Band 2 Deputy Head of Academy

ONR is not a Civil Service department, however, we are an arms length body of Department of Work and Pensions.

Job purpose

As part of its 2025 strategy ONR is committed to being a modern and transparent regulator, delivering trusted outcomes and value. We are making substantial investments in new digital technologies and skills to enhance our regulatory processes and management of information.

The ONR Academy is a centre of excellence for all training and development in the organisation. The ONR Academy delivers a blended learning approach for ONR bringing consistency and fairness in how we develop our staff, through effective knowledge management and clear development pathways with both personal and career development activity and opportunities.

The purpose of this role is to support the Head of ONR Academy in delivering our top 5 corporate priority of ‘Influencing a joined-up industry-wide approach to building and sustaining a resilient and capable workforce for the future, with the capacity to deliver future programmes safely, securely and effectively.’

About the role

Principal responsibilities

• Work closely with the Head of ONR Academy delivering all strategic and corporate activities including the Academy Strategy (which will cover a new approach to learning and development for all staff).
• Enhance our Academy model and delivery approach providing more support for developing skills when operating both remotely and face to face via coaching, practice, assessment, and feedback.
• Offer an increased range of leadership development opportunities including design and launch of a new leadership programme for developing potential Directors and launching “Leading ONR” events to support leaders across ONR.
• Improve our capability to produce, present, analyse and report Management Information regarding the ONR Academy to support strategic capability decisions and keep senior leaders and staff better informed.
• Applying the Systematic Approach to Training principles, deliver an Organisational Training Needs Analysis. You will maximise contacts across the L&D profession to share best practice and content.
• Working with our Academy Team and regulatory technical leads, enabling them to develop the right, modern learning, and training solutions to implement the findings of the Training Needs Analysis.
• Creation and maintenance of skills matrices across ONR to establish a capability map and determine appropriate solutions.
• Act as contract manager and ensure all our external contracts are managed in accordance with our financial arrangements. Improve our relationships with external suppliers offering a framework of organisations that can provide niche training to the organisation via a competitive tender exercise.
• Be innovative in developing and implement ideas to ensure the ONR Academy remains as center of excellence for all learning and development in ONR.
• Acting as an internal coach for the organisation. This would be for both senior and junior grades across the organisation.
• Career Development Manager for up to 3 staff. This will involve line-management responsibilities, developing, coaching, and managing staff in accordance with our performance management procedures.

Line Management Responsibilities

• You will have line-management responsibility for up to 3 staff.

Location / Travel

This post may be undertaken from a base at any one of ONR’s office locations (Bootle, Cheltenham, or London).

ONR operates hybrid working (working in the office and or at home) as part of our flexible working policy.  There is an expectation that everyone will spend time in the office on a regular basis, recognising that some work is better done face to face. Managers will work with their teams on what works best to meet individual, team, business and organisational needs to enable collaboration, as well as balancing personal choice and wellbeing.

Security Clearance

BPSS level of Security Clearance is required for the post.

ONR is committed to being an inclusive employer and we welcome and encourage applications from all applicants. We will make reasonable adjustments and adaptations to ensure the recruitment process is inclusive and barrier-free. For example, providing job descriptions in alternative formats, and providing communication support and accessible venues. If you would like to discuss how we can support you, please contact  (ONR.Human-Resources@onr.gov.uk/ or  HR Delivery Lead 0203 028 0004 will be able to provide further information and discuss any reasonable adjustments you may need during the recruitment process. We will offer an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the role. Applicants also have the choice to opt into our Guaranteed Interview Scheme when completing their application where we will offer an interview to disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the role.

ONR recognises it has a role to play in helping those leaving the Armed Forces (veterans) and have introduced a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for veterans. This is part of a government initiative known as the ‘Great Place to Work for veterans. Veterans are officially defined as anyone who has served for at least one day in His Majesty’s Armed Forces (Regular or Reserve). All veterans who meet the minimum criteria for a role will be invited to interview and they have the choice to opt into this scheme when completing their application. To be eligible to apply for roles under the initiative, veterans must meet certain eligibility criteria below.

• have served for at least one year in His Majesty’s Armed Forces (as a Regular or Reserve)
• be in transition from, or ceased to be a member of, His Majesty’s Armed Forces; and
• not already be employed by ONR.

Essential Qualifications

CIPD or equivalent in Learning and Development

Essential skills and experience  

• Learning and development professional, with experience in taking the lead for delivery of effective organisational learning in a people based multidisciplinary organization.
• Leadership and management experience – willing and able to initiate and manage change, able to execute strategy, make presentations to ONR’s senior management team.
• Experience of implementing modern learning approaches and a willingness to drive integration of new approaches.
• Experience of evaluation of learning at organisational, team and individual level, utilising key performance indicators to demonstrate the added value and effectiveness.
• Exemplary communication skills using a range of techniques to engage staff and key stakeholders both internal and external.
• Good IT skills and an understanding of how technology and learning can best be applied to a multisite operation with a mobile workforce.

• Confidence in the use of modern Microsoft based IT tools and applications.

An annual leave allowance of 25 plus 8 days public holiday. There is also an entitlement to 1 privilege day. Your annual leave allowance will increase by 1 day each year up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity 
• A civil service pension 

Job contact :

• Name : Kay Collier
• Email : kay.collier@onr.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : ONR.Human-Resources@onr.gov.uk