Talent & Development Director

Director of Global Talent & Development

At Specsavers, we’re here to change lives through better sight and hearing. We do this by delivering outstanding value, being loved by every customer, and creating a place where colleagues are proud to belong as we grow our business.
We’re looking for an inspiring and forward-thinking leader to take on the role of Director of Global Talent & Development. This is a pivotal opportunity to shape the future of our people strategy: accelerating leadership capability, embedding a culture of continuous learning, and ensuring our teams have the skills and capabilities to be ready for future requirements. 

What you’ll be doing

• Governance & Strategic Planning: Own the Future Ready People pillar and contribute to the 5-year people plan. Leads in shaping the People strategy, ensuring that talent and leadership development initiatives are integrated into the broader organisational plan. Represent Talent & Development in business forums such as the People Forum and NextGen Forum, aligning initiatives with organisational priorities.
• Leadership Capability: Set the global leadership development strategy, aligned to our Long-Term Framework. Oversee the design, delivery, and engagement of learning programmes that build confident, capable leaders. This role is responsible for ensuring these programmes are impactful, relevant, and effectively implemented.
• Talent Strategy: Lead succession management and talent planning across the business. Align development with strategic goals and future capability needs. Partner with People Directors to close capability gaps and work with the Head of Talent Attraction to ensure we are delivering an end-to-end resourcing service.
• Learning Experience: Provide strategic direction of our learning platforms and creating a culture of continuous learning. Design and implement targeted learning initiatives that support change programmes and build future-ready teams. 
• Talent Attraction & Employer Brand: Lead efforts with the Head of Talent Attraction to secure senior leadership talent, oversee the full recruitment lifecycle, and ensure an exceptional candidate experience. Maximise our employer brand across channels and support UK and international growth by attracting top-tier talent. Partner with the Head of International Recruitment to accelerate regional growth by effectively filling clinician and partner roles from international talent pools.  
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with the Specsavers Executive Board, P&O Board, and regional People Directors to ensure initiatives are impactful, and aligned and have a positive impact across the organisation. Leads a global network of Talent & Development professionals to share best practice. Work closely with the Chief People Officer and Executive Board to ensure we have strong succession in place for key leadership roles.
• Team Leadership: Lead and develop a team of 45 people, including 4 direct reports. Drive team effectiveness, support career aspirations, and foster a culture of wellbeing and growth.

What you’ll bring

• Experienced people leader, operating within a global landscape. 
• Proven experience at Director level leading Talent, Learning Experience, and Leadership Development agendas, ideally in a fast-paced environment.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to translate business needs into future capability.
• Demonstrate deep curiosity and growth mindset, constantly seeking to understand evolving business needs and emerging talent trends to shape future ready strategies.
• Courageous leadership, resilience, and a passion for inclusive talent solutions.
• Strong collaboration skills, thriving in global matrix environments.
• A genuine desire to make Specsavers the place where everyone can thrive.

Location: Remote based with travel to UK support offices when required and occasional global travel.

This is your opportunity to make a global impact - developing leaders, shaping culture, and helping Specsavers grow through its people.

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