Learning & Development Manager
L&D Manager sought to provide strategic input with hands-on delivery and team leadership.
The department
For HFW, learning and development is about enabling, informing, and developing the skills and knowledge of all our people across the firm, according to their current career level while preparing them for the next. Our role is to provide a blend of learning that meets diverse needs and helps people achieve measurable changes in knowledge and skill through experience, instruction, and study—embedding these as lasting behaviours.
The team consists of a Head of Learning & Development, a Manager and a Co-ordinator in the London office, and an Adviser in our Melbourne office. We ensure that everyone across our global network has equal access to learning opportunities, while providing guidance on career development and supporting regional and international learning requirements. Our work broadly covers:
- Compliance Training: Ensuring that mandatory compliance training is undertaken across the firm, meeting regulatory and internal requirements.
- Business Skills and Career Development: Management and leadership programmes for lawyers and business services staff, career pathways, and individual support.
- Technical/Legal Knowledge and Skills: Collaborating with Knowledge Management and International Training Partners to design and deliver technical training for lawyers at all levels.
The role
The Learning & Development (L&D) Manager plays a pivotal role in shaping and delivering the firm’s learning strategy. This position combines strategic input with hands-on delivery and team leadership, ensuring that our people have access to high-quality, relevant development opportunities aligned with business priorities.
Key responsibilities
Leadership and team management
- Provide day-to-day leadership, guidance, and performance management for the L&D Co-ordinator, including setting objectives, conducting regular check-ins, and supporting professional growth.
- Foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture within L&D.
Strategic contribution
- Work closely with the Head of L&D to implement the firm’s learning strategy, ensuring alignment with commercial objectives.
- Contribute to the design and evolution of career development frameworks for lawyers and business services staff.
Programme design and delivery
- Develop, review, and deliver a range of learning programmes focused on business needs and firm strategy.
- Maintain and enhance core career development programmes for Fee Earners and Business Services staff.
- Identify, design, and source on-demand learning solutions and bespoke events.
Stakeholder engagement
- Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders on learning solutions and career development pathways.
- Collaborate with HR, Knowledge Management, Risk & Compliance, and International Training Partners to ensure consistency and quality across regions.
Operational excellence
- Manage budgets for learning programmes and external suppliers, ensuring cost-effectiveness and ROI.
- Oversee quality assurance for programme design and delivery.
- Support the firm’s coaching and mentoring initiatives.
- Assist with the management and optimisation of the firm’s Learning Management System (LMS).
Early Careers support
- Partner with the Early Careers team on trainee development and progression.
Key skills & experience required
- Minimum five years’ experience in a professional services environment.
- Demonstrable experience in designing and delivering training programmes.
- Proven ability to manage and develop team members.
- Strong influencing and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience managing budgets and external suppliers.
- Understanding of SRA regulations relating to learning and development.
- Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Flexibility to work outside normal office hours for certain L&D events.
Additional information
This job description is not contractual and may be amended to meet the needs of the firm.
HFW is committed to equality of opportunity and improving diversity across the firm. All applications will be considered on merit.
HFW collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants to manage its recruitment process. The firm is committed to being transparent about how it collects and uses that data and to meeting its data protection obligations. For information on how the firm will process your data, please see our Privacy Notice, under the section “What we collect and how we use it”.
About us
HFW is a sector focused global law firm. We have over 700 lawyers working across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. We take a progressive approach to our roles in commercial business – thinking creatively and pragmatically to support our clients.
Whether we are solving complex issues within the construction, aviation or shipping industries, or providing advice across insurance, commodities and energy, we are specialist lawyers here to add value to our clients. We think about the commercial solution first, and then underpin our advice with a solid foundation of legal expertise.