Learning and Development Manager

About the Role

At Higgins, our people are central to everything we do. We are searching for a seasoned Learning & Development Manager to lead and shape our learning initiatives, ensuring our team members possess the necessary skills, knowledge, and leadership abilities to support the company’s future growth and success.

Reporting directly to the Head of People & Performance, this role involves close collaboration with leaders across Higgins to identify capability gaps, craft actionable development programs, and establish clear career progression paths. This strategic position offers the chance to influence the learning culture across a diverse, nationwide workforce.

Key Responsibilities

• Create and execute Higgins’ overall Learning & Development strategy.
• Design and implement learning pathways, competency models, and career advancement schemes.
• Develop leadership programs catering to all leadership levels within the organization.
• Collaborate with operational and business teams to forecast and address current and future capability demands.
• Lead projects focused on workforce development, career structuring, and competency framework enhancement.
• Partner with subject experts to devise engaging, practical learning content.
• Enhance learning-related systems, tools, and procedures to improve efficiency.
• Evaluate program outcomes to drive continuous improvement based on data insights.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be a proficient Learning & Development expert capable of transforming business objectives into practical learning solutions. You will possess the ability to influence and garner support across all organizational levels, establishing credibility and delivering impactful initiatives for both employees and business growth.

Your approach will be both strategic and tactical, adept at creating frameworks, facilitating sessions, coaching leaders, and driving new program implementations.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Extensive experience in Learning & Development, Organisational Development, Talent Management, or an allied field.
• Demonstrated ability in creating and rolling out learning strategies aligned with business goals.
• Proficiency in designing leadership development schemes, competency frameworks, and structured career pathways.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills across multiple organizational tiers.
• Track record of leading change initiatives and embedding novel learning methodologies.
• Exceptional skills in facilitation, coaching, communication, and presentations.
• Solid program and project management capabilities.
• Experience leveraging data analytics to assess learning effectiveness and guide decisions.
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in Adult Learning, Human Resources, Organisational Development, Instructional Design, or related disciplines.

Why Join Higgins?

This position offers a significant role in determining the learning and development direction within one of New Zealand’s leading infrastructure firms. You will partner with seasoned leaders, contribute to impactful business programs, and foster career growth opportunities for our workforce.

Joining Higgins means becoming part of a supportive, grounded team with the benefits of the vast resources and career pathways offered by the larger Fletcher Construction group.

We encourage early applications and review candidates regularly, reserving the right to close applications prior to the stated deadline.

Diversity and Inclusion

Research indicates women and minorities often hesitate to apply unless meeting every qualification; we encourage candidates to apply even if they feel partially qualified. Our workforce diversity in nationality, language, religion, culture, and lifestyle is a strength we celebrate and continuously promote.