Global L&D Associate Director

BRAND: Publicis Groupe
Job Function: Human Resources
Location: London, United Kingdom
Experience Level: Management
Workplace Type: Hybrid

Company description

OVERVIEW
Publicis Groupe is one of the world's largest communications holding companies, present in over 110 countries and employing about 100,000 professionals.. The Groupe is positioned at every step of the value chain, from consulting to execution, combining marketing transformation and digital business transformation.

HELPING OUR CLIENTS UNLOCK GROWTH IN THE PLATFORM WORLD
Our clients compete in the platform world, a horizontal marketplace between creators and consumers, between speakers and listeners, between buyers and sellers. To thrive in the platform world, companies must continue to innovate their products and business models. Four imperatives (1. Real Identity, 2. Dynamic, Diverse and Disruptive Creativity 3., Smart Media and 4. Direct Relationships) via our suite of world-class agencies, are necessary for modern brands to win in the platform world. At Publicis Groupe, we've invested in capabilities across these four imperatives our clients need to unlock growth. As the only one who can architect, build and orchestrate end to end solutions, not only do we have a proven record of building bespoke models for clients and leading expertise across all major industry categories, we are able to offer our talents more opportunities to grow and benefit from a richer learning experience. We call this Power of One. Powered by a 100,000-strong network via Marcel, our AI-based platform, we are also able to provide our clients and talents instant access to resource, knowledge for any need, any time, in any market.

THE SPIRIT OF VIVA LA DIFFERENCE
Viva La Difference is deeply rooted in everything we do. It has always been in our DNA. From the birth of Publicis, 94 years ago, when Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, our founder, invented French advertising. Viva La Difference expresses how we value and respect each individual and recognize what makes us distinctive. This is the charge that inspires our teams to celebrate the differences in identity, background, culture, and experience of all of us. It is how we behave with each other and our clients, and it is deeply rooted throughout our work, to elevate and bring to life our differences throughout the platform world.

Our Commitment
As part of our dedication to create an inclusive and diverse workforce, Publicis Groupe is committed to equal access to opportunity for people without regard to race, age, sex, disability, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, gender identity or religion.

Overview

We are recruiting a Global L&D Associate Director to lead the design, evolution and management of advanced leadership programmes for senior executives in a large, complex, international organisation. The L&D Associate Director will work closely with the Global Head of Leadership Development and senior stakeholders across the Groupe to ensure these programmes directly support Publicis' strategic priorities.

This role is about using leadership as a lever for transformation, innovation and business acceleration in a context shaped by constant change.

The successful candidate will operate at the intersection of leadership, innovation and strategy, working with senior leaders to help them rethink how they lead, decide and create value. The L&D Director will bring creative thinking to an already bold vision, ensuring that every experience we create feels engaging, world-class, and unmistakably Publicis.

Responsibilities

1. Design Leadership Experiences That Drive Transformation

• Design advanced leadership journeys focused on transformation, innovation and strategic impact
• Move beyond skills-based or behaviour-only models toward programmes that influence how leaders think, decide and act
• Ensure learning experiences connect clearly to business priorities and outcomes

2.Curate Forward-Looking Content and Experiences

• Bring strong outside-in perspectives on topics such as AI, digital transformation, new operating models and leadership in complexity
• Partner with internal experts and external faculty to deliver cutting-edge, relevant experiences
• Translate complex ideas into practical leadership moves

3.Lead and Evolve Flagship Senior Programmes

• Manage senior-level programmes, from concept and design through delivery and continuous evolution
• Oversee programme planning, timelines, budgets, and delivery rhythms to ensure flawless execution at scale
• Coordinate contributors, faculty, partners and internal stakeholders to deliver complex, multi-touchpoint programmes
• Shape the narrative arc, learning flow and experience design across cohorts and activations

4.Operate with a Strong Global Lens

• Design programmes that resonate across cultures, markets and geographies
• Apply an international mindset informed by experience working in global or multi-market environments
• Ensure consistency of ambition and quality while respecting local contexts

5.Contribute Across the Broader Leadership Portfolio

• Act as a senior thought partner across the wider leadership and learning portfolio, beyond the core programmes owned
• Support content development, experience design and facilitation efforts on other leadership initiatives as needed
• Contribute perspective, challenge and coherence to ensure consistency of ambition, quality and narrative across programmes
• Step in selectively as a facilitator, curator or design advisor where seniority, credibility or transformation expertise is required

Qualifications

• Have demonstrable experience in learning design, facilitation, or program management, ideally in a creative, digital, or transformation-driven environment
• Proven track record designing or leading innovation-led or transformation-focused programmes for senior leaders
• Strong exposure to international, multi-market environments
• Business-first orientation: understands P&L, growth and transformation realities
• Are both strategic and hands-on - able to zoom out to see the narrative arc and zoom in to craft an elegant learning flow.
• Think in systems - you naturally connect dots across programs, people, and priorities
• Are comfortable influencing peers without direct authority and building trust in a matrixed organization.
• Bring strong facilitation presence and comfort working with senior audiences.
• Combine structure and imagination: you love designing systems that enable creativity at scale.
• Thrive in a collaborative, fast-moving, global context and enjoy working across different programs and cultures.
• Are comfortable with ambiguity and able to move pro-actively with autonomy

Additional information

Publicis Groupe operates a hybrid working pattern with full time employees being office-based three days during the working week.

We are supportive of all candidates and are committed to providing a fair assessment process. If you have any circumstances (such as neurodiversity, physical or mental impairments or a medical condition) that may affect your assessment, please inform your Talent Acquisition Partner. We will discuss possible adjustments to ensure fairness. Rest assured, disclosing this information will not impact your treatment in our process.

Please make sure you check out the Publicis Career Page which showcases our Inclusive Benefits and our EAG's (Employee Action Groups).

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