Talent Development Manager

As our Talent Development Manager, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the people strategy behind one of the most ambitious missions of our time — making fusion energy a reality. You’ll lead the design and delivery of our end‑to‑end talent and capability development strategy, ensuring we attract, onboard, engage, develop, and retain the exceptional people who will help deliver this national endeavour.
This is a rare opportunity to help build a high‑performance, inclusive culture from the ground up — one where expertise thrives, careers accelerate, and people feel genuinely proud to contribute to a mission with global impact.
You will act as a trusted strategic partner to leaders across UKFE and our wider ecosystem, influencing how we grow, support, and future‑proof our workforce. This organisation is unlike any other: a fusion of industry pace, public‑sector responsibility, startup innovation, and large‑scale national infrastructure delivery. Your work will help shape what this unique blend looks like for our people.
What you will bring to this role:
Talent Development and Capability Building
Develop and implement an enterprise-wide talent development strategy that supports STEP’s delivery and evolving organisational needs.
Establish clear career pathways and progression frameworks, enabling internal mobility and long-term capability growth.
Lead succession planning, talent reviews, and interventions for high-potential and mission-critical roles.
Onboarding, Integration and Retention
Create a modern, engaging onboarding and induction experience that supports rapid integration and cross-functional collaboration.
Ensure onboarding reflects UKFE’s unique partnership model and high-integrity safety and delivery culture.
Partner with leaders, hiring managers, candidates, employees, project members and People Business Partners to support talent retention in UKFE and the STEP programme.
Learning, Leadership & Culture
Develop and commission targeted learning and development programmes, including technical capability uplift and behavioural development aligned to STEP values.
Design and deliver leadership development initiatives that empower managers to lead in complex, cross-sector, delivery-focused environments.
Support leaders in shaping culture intentionally — balancing innovation, inclusion, delivery discipline, and long-term purpose.
Employee Engagement and Experience
Lead initiatives to foster a connected, informed, and engaged workforce — through both insight and action.
Develop and run engagement frameworks, including surveys, listening activities, and people-focused communications.
Champion continuous improvement in employee experience, working across People, Comms and Delivery teams.
EVP, Inclusion and Strategic Advisory
Shape and refine our Employee Value Proposition (EVP) to reflect the UKFE identity and purpose.
Embed principles of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in all aspects of the talent and development agenda — ensuring a culture of psychological safety, belonging and contribution.
Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on people development, engagement, and cultural change.
Embody a Leadership Mindset
Regardless of your formal position, you embody a leadership mindset and a set of leadership behaviours. You embrace and embody our organisation's culture, values, and mission in all aspects of your work.
Foster a positive and inclusive team environment that aligns with our cultural values.
Contribute to maintaining a respectful and collaborative workplace, valuing diversity, and promoting teamwork.
Ensure Talent Acquisition Team have the tools and training to be successful in their roles.
Act as a cultural ambassador, representing our organisation's values and professionalism in interactions with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders.
Lead by example, demonstrating integrity, professionalism, and ethical behaviour.
Make informed decisions and solve problems effectively, considering diverse perspectives and organisational goals.
Essential:
CIPD Level 7 or equivalent qualification and solid experience (5-7 years) in a relevant function
Proven track record in leading talent development, learning, or organisational development functions within complex, technical, or delivery-focused organisations.
Deep understanding of how to grow talent in dynamic and fast-evolving environments, with a pragmatic approach to execution.
Strong experience designing and embedding career and capability frameworks, onboarding programmes, and leadership development pathways.
Strategic and systems thinker with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and operate in ambiguity.
Passion for culture-building and working in service of a long-term, mission-led purpose.
Beneficial:
Experience in engineering or infrastructure, and/or large-scale programmes.
Familiarity with partnership or joint venture models across public and private sectors.
Understanding of organisational transition and culture evolution in newly formed entities.
Experience with budget ownership and management.

Employment type
Full-time

Work arrangement
Hybrid