Operational Excellence Learning Manager

Why Arup?

Arup's purpose, shared values and collaborative approach has set us apart for over 75 years, guiding how we shape a better world.

Unleash your creativity and take your skills to new heights while working on inspiring projects. At Arup, we believe in empowering our people to produce work that sets the bar for quality. Our passionate team shares our values, and that's why they love coming to work every day.

About Arup University

Established in 2009, Arup University (AU) sits at the heart of how Arup learns, innovates, evolves, and delivers its best work. We enable our firm to see further, design better, and create lasting impact. Our mission is to help our members, leadership, and clients navigate change, deliver excellence, and thrive in a fast-changing world.

The core focal areas of Arup’s Strategy – enabling Total Design, being immersed in our markets, being agile and borderless, and providing an industry leading member experience – are all enabled by the capabilities, programmes, and services provided by AU. This includes our strategic foresight, research and innovation capability, our learning function, capabilities in knowledge- and information management, as well as our global skills networks and work in heritage.

https://www.arup.com/about-us/arup-university/

The Opportunity

We’re looking for an experienced Learning Manager to join Arup University and lead the development of our global Operational Excellence learning agenda. In this influential role, you’ll design and deliver learning that strengthens project delivery capability across the firm—building the skills our people need to plan effectively, manage risk, make confident decisions, and deliver high‑quality work.

You’ll shape learning across the full project lifecycle, creating innovative and engaging pathways that enhance project leadership, technical assurance, commercial awareness, and operational discipline. Working closely with internal SMEs, business leaders, and regional Learning teams, you’ll co‑create solutions that support strategic reskilling and address the needs of diverse learners from Graduate to Director.

As part of the Performance and Operations Learning team, you will drive the Operational Excellence agenda, ensuring learning is aligned with global priorities and embedded into the behaviours, processes, and standards that underpin consistent, high‑quality project delivery across Arup.

What You’ll Deliver:

• Lead the design and delivery of impactful learning aligned to key stages of the project lifecycle.
• Shape and embed capability in project management, risk, quality, technical assurance, commercial awareness, project controls, and PM/PD leadership.
• Build a formal learning plan with senior stakeholders to address critical business priorities.
• Facilitate workshops with SMEs to ensure technical training is robust and relevant.
• Manage the full learning lifecycle—from capability definition to design, delivery, and evaluation.
• Collaborate with Learning Managers, regional teams, and Faculties to ensure global consistency and excellence.
• Guide project teams and oversee budgets, resources, and operational delivery.
• Apply modern adult‑learning methods to create engaging, high‑impact learning experiences.

Is this role right for you?

We’re looking for senior Learning professionals with the following skills and expertise:

• Proven experience in successfully delivering all aspects of the learning lifecycle (e.g. needs analysis, design & development, delivery, assessment & evaluation).  
• A strong understanding of the project lifecycle and proven experience of designing learning that strengthens project delivery capability, supports consistent application of operational processes, and helps reduce professional error across all stages of a project.
• Evidence of applying a consultative approach when diagnosing Learning needs and advising stakeholders on Learning best-practice to develop commercial/work-winning learning.
• Ability to design and implement effective learning evaluation methodologies, with a focus on measuring the success and impact of learning initiatives.
• Project management experience and skills, including planning, budget management, stakeholder management, task management and communications.  
• Proven background in developing commercial learning for a range of disciplines (from experts to Leadership to multi-disciplinary roles)
• Experience collaborating with talent and leadership development teams to align learning pathways and capability frameworks with career progression models, especially for client-facing and leadership roles.
• Evidence of managing external partnerships for the delivery of world-class learning solutions (from RFP selection process through to delivery and evaluation).
• Demonstrable experience of driving curiosity and learning culture for work-winning professionals in multi matrix organisations.  
• Deep knowledge of learning trends, technologies and innovation in learning with demonstrable curiosity and commitment to ongoing CPD in these areas.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to develop and present coherent ideas with confidence and gravitas, creating engagement and followership.  
• Desire to thrive in a dynamic working environment, dealing with senior stakeholders and learners from diverse cultural contexts in multiple locations around the world.
• Experience in a technical environment, such as engineering or construction, is favourable.

What we offer you

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together. Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.  

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.

We also provide Private medical insurance, Life assurance, Accident insurance and Income protection cover. In addition, you’ll have access to flexible benefits to help you look after all aspects of your wellbeing and give you the freedom and flexibility to find the best solutions for you, your family, and your individual needs.

Different People, Shared Values

Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.  

Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross-cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference. Discover more about life at Arup at www.arup.com/careers/your-life-at-arup.

We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please contact simon.duckworth@arup.com to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.

Our Application Process

To understand what to expect next, please visit  https://www.arup.com/careers/recruitment-process/
Stay safe online – Arup will never ask for your bank details as part of our recruitment process.

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