The Role

Our fantastic People team currently have an exciting opportunity for a Talent Development Manager to join us in our Bristol office for a 12 month contract.

As our Talent Development Manager, you will be building inspiring and impactful growth experiences for our employees. You`ll partner with teams across the company to design programs that empower, engage, and elevate our people, making a real difference in their careers and our company`s future. If you`re a creative and strategic thinker with a passion for developing talent, this is the role for you!

The Talent Development Manager will be responsible for designing, implementing, and managing talent development programs that align with our strategic goals and support a culture of continuous learning and growth. This role focuses on enhancing the capabilities of our workforce by identifying development needs, creating learning initiatives, and evaluating the effectiveness of these programs. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in Talent Development, Leadership Development, and performance enablement.

The role reports into the Head of People Development and Experience, working closely with the internal Talent Acquisition team and have line management responsibilities.

What You`ll Be Doing

Talent Development:

• Identify talent gaps and work with the wider People Team to implement initiatives to attract, develop, and retain high-performing employees.
• Partner with HR and business leaders to ensure alignment of talent management practices with organisational goals
• Work closely with senior leadership to identify key talent development needs across the organisation.
• Align talent development programs with the organisation`s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on talent development and organisational effectiveness.
• Collaborate with Senior People Team Leaders and department heads to ensure alignment of talent initiatives with business needs.
• Manage relationships with external vendors and consultants as required
• Establish metrics to assess the effectiveness and ROI of talent development initiatives.
• Prepare regular reports on talent development activities and outcomes for the executive team.
• Use data and analytics to drive decision-making and continuous improvement.

Leadership Development:

• Design and implement leadership development programs to cultivate future leaders within the organisation.
• Create and manage leadership development programs for high-potential employees at various levels.
• Facilitate workshops, training sessions, and coaching to develop leadership competencies.
• Ensure the effective implementation of personal development plans (PDPs) for emerging leaders
• Oversee the assessment and development of high-potential employees.
• Facilitate leadership workshops, seminars, and coaching sessions.

Performance Enablement:

• Support the implementation of performance management processes, including goal setting, performance reviews, and feedback mechanisms.
• Provide guidance on the development of performance improvement plans (PIPs) for underperforming employees.
• Drive a culture of continuous feedback and development

What We`re Looking for in You

• Stakeholder management skills - the ability to influence, challenge and coach at all levels of the organisation
• Strategic Thinking - Ability to understand the company`s objectives and create development programs that support long-term goals.
• Empathy & Emotional Intelligence - Strong interpersonal skills to engage with diverse teams and individuals effectively.
• Adaptability - Ability to adapt to changing business needs and drive change management in talent development.
• Analytical Mindset - Use of data-driven methods to identify trends and make informed decisions
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral - with a good eye for detail, presentation and facilitation
• Problem solving - The ability to take a problem, assess risks and make an informed plan of how to approach it
• Resourcefulness - Able to bring multiple solutions / ideas to the table with a determination to get the job done
• A proven experience in a range of Talent and Development activities in a fast-paced environment- ideally been responsible for building, designing and evaluating T&D activities whilst managing a team.

What You`ll Get in Return

• A discretionary annual bonus so you can share in the company`s success
• 25 days` paid holiday and an annual holiday buying scheme, with 5 additional days awarded for long service
• A generous pension scheme - employer contributions between 5% and 11% depending on how much you save
• Various benefits to support your health and wellbeing including a Healthcare Cash Plan, an Employee Assistance Programme, a Wellbeing platform and a Gym benefit that you can share with your family and friends
• Enhanced Family Leave including 18 weeks full pay for birthing parents and 4 weeks for non-birthing parents
• Lots of other great benefits including an annual ShareSave scheme, Employee Life Assurance, a discounts portal and more!

About Unite Students

Founded in 1991, Unite Students is a FTSE 100 business and the UK`s leading provider of purpose-built student accommodation. You can find us in 25 leading university towns and cities, with 74,000 students calling US home! We are driven by our values, culture, and a commitment to develop diverse and inclusive teams, filled with positive energy and new ideas.

Instinctive inclusion. We know that to create and maintain a happy healthy organisation, we have to work hard to ensure inclusion isn`t just what we do but who we are.

People make Unite Students. Employees, students and neighbours all contribute to building environments where we can all thrive.

Room for Everyone

We`re proud to be an employer that embraces individuality, and we`re passionate about building inclusive teams. We focus on creating a collaborative culture where you can be you, where your voice is heard, and where you can truly belong. We take great pride in being rated Gold Investors in People and are constantly striving to provide the highest standard of learning and development opportunities and professional pathways for our people. Building a home for success, for both our employees and students, requires exceptional people with a passion for creating room for everyone, doing what`s right, keeping US safe, and raising the bar. Join us as we build better experiences for students that live with us.

We are US.