Head of Leadership Development & Talent Integration (12-Month FTC) - Leading AI Research Lab

Location: London (3 days a week)

Salary: Highly Competitive + Bonus + Benefits

Availability: Maximum one-month notice

Contract Length: 12-month fixed term contract

Hawkwood is partnering with one of the world's leading AI research and technology organisations on the appointment of a Head of Leadership Development & Talent Integration.

This organisation sits at the forefront of artificial intelligence, developing breakthrough technologies that are transforming how AI is applied globally. With thousands of employees across Europe and North America, and a leadership population of more than 500 senior leaders, they are entering another significant phase of organisational growth and evolution.

As the business continues to scale, leadership effectiveness, executive engagement and organisational agility have become increasingly important strategic priorities. This role will play a critical part in ensuring senior leaders are equipped, connected and empowered to navigate rapid change while helping retain some of the world's most sought-after talent.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Talent, you will lead a team of 3 Organisational Development Specialists and partner closely with senior leaders across the organisation to shape the future of leadership capability, executive engagement and talent integration. This role offers exceptional visibility, working alongside VP and C-suite leaders on some of the organisation's most strategically important leadership initiatives.

What you'll do

• Own and evolve the organisation's leadership development strategy for more than 500 senior leaders globally.
• Design and deliver executive-focused initiatives that improve leadership effectiveness, engagement and organisational impact.
• Partner with Talent, Performance, Reward and senior stakeholders to identify critical leadership priorities and develop scalable solutions.
• Build innovative approaches to executive onboarding and talent integration, particularly for senior hires and organisational change initiatives.
• Develop programmes that strengthen leadership capability through executive forums, peer learning, leadership communities and 360-degree feedback.
• Translate leadership insights, engagement data and organisational feedback into targeted interventions that improve retention and performance.
• Leverage AI, data and modern learning approaches to create highly scalable leadership solutions.
• Maximise existing leadership development resources while designing bespoke programmes where unique organisational needs exist.
• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing team of Organisational Development specialists.
• Act as a trusted partner to senior executives, helping remove organisational barriers and enabling leaders to perform at their best.

What we're looking for

• Experience leading Leadership Development, Organisational Development or Leadership Effectiveness within a large, fast-paced organisation.
• Comfortable partnering with VP and C-suite stakeholders on high-profile strategic initiatives.
• Strong understanding of organisational development, behavioural science, change management and leadership effectiveness.
• Experience designing scalable leadership programmes rather than delivering traditional classroom learning.
• Strong programme management and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to navigate complex matrix organisations.
• Experience leading and developing teams.
• Commercial, pragmatic and highly adaptable, with the ability to thrive in an environment where priorities evolve quickly.
• Curious about AI and excited by how emerging technologies can transform leadership development and organisational effectiveness.
• Experience within technology, research, consulting or other high-performing knowledge-based organisations would be advantageous, although not essential.

We recognise how challenging the current job market is for candidates, and Hawkwood is committed to providing an excellent candidate experience throughout the process.

If you're interested in this opportunity, we kindly ask that you apply directly through this LinkedIn advert rather than via email or LinkedIn message. This allows us to provide every applicant with a fair, consistent and structured recruitment process.