The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

Main purpose of job:

The British High Commission (BHC) Nairobi is a large, diverse organisation of around 400 people, including diplomats and country-based staff. As well as managing all aspects of the UK-Kenya bilateral relationship, BHC hosts most staff working for British Embassy Mogadishu and several staff with regional remits.

The Learning, Development and Performance Manager is a new position within an expanded HR function. It is designed to put learning, development and performance excellence at the centre of everything we do. The successful candidate will promote a learning culture at BHC and be responsible for aligning learning resources and activity with the needs of the organisation. They will report to the Head of HR and cooperate with the broader HR team to ensure BHC gets the most out of its staff, and that staff get the most out of their time at BHC.

Access to quality learning and development opportunities is one of the key drivers of employee engagement. The Learning, Deveopment and Performance Manager has the opportunity to really make a difference to individuals’ working lives and careers. To do that, they will need to demonstrate a passion for learning and developing others, as well as commitment, energy, innovation and heaps of proactivity.

Roles and responsibilities:

The Learning, Development and Performance Manager’s responsibilities fall into three main categories. They will:

Learning and development (L&D)

• Coordinate regular updates of BHC’s learning needs analysis and produce L&D strategies that balance organisational needs and the development aspirations of staff;
• Support teams to develop team L&D plans;
• Liaise with FCDO’s International Academy to ensure staff in Nairobi access and benefit from regional L&D opportunities;
• Coordinate and promote involvement of BHC staff in structured development programmes run by the International Academy (eg Emerging Leaders Programme);
• collaborate with BHC’s staff-led learning and development committee to promote a learning culture and ensure that BHC’s L&D offer meets user needs;
• Run a light-touch process for staff and teams to bid for L&D funding. Work with the L&D committee to allocate funds in line with strategy and central policy, and track the impact of funding;
• Keeping up-to-date with best practice elsewhere in the global network and using it to improve Nairobi’s L&D offer;
• Build a visible profile within BHC and act as L&D business partner for individuals, teams and staff groups;
• Keep up-to-date with resources available within BHC, the International Academy, HQ and externally; and promote them to internal audiences;
• Deliver the maximum impact with minimum resources. This will involve delivering some training themselves, and co-opting other colleagues to do so;
• Delivery, procurement and coordination of training initiatives as required.

Performance Excellence

• Run the BHC performance management process for country-based and most UK-based staff. This involves communicating process and timelines set by HQ, and organising training / support / briefing based on colleagues’ needs;
• Keep up to date with changes to FCDO’s performance management process and adapt BHC’s approach as necessary;
• Work with BHC’s performance excellence champion to promote excellence across all areas of work. This will include initiatives to promote honest performance conversations and structured performance plans; and to improve standards of line management;
• Work with HR and finance colleagues to ensure timely and accurate payment of performance-related pay;
• Collate feedback on the perfomance management process as well as line management and identify areas of improvement.

Other

• Coorindate the delivery of regular induction days for new staff. Ensure Line Managers are well inducted in their role and supported to access relevant L&D;
• Deputise for the Head of HR during absences on leave;
• A corporate role in line with the successful candidate’s interests.

Resources managed:

• The successful candidate will manage an annual learning and development budget of about £100k. They will be able to draw on support from the wider HR team as agreed with the Head of HR.

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