Talent Development Business Partner

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Role Purpose

The Talent Development Business Partner will design, deliver and embed high-impact development solutions that directly support Retail performance and growth.

Working in partnership with the Talent Development Lead, HR colleagues and Retail leadership teams, the role will strengthen leadership capability, enhance sales excellence and develop critical skills across priority Retail populations.

This role combines strategic capability partnering with hands-on programme design and facilitation, ensuring development initiatives are practical, scalable and aligned to measurable business outcomes.

Key Accountabilities

· Design and deliver structured development programmes for priority leadership and revenue generating roles within Retail

· Strengthen commercial and sales excellence capability through practical, performance-focused interventions

· Embed consistent leadership standards across the Retail branch network

· Identify and address critical skills gaps aligned to Retail strategy and growth priorities

· Partner with HR and Retail leaders to strengthen succession readiness for pivotal roles

· Design targeted development solutions to accelerate high-potential and critical talent populations

· Provide insight from development activity to inform talent calibration and pipeline conversations

· Create high-quality, scalable development solutions (workshops, blended pathways, coaching frameworks and practical toolkits)

· Facilitate engaging and credible sessions for all audiences

· Adapt delivery approaches to suit different audiences and business needs

· Evaluate programme effectiveness and continuously refine based on feedback and performance insight

· Ensure development initiatives align to wider Talent Development frameworks and standards

· Partner with HRBPs and senior stakeholders to proactively identify emerging capability needs

· Define success measures for development initiatives and assess impact on performance, engagement and pipeline strength

· Use data and insight to refine capability approaches and strengthen return on investment

· Maintain awareness of emerging development practices to enhance Retail offerings

Skills & Experience

· Proven experience in Talent Development, Learning Business Partnering or Leadership Development within a commercial environment

· Demonstrable experience designing and delivering impactful development programmes

· Strong understanding of leadership and sales capability development

· Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills who can build trusted relationships

· Confident facilitator with strong presence and credibility

· Experience evaluating learning effectiveness and linking development to business outcomes

· Ability and experience in diagnostic and needs analysis, translating this into commercially relevant learning solutions

· CIPD qualification, coaching accreditation or equivalent desirable

· Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities

· Collaborative and growth mindset

· Curiosity and knowledge of future content creation and delivery methods to enable future ready learning solutions

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs.  Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.