Location
Poole, Dorset, England
In line with our values and our commitment to supporting the development and progression of our people, this opportunity is currently only available to RNLI staff and volunteers. If we are unable to make an appointment through this process, we will consider opening the role to external applicants. #LI-DNI
Our purpose is simple: to save lives at sea. 24 hours a day, every day, RNLI lifesavers are ready to launch to the rescue.
At the RNLI, our people are at the heart of everything we do. From our volunteer crew members to our dedicated employee teams, it's their leadership, courage and commitment that enable us to deliver our lifesaving mission. We are now looking for a Leadership Development Lead to be part of our Learning and Development Team to help develop and strengthen our leadership capability across our lifeboat stations and wider volunteer management.
This role will be instrumental in designing, delivering and embedding leadership development that supports our volunteer leaders, including Lifeboat Operations Managers (LOMs) and Launch Authorities (LAs) and to lead safe, effective and sustainable lifesaving operations and crews. . By developing leadership capability, improving decision making and enhancing volunteer management practices, you will help ensure our volunteers remain engaged and ready to save lives at sea.
If you have a passion for developing and coaching leaders to achieve their potential and supporting people who operate in complex, safety-critical environments, we'd love to hear from you.
As a Leadership Development Lead you will be tasked with focus on the following areas:
- Partnering with Lifeboat Operations Managers, Launch Authorities and regional leadership teams to strengthen leadership capability and volunteer management effectiveness.
- Designing and delivering leadership development programmes focused on operational leadership, team effectiveness, volunteer engagement and decision making.
- Providing coaching, mentoring and practical support to volunteer leaders, helping them build confidence, judgement and people management skills.
- Evaluating the impact of development activities and driving continuous improvement through insight, feedback and measurable outcomes.
You will be working within the Leadership Development team, led by our Talent and Development Manager, to provide synergy and collaborative working across all our leadership development and delivery of courses to our people.
This is an influential role that requires extensive travel across all six regions (in UK, Ireland and NI), including overnight stays and occasional evening and weekend working to meet the needs of our volunteers. A vehicle will be made available to carry out your duties.
You'll be an experienced leadership development and training professional who is passionate about helping people grow and perform at their best. You'll be comfortable working with volunteer leaders and operational stakeholders, using your coaching, facilitation and influencing skills to drive meaningful development and lasting impact.
We're particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:
- Experience of developing leadership capability and supporting people to make effective decisions in complex environments.
- Experience of facilitating and delivery of learning, coaching, mentoring or capability development interventions.
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build credibility with volunteer and operational leaders.
- Experience of working with volunteers and volunteer leaders.
- A commitment to championing inclusion and diversity, and consistently demonstrating behaviours that create a respectful, supportive environment where everyone can belong and perform at their best.
As a Leadership Development Lead, you will have strong facilitation skills, a collaborative approach, and a passion for developing people. If you want to make a tangible difference to the RNLI's lifesaving mission by helping shape the future of leadership across our volunteer network and supporting our aim to reduce drowning, this could be the role for you. Please apply via the button shown.
This post requires a valid driving licence.
The RNLI is committed to safeguarding; protecting a person’s health, wellbeing, and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment and have a zero-tolerance approach. The suitability of all prospective employees and volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. This will include relevant criminal record checks being carried out dependent on the eligibility of the role. (England & Wales; DBS check, Scotland; Disclosure Scotland PVG, Northern Ireland; Access NI, Republic of Ireland; Garda Vetting; International, International Child Protection Certificate process).
Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable), and helping us work towards Our Vision: To save Every One.
