Talent Development Lead/ Manager

The Role:

The Talent Development Lead/Manager is a strategic leadership role responsible for designing, building, and scaling the team's learning strategy in direct alignment with business priorities. This role goes beyond program delivery — it owns the vision for how the team builds capability, develops leaders, and drives a culture of continuous learning. Spearheading the design, development, and deployment of comprehensive training modules, turning complex organizational needs into interactive learning experiences. Reporting directly to the leadership team, you will serve as both a strategic partner and a hands-on facilitator, driving innovation in our training processes to ensure our capability-building initiatives are perfectly aligned with the evolving requirements of our client.

The role mainly supports IO’s biggest client, a global investment firm operating at the intersection of financial theory and practical application. Its approach centers on cutting through market noise to isolate the factors that truly drive performance, then translating rigorously tested ideas into concrete, long-term results. Since 1998, this focus on turning theory into practice has established the client as a leader in alternative strategies and an innovator in traditional portfolio management.

The client's culture is defined by academic excellence, intellectual honesty, and a relentless pursuit of the truth. Employees, and the Manila team as their extension, are encouraged to question everything and challenge every assumption in the effort to understand what truly drives financial markets. Collaboration is central to how the firm operates, with transparency and openness to new ideas seen as the foundation of innovation.

The Responsibilities:
Strategy & Leadership Partnership

• Own the team-wide L&D strategy, aligning learning priorities with organizational goals, and act as a strategic partner to the senior leadership team.
• Identify capability gaps and translate them into scalable development solutions.
• Advice on learning strategies and methodologies that will help meet learning goals.
• Own the full lifecycle of L&D initiatives — planning, execution, evaluation — managing multiple high-priority projects simultaneously and coordinating cross-functionally.

Learning Design & Delivery

• Lead and oversee needs analysis, design, development, delivery and evaluation of learning and development programs, workshops, and initiatives aligned with the team’s goals. This may include financial services core skills, soft skills, technical skills, leadership development, compliance and more.
• Lead and oversee assessments and analysis of current and future learning and development needs. Partner with teams and SMEs to identify performance gaps and priorities.
• Facilitate programs and sessions either as the main facilitator or by working with internal or external facilitators/trainers.
• Evaluate L&D training programs using different frameworks and methodologies.

Content & Technology

• Create advanced learning portfolios, transitioning from static presentations to interactive, learning strategies.
• Develop and source program materials, resources, content, including e-learn, manuals, videos, and presentations.
• Select, implement, and optimize learning technologies to support delivery at scale.
• Manage relationships with external training vendors, content providers, coaches, and consultants.

Knowledge, Measurement & Culture

• Build and maintain a central knowledge base capturing team processes, decisions, and institutional context.
• Curate ongoing industry, adult-learning, and technology trends — including how AI tools are changing our functions — and translate what matters into internal briefings, guidance, or training.
• Establish learning metrics and analytics (e.g., completion rates, skill growth, business impact) to demonstrate program effectiveness.
• Champion a culture of continuous learning, mentorship, and internal mobility across the organization.

The Requirements:

• 5+ years of experience as an L&D Manager/Assistant Manager, preferably in financial services or related fields settings
• Strong understanding of concepts, products and processes in the financial services industry
• Proven experience designing and delivering specialized training programs for financial services teams
• Proven track record in designing and developing high-impact learning content.
• Expertise in instructional design methodologies and adult learning principles.
• Ability to analyze data and translate insights into actionable L&D strategies.
• Ability to oversee organization-wide or multi-site capability initiatives.
• Exceptional ability to manage complex relationships across various functions and levels of the organization.
• Strong facilitation, communication, and presentation skills, with an ability to simplify complex concepts for diverse audiences