Capability & Development Specialist

Capability & Development Specialist | 12-month FTC | Circa £45,000 + excellent benefits | Full or part-time | Hybrid

Are you passionate about shaping the future workforce and supporting career and strategic development? Thatcham Research is looking for a Capability & Development Specialist to join our team and play a key role in aligning learning and development initiatives with our People Strategy and business goals. This brand-new role is an exciting opportunity to influence how we identify skills gaps
, support career progression
, and deliver impactful learning experiences across the organisation.

Full-time or part-time applicants considered (minimum 4 days/week).

As the new Capability & Development Specialist you’ll:

• Partner with People Partners and Managers to conduct training needs analysis and create tailored development plans for teams, including performing skills gap analysis where required.
• Analyse workforce training data in collaboration with People Partners to inform Strategic Workforce Planning decisions and contribute to updates of the Learning & Development (L&D) strategy.
• Support the review and implementation of Learning and Development (L&D) and career development policies, ensuring alignment with our People Strategy
• Provide guidance to managers and learners on career pathways, offering constructive feedback and supporting progression within established frameworks.
• Work closely with individuals and their managers to identify learning and development opportunities that align with roles and career aspirations.
• Assess performance and competency data to identify learning needs and recommend targeted interventions.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of learning outcomes and propose improvements to training delivery and content.
• Collaborate with internal and external subject matter experts to design technical training and instructional sessions that achieve defined learning objectives.
• Document Learning and Development (L&D) processes and workflows, creating clear process maps to enhance efficiency and support business understanding.
• Assist in developing and updating high-quality training materials and resources to support a variety of learning initiatives.
• Contribute to the design and facilitation of internal courses and learning interventions as part of the wider Learning and Development (L&D) team.

Skills & experience that will set you up for success in this role:

• Knowledge or experience in strategic workforce planning and career pathways would be beneficial
• Previous experience working in a Learning and Development (L&D) environment
• Analytical thinking to assess performance and competence data for learning needs analysis.
• Basic understanding of HR processes with familiarity in MS Office and HRIS systems.
• Strong coaching and advising skills to support professional development journeys.
  
  Ability to evaluate learning outcomes and translate insights into actionable improvements.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills to collaborate across teams.
• Proactive, collaborative, and adaptable, with the ability to build trusted relationships and respond to evolving business needs.

Did you know...

Research tells us that men are more likely to apply to jobs if they meet only 60% of the criteria, whereas women often hesitate or don't apply unless they meet all of the criteria. This difference in application behaviour can contribute to the gender gap in career advancement and opportunities.

We know the perfect candidate doesn't exist!
If you think you have what it takes but don't tick every box, we'd still encourage you to apply - it could be a perfect fit!

Salary - Circa £45,000
negotiable dependent on skills & experience.

Full-time or part-time applicants considered (minimum 4 days/week).

• 10% non-contributory pension
• 29 days holiday (inclusive of Christmas shutdown) + public holidays
• Group Life Assurance (equal to 4 x basic salary)
• Group Income Protection (after 6 months’ service)
• Salary Sacrifice schemes (cycle to work, home & tech scheme)
• Enhanced and competitive parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender or family structure
• Moneyhealth’s Financial Coaching & Wellbeing Platform
• Health Cash…