Learning & Development Manager

With a legacy dating back to 1856 – to the world’s first marine surveying organisation, The Salvage Association – Aqualis Group continues to evolve to provide the deepest pool of technical expertise across marine and engineering disciplines in more locations worldwide, to best support our clients and markets in keeping the world moving today, whilst managing the challenges of tomorrow. As a core member of our Talent team, you will be responsible for the design, development and delivery of learning and development programmes across Aqualis Group. The role combines programme and project management with hands-on content creation, delivery, communications, evaluation and continuous improvement. You will lead the global onboarding, tailor our early careers offer, manage mandatory learning and deliver current and future initiatives from initial scoping through implementation, engagement, impact assessment and transition into business-as-usual activity. What will you be doing?
• Lead the design, implementation and continuous improvement of our global onboarding programme.
• Develop and manage structured onboarding pathways for managers, encompassing leadership fundamentals, performance management, people processes and manager responsibilities.
• Lead learning and talent development initiatives end-to-end, from needs analysis and business case development through to design, delivery, evaluation and ongoing enhancement.
• Create and manage programme plans, budgets, milestones, success measures, risks, dependencies and stakeholder responsibilities, providing clear progress reporting and recommendations.
• Tailor our early careers development programme to meet the needs of different business units, locations and learner groups.
• Manage learning operations, including LMS administration, learning journeys, programme logistics, communications, enrolment, attendance, evaluation and follow-up activities.
• Develop, maintain and improve learning policies, processes, documentation, learning records and annual learning plans.
• Coordinate mandatory learning requirements with subject matter experts and business stakeholders, monitoring completion, reporting and managing escalation processes.
• Design practical, engaging and accessible learning solutions that address organisational capability and development needs.
• Create learning content and resources, including facilitator guides, participant materials, presentations, digital learning assets, manager toolkits and supporting communications.
• Partner with subject matter experts to convert technical and business knowledge into effective learning experiences, applying adult learning, instructional design and accessibility best practices.
• Facilitate virtual and in-person learning sessions where appropriate and enable others to deliver programmes consistently and effectively.
• Maintain learning calendars, programme records, standard operating procedures and reusable delivery templates to support efficient programme delivery.
• Collaborate across regions and time zones to ensure a consistent learner experience and identify opportunities to simplify, standardise and automate learning operations through digital and AI-enabled solutions.
• Manage relationships with external training providers, consultants and educational institutions, including requirements gathering, provider selection, contracting, performance management and quality assurance.
• Determine when content should be built internally or sourced externally, considering capability, quality, cost, speed and sustainability.
• Develop communication and engagement plans to promote learning opportunities, drive participation and build stakeholder ownership.
• Monitor participation, learner engagement and programme effectiveness, using data, feedback and business outcomes to evaluate impact, measure return on investment and inform future improvements.
• Build strong relationships across the organisation to support collaboration, engagement and continuous improvement in learning and talent development.
• Contribute to wider Talent initiatives and undertake other duties consistent with the scope and purpose of the role. What are we looking for? Skills We are looking for an L&D Manager who combines project management, learning design and stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to build practical and scalable initiatives. More specifically, we are looking for someone with:
• A degree qualified, or equivalent professional experience, in Learning & Development, Talent, Organisational Development, HR, Business or a related discipline.
• Proven experience leading learning, talent development or organisational capability programmes end-to-end.
• Experience designing and developing engaging learning content, resources and communications across multiple formats.
• The ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously, including planning, governance, budgets, risks, dependencies and outcomes.
• Experience developing onboarding, early careers, manager development or other structured learning programmes.
• Experience administering learning operations, including LMS management, learner records, reporting and compliance tracking.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across functions, geographies and organisational levels.
• Experience working with digital learning technologies and AI-enabled productivity tools.
• The ability to work effectively across diverse cultures and in a continuous change environment.
• Creativity, accountability and self-motivation, with the ability to work independently in a global, geographically dispersed organisation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Further Information This position can be based in the following locations: Brazil, Romania, India or Poland. You must have the legal right to live and work in the country where you are applying, without the need for sponsorship. NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES. Our Commitment To D&I At Aqualis Group, we are committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to thrive, regardless of background, identity, or role. As a global company, we believe that diversity drives innovation and inclusion strengthens our teams. We support flexible working, accessible environments, and employee wellbeing. Even if your experience doesn’t match every requirement, we encourage you to apply—your unique perspective could be just what we need.