Head of BIT Academy

BIT Academy is the external training arm of BIT, dedicated to providing high-quality, impactful training to businesses and individuals in Behavioural Science methods, change management and other skills associated with the global work of BIT. We offer a niche range of courses, delivered through a range of in-person and online formats, designed to equip our clients with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in today's dynamic policy and strategy landscape.

The Opportunity:

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced client-focused, commercial Learning & Development senior manager or 'Head of' to lead the strategic development and operational execution of our external training services. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of our training offerings, expand our market reach through thoughtful marketing and campaigns, and ensure the delivery of exceptional learning experiences for our clients so that they can have a positive impact on the world.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead efforts to drive sales from new and existing clients across the public, private and charity sector, collaborating closely with the advisory team and comms/marketing teams.
• Finding innovative ways to promote BIT Academy offerings, develop compelling value propositions (learning pathways, volume discounts and packages), and lead client acquisition efforts.
• Engage directly with key clients to understand their training needs, gather feedback, and build strong, lasting relationships.
• Contribute to proposals and presentations for potential clients, showcasing the expertise and value of the BIT Academy.
• Oversee the end-to-end design, delivery, review, and continuous improvement of all training courses, ensuring they are highly engaging, relevant, and aligned with client requirements.
• Lead the design and implementation of engaging and effective online training packages, leveraging standard industry software and best practices in e-learning.
• Ensure all course content is up-to-date, reflective of best practice (eg, adult learning theory, accessibility).
• Operational Excellence:
  • Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for the BIT Academy, ensuring business growth and client satisfaction.
  • Manage the operational delivery of all training courses, with the support of our Operations team, including scheduling, resource allocation (trainers, venues, online platforms), and participant management.
  • Establish and maintain robust quality assurance processes for all training deliveries, both in-person and online.
  • Oversee the (selection and) administration of the training management system.
  • Manage the P&L for the BIT Academy with consideration for the pricing of courses, levels of attendance, fixed cost and variable costs.
• Trainer Management & Development:
  • As required, identify, recruit, and onboard high-calibre trainers, both internal and external, who possess strong subject matter expertise and excellent facilitation skills.
  • Provide initial training, ongoing coaching and mentoring for the trainer pool.
  • Measure quality and maintain high delivery standards across all trainers and courses.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Proven experience (typically 7+ years) in the learning and development sector, with a significant portion dedicated to managing training courses for external, paying clients.
• Demonstrable experience in building, implementing, and managing online training packages using standard e-learning software (e.g., Moodle, TalentLMS, Teachable, Thinkific, Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, etc.).
• Strong understanding of adult learning principles, instructional design methodologies, and blended learning approaches.
• Experience in developing and executing training strategies that drive business growth and client satisfaction.
• Engaging and collaborative leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively at all levels.
• A track record of managing projects and budgets successfully, with strong organisational and problem-solving abilities.
• Commercial acumen with an understanding of sales and marketing in a training context.
• Residency in the UK with the right to work.

Desirable Skills and Experience:

• Formal qualification in training, instructional design, or project management.
• Experience working with a Learning Management System (LMS) in an administrative or content creation capacity.
• Knowledge of specific industry sectors relevant to Behavioural Science.

What We Offer:

• Work with amazing clients across the private and public sectors, focused on delivering social impact across a wide range of public policy issues from energy and climate change, health and wellbeing, education, work and employment.
• The opportunity to lead and shape a key strategic area of the BIT business, with flexibility to shape the programmes and delivery, and scale our social impact.
• A dynamic, collaborative and supportive work environment, with flexible working, and collaboration opportunities with the charity, Nesta (BIT's parent organisation).

BIT really is a great place to work:

• 25 days of annual leave (in addition to public holidays) for full-time employees, rising to 27 days after 2 years continuous service.
• Generous pension scheme with 7% employer contribution.
• A flexible benefit pot of £1,100 to spend on our flexible benefits programme which currently includes things like the ability to buy extra annual leave at the start of the year, gym membership, cycle to work scheme etc or just take as cash.
• Support for flexible working and have a culture which enables this; for example flexible start and finish times and an IT set up which allows for easy working from home options.
• Regular team lunches with inspirational guest speakers.
• A great office, which has a fabulous roof terrace overlooking the river Thames!

We use a platform called Applied to reduce bias in the recruitment process. You will need to answer a few work-based questions which will be anonymously marked by members of our team. Our selection is based on performance in these questions, as well as reviewing your CV to understand your experience.

Candidates with the top scoring answers will be invited to a structured interview where you get to meet some of the team. At the interview stage you will be asked questions that reflect the role and also to complete a work-based task, so you have the chance to demonstrate your skills. It's at this stage we first see your CV. We always give all applicants feedback, no matter what stage your application reaches.

Please note:

You will need to have the right to work in the UK in order to be able to undertake this role. We will ask all applicants short-listed for an interview to provide evidence of their right to work during the recruitment process.

Some of the personal data you provide to Applied when you apply for a role with The Behavioural Insights Team will be passed on to The Behavioural Insights Team for the purposes of (a) reviewing your application; (b) inviting you for interview; and/or (c) offering you a job and getting you set up as an employee/contractor.For full details on how BIT collects and uses your personal data please visit our website -

If your application is not successful, any personal data provided to us by Applied (including any personal data relating to equal opportunities monitoring as set out above) will be retained by The Behavioural Insights Team for no longer than 6 months after the application deadline has passed (other than in exceptional circumstances where we may need to retain your personal data for longer), at which point your personal data will be securely deleted. We only keep your information for that period in order to allow us to comply with relevant legal obligations.

Office UK - London Contract type Permanent: Available on a full-time (39 hours) or part-time basis (minimum 4 days per week). Flexible working options include: flexible start and finish times, some home working and compressed hours. Deadline 15th Sep 2025 Salary £63,000 - £70,000 (GBP) Application link Apply now