Global Director Learning, Development and Culture

This is a hybrid position which requires 8 days per month intheoffice. You can be based in our office in London or the Hague. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Role

Were looking for a strategic and people-focused leader to take on a new global role at WRI. As Global Director of Learning Development & Culture youll lead a broad team in our Centre of Excellence and help shape how we support grow and engage our people across the world.

Reporting to the Chief People Officer (CPO) youll work closely with HR teams in every regional and country office (Africa Brazil China Colombia Europe India Indonesia Mexico US) and work closely with our global WRI HR network. Your work will help WRI become the best-run NGO in the world not just for operational excellence but to ensure every employee has a great experience and can do their best work in service of our mission.

This is a unique opportunity to build something new and meaningful. Youll design and deliver strategies for continuous learning impactful career development healthy organizational culture and improving wellbeingmaking sure theyre inclusive impactful and relevant across regions. Youll also help build People team capacity globally creating more consistency and connection across our network.

What will you do:

Career Development:

• Shape WRIs global people strategy alongside the Chief People Officer
• Build career paths succession plans and talent pipelines for future leaders and specialists
• Lead performance and engagement strategies that help staff grow and stay connected
• Develop retention strategies that support continuity and agility
• Support workforce planning and organizational design across the institute
• Identify and address skills gaps to ensure were ready for the future
• Oversee career frameworks that reflect WRIs mission and values

Learning & Development:

• Create a learning culture where staff have the tools and opportunities to grow
• Design a global learning strategy using our new learning system
• Deliver inclusive accessible and high-impact training across departments
• Lead leadership development programs tailored to WRIs culture and future needs
• Partner with internal and external experts to scale learning globally
• Apply psychological models and theories to ensure we take an evidence-based approach
• Ensure learning is relevant equitable and focused on real-world impact
• Manage the learning and development budget and relationships with external partners

Culture & Wellbeing:

• Champion WRIs recently refreshed values and lead a global culture strategy fostering equity and inclusion for all our worldwide staff
• Define what a healthy workplace culture looks like and how we measure it through our culture barometer
• Lead wellbeing initiatives that support mental health work-life balance and psychological safety
• Partner with country offices to ensure cultural efforts are locally relevant and globally consistent
• Apply psychological models to ensure we take an evidence-based approach
• Support and work closely with our network of culture ambassadors across WRI offices
• Embed equity and inclusion into all people initiatives with clear metrics and accountability

Who you are:

Youre a strategic thinker and a compassionate leader. You understand how to build systems that support people and youre passionate about creating workplaces where everyone can thrive. You bring experience in global HR learning leadership development and organizational developmentand you know how to turn ideas into action.

Minimum requirements:

• A background in occupational/organizational/work psychology and experience of applying this to learning and development
• Demonstrated success as a senior People leader with a proven track record of managing and developing senior-level professionals and leading large complex teams
• Extensive experience within large matrixed mission-driven organizations. Able to navigate cultural context and deliver strategies that resonate
• Strategic skills with an ability to design and execute talent learning and culture strategies from inception through implementation while aligning with organizational priorities
• Extensive experience developing a strategic approach to career development and learning development
• Experience in the design development and delivery of learning and development interventions for many different skills across multiple job families including the evolution towards skills and knowledge-based organization and trends
• Proven ability to lead organization-wide change initiatives including culture transformation talent development and succession planning
• Exceptional ability to influence engage and inspire collaborators at all levels including senior executives while building trust across diverse teams and regions
• Experience leading global employees listening strategies engagement programs and retention initiatives that deliver measurable outcomes
• Extensive experience using analytics surveys and workforce data to inform decisions measure impact and continuously improve culture learning and talent policies
• Demonstrated ability to embed equity inclusion wellbeing and psychological safety into organizational practices and people strategies
• Experience influencing senior leaders and effectively communicating across different levels cultures and geographies
• Proven leadership experience and building up multi-located teams. Able to inspire virtual teams
• Languages:Verbal and written proficiency in English
• Requirements:Existing work authorization is required where this positionis based.WRI is unable to authorize visa workauthorization
• Given the leadership role and breadth of engagement needed there is a requirement to be in the office 8 or more days a month (flex or full-time office only)

How to Apply:Please submit a resume with a required cover letter by the date of 17 November2025.We may close for applications sooner if we receive a high volume of qualified applications.

We are unable to consider your application without a coverletterin addition to your resume.

You mustapply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

Potential Salary: The salary range if based in the UK is GBP108000 to 135000; If based in the Netherlands the salary range is 107000 to 134000

What we offer:

• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia Africa Europe LatinAmericaand theUS
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission drivenorganizationwith access to varied learning and training opportunities.
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of ourwork
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future ofWRI
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible workinghours
• Generous leavedays that increase with tenureincluding sabbatical leave
• A generous pension plan that includes employer and employee contribution
• Health insurance contribution
• Travel to work scheme
• A comprehensive Employee Assistance Program
• Geoblue travel insurance

About Us:

World Resources Institute works to improve peoples lives protect and restore nature and stabilize the climate. As an independent research organization we leverage our data expertise and global reach to influence policy andcatalysechange across systems like food land and water; energy; and cities. Our 2000 staff work on the ground in more than a dozen focus countries and with partners in over 50 nations.

Our mission and values:

WRIs mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earths environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind ustogether:Independence Integrity Impact Partnership and Care.

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission including equal opportunities inemployment. All qualified applicants willreceive consideration for employment without regard to race ethnicity religionsex national origin age caste marital status sexual orientation gender identity and expression disability or protected Veteran status.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications