalibrate strategy with confidence – whether planning days, weeks, months or decades ahead.

Wood Mackenzie
Intelligence Connected

WoodMac.com

Wood Mackenzie Brand Video

Wood Mackenzie Values

• Inclusive – we succeed together
• Trusting – we choose to trust each other
• Customer committed – we put customers at the heart of our decisions
• Future Focused – we accelerate change
• Curious – we turn knowledge into action

Role Purpose

The Director Talent Development leads the Talent Development Centre of Excellence (COE) and is accountable for the strategic direction for talent and leadership development, learning, performance management, succession planning, organisational development and change adoption. This role ensures all talent frameworks, methodologies and initiatives are aligned to business strategy and priorities. The team provides expertise, tools and guidance to business leaders and HR partners to empower effective delivery within their areas. The role sits on the HR Leadership Team (HRLT) and partners closely with the broader HR team to ensure aligned solutions in driving the talent agenda at Wood Mackenzie.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Planning & Alignment

• Develop and implement Talent and Leadership Development strategies that support business objectives and future capability needs
• Partner with senior leadership and HRLT to forecast skill and capability requirements and contribute to strategic workforce plans
• Ensure all COE activity complements other HR COEs and business priorities and minimises duplication

2. Talent & Leadership Development

• Design and govern enterprise frameworks for talent management, succession planning, and leadership development
• Provide central oversight, standards and governance for talent reviews and top talent identification, with Strategic BPs driving business level execution
• Provide consulting support to business leaders and HR team for implementation

3. Learning Strategy & Consulting

• Define the organisation-wide learning and knowledge management strategy and governance
• Provide internal consulting and expertise to support functional areas and subject matter experts in designing, delivering, and maintaining frameworks and training, in collaboration with HR Business Partners
• Oversee vendor relationships and ensure learning solutions and technology investments are scalable and future-focused
• Manage education budget on behalf of CHRO

4. Performance & Capability

•  Own and govern the performance appraisal philosophy and enterprise framework (tools, processes and capability) partnering with Strategic HRBPs who run the process in teams
• Ensure frameworks drive accountability, growth, and organisational capability and support the enterprise-wide reward and recognition philosophy
• Oversee effective administration and reporting of performance and talent processes in HRIS in partnership with Digital HR

5. Organisational Development & Change

• Act as a trusted advisor/ subject matter expert to senior leadership and Strategic HRBPs on organisational design, culture and capability priorities
• Embed change management principles into OD initiatives and support adoption through consulting
• Equip leaders and teams with tools and skills to navigate and adopt change

6. HR Leadership and partnership

• Partner with the wider HR Leadership Team (HRLT) to formulate and execute against the WoodMac People Plan
• Work closely with HRLT to ensure high degree of consistency, alignment and collaboration on all initiatives and priorities

7. Team management

• Manage a small team of Talent Development professionals, ensuring high performance in the execution and delivery of the plan
• Ensure team remains focused on both cyclical and strategic programmes, with a high degree of cohesion and collaboration within the wider HR team

Key Attributes

• Strategic thinker with strong partnership, consulting and influencing skills.
• Commercially minded, balancing organisational priorities with people-centric solutions
• Collaborative and credible partner across HR and business leadership
• Agile and adaptable in a dynamic, fast-paced environment

Expectations

• Act as the subject matter expert for Talent and OD, ensuring consistency and scalability of frameworks and business processes
• Stays actively informed on external market, people and industry trends, translating relevant insights into practical implications for the organisation
• Provide internal resources and services to senior leadership and Strategic HRBPs to enable effective delivery
• Use data and insights to inform decisions and measure impact
• Drive innovation in learning and leadership development aligned to future skills
• Hybrid working, with 2 / 3 days per week in office
• Expects and role‑models high levels of cross‑functional collaboration

Required Skills and Experience

• Extensive experience in senior HR leadership and/ or consultancy roles, with a focus on Talent and Organisational Development
• Expertise in organisational design, change management, leadership development, and succession planning
• Strong consulting capability and ability to influence at senior level
• Familiarity with HCM systems, LMS, employee listening platforms and data-driven decision-making.
• Advanced professional HR, OD and/or Psychology qualifications desirable.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer. This means we are committed to recruiting the best people regardless of their race, colour, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. You can find out more about your rights under the law at www.eeoc.gov 

If you are applying for a role and have a physical or mental disability, we will support you with your application or through the hiring process.