Audit Stream Learning & Development – Business Partnering Manager for Projects

Full job description
Ideas | People | Trust

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world.

We work with the companies that are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high‑growth businesses that fuel the economy – and directly advise the owners and management teams leading them.

We’ll broaden your horizons

The Business Partnering (BP) team plays a vital role within L&D, partnering with the Audit Stream to identify learning needs and develop an appropriate response to these needs. They are responsible for working alongside the business to drive the Learning and Development agenda and coordinate with wider support teams on various related activities in the stream.

The BP team acts as the business voice within L&D, providing oversight and challenge internally as the wider L&D team works to develop and implement solutions that met the objectives determined when needs were scoped. They are similarly the face of L&D to the business, representing the function within the Audit Stream.

The Business Partnering Manager for Projects will work directly with stakeholders in the business to identify specific needs that fall outside our Early in Careers and Post-qualified curricula. These wider, often project-based activities, require a coordinated approach across the entirety of the core curriculum and/or within specific role or engagement-related programmes.

Using their understanding of business priorities, developed through active engagement with the Stream, they will join up activities across our L&D offering and wider centralised programmes, ensuring our response to the Stream is aligned and meets ongoing needs. They will coordinate with other stakeholder groups as needed. The Business Partnering Manager will work collaboratively with the other BP team members to ensure that the learning needs analysis is coordinated and complete, and to share best practice.

As a member of the BP team, they work with the Learning Development team to ensure that the business objectives for any particular learning need are understood and translated into key learning objectives and oversee that design learning interventions meet these needs effectively. They will support the Learning Implementation team as needed to ensure that developed content in implemented as planned and work with the Monitoring, Reporting & Compliance team to ensure appropriate review of learning effectiveness is performed. It is also expected that the BP team will support programme delivery through onsite programme management and facilitation where appropriate.

You’ll be able to be yourself; we’ll recognise and value you for who you are and celebrate and reward your contributions to our business. We’re committed to agile working, and we offer everyone the opportunity to work in ways that suit them, their teams, and the task at hand.

At BDO, we’ll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development.

In this role you will:

Supports the scoping, development, implementation and evaluation of learning, ensuring this directly addresses business needs and provides relevant, timely and tailored solutions to our colleagues and partners

Advocate and supports business needs within L&D ensuring responses are focused on business objectives and support achievement of wider organisational goals whilst remaining commercially productive and effective

Act as a subject matter expert on all aspects of L&D, able to advise and consult with business leaders to help them find lasting solutions to issues as they arise

Responsible for reporting back to the business on progress against agreed plans

Provide objective challenge to the business on learning needs and act as a sounding board in respect of planned responses – to help the business determine the right course of action

Advocate L&D activities in the business as appropriate to support effective learning culture in the stream

Support the delivery of an effective Audit L&D curriculum across the Audit Stream

Develop successful, long-term, strategic relationships with the Audit Stream and wider business to support the L&D agenda, respond effectively to business needs and align with overall strategy and wider organisational goals (helping to bring together the activities of the various central support teams in respect to key projects)

Participate in the coordination and conduct of the learning needs analysis with stakeholders and oversee the development of the curriculum plan to respond to the agreed needs – working in collaboration with the wider L&D team

Support onsite delivery of programmes where appropriate – onsite operational support and facilitation (as agreed as part of the wider programme / curriculum plan)

Bring the latest thinking and innovation to the business, using this to support the development and delivery of leading personal and professional development

Advocate change where needed, leading by example and seeking support as appropriate

Required skills and experience

Experienced Manager (or equivalent)

Strong understanding of Audit including the regulatory environment

Previous L&D experience is preferred

Ability to build and maintain strong working relationships with senior stakeholders

Proven ability to influence stakeholders, build consensus and drive forward strategic projects in partnership with the Audit Stream

Strong project management skills including a demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deliver these to time and expected quality standards

Previous experience in facilitation of programmes would be beneficial but is not essential

Focus on generating commercially viable solutions - proven ability in problem-solving balancing the various demands of stakeholders to generate an effective response

Strong teamworking and collaboration skills alongside an ability to coach, develop and inspire people to reach their potential

Excellent analytical, interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal

Understanding of business strategy and goals and a focus on delivering effectively against these

Focus on operational excellence, quality and outputs

We’re in it together

Mutual support and respect is one of BDO’s core values and we’re proud of our distinctive, people-centred culture. From informal success conversations to formal mentoring and coaching, we’ll support you at every stage in your career, whatever your personal and professional needs.

Our agile working framework helps us stay connected, bringing teams together where and when it counts so they can share ideas and help one another. At BDO, you’ll always have access to the people and resources you need to do your best work.

We know that collaboration is the key to creating value and satisfying experiences at work, so we’ve invested in state-of-the-art collaboration spaces in our offices. BDO’s people represent a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and we’ll encourage you to build your network, work alongside others, and share your skills and experiences. With a range of multidisciplinary events and dedicated resources, you’ll never stop learning at BDO.

We’re looking forward to the future

At BDO, we help entrepreneurial businesses to succeed, fuelling the UK economy.

Our success is powered by our people, which is why we’re always finding new ways to invest in you. Across the UK thousands of unique minds continue to come together to help companies we work with to achieve their ambitions.

We’ve got a clear purpose, and we’re confident in our future, because we’re adapting and evolving to build on our strengths, ensuring we continue to find the right combination of global reach, integrity and expertise. We shape the future together with openness and clarity, because we believe in empowering people to think creatively about how we can do things better.