Senior Workforce Planning & Skills Lead
AXA is a global leader in insurance and financial services, dedicated to helping customers protect what matters most to them. As the sixth-largest insurance company in the world, we provide a wide range of services, including health, car, home, and business insurance. We support millions of customers worldwide, helping them navigate life's uncertainties with confidence.
AXA UK Support Functions look after our three customer-facing business units, providing the infrastructure and expertise to make sure we can be there for our customers.
The Senior Workforce Strategy & Skills Lead plays a vital role in shaping and executing strategic workforce planning and skills development initiatives aligned with AXA UK&I's tools, governance, and approach. This position is responsible for helping Business Units proactively anticipate medium to long-term workforce needs by identifying critical skills gaps and designing targeted development solutions. The role involves recommending talent and agility strategies to address evolving business requirements, working closely with the SWP & Skills team, business leaders, Finance, Strategy, and People functions to translate strategic priorities into actionable workforce plans.
Key responsibilities:
• Support the Design and Delivery of Workforce Strategies:
• Assist in developing comprehensive workforce planning frameworks that are integrated within business units.
• Support the implementation of strategies that align talent supply and demand, support organisational change, and ensure agility in resourcing and skills development that enhance the AXA UK&I Employer Value Proposition.
• Act as a trusted advisor to business leaders, on workforce implications of strategic initiatives
• Data Collection, Analysis, and Insight Generation:
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• Support the Data & Insights team in the identification of internal and external data sources and inputs that will enable the analysis of workforce data.
• Use advanced analytics, scenario modelling, and predictive techniques to identify trends, skills gaps, succession risks, and future talent needs.
• Provide actionable insights and recommendations to support decision-making at all levels.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration:
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• Build strong relationships with senior business leaders, Finance and Strategy leads, People Directors and Strategic People Partners and People Team CEO as required.
• Collaborate with NextGen to support shifts in ways of working at an enterprise level.
• Facilitate workshops and strategic discussions to align workforce planning activities with business priorities.
• Support leadership in understanding workforce risks and opportunities, and in adopting data-driven approaches, including the mobilisation of no regrets 'test and learn' initiatives, which will allow UK&I scalability at pace.
• Develop and Maintain Skills Frameworks and Taxonomies:
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• Provide inputs into the creation of skills taxonomies that underpin workforce planning, talent management, and organisational agility.
• Help transition from traditional job architectures to skills-based models and ensure relevance / future proofing to support resourcing flexibility, internal mobility, and future skills needs.
• External Market and Industry Trend Monitoring:
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• Keep abreast of external developments, including industry trends, regulatory changes, and market conditions that influence workforce strategies.
• Incorporate insights into planning models to ensure relevance and responsiveness.
• Change Management and Communication:
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• Assist in the communication of workforce planning initiatives across the organisation.
• Support change management efforts to embed new processes, tools, and ways of working, specifically in relation to NextGen and a shift to Product Operating Model ways of working / broader transformation requirements.
• Ensure stakeholders are engaged and informed throughout the implementation lifecycle.
• Technology and Data Platform Optimisation:
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• Collaborate with IT and analytics teams to improve HR systems, dashboards, and reporting tools.
• Support the integration of workforce data platforms to ensure data quality, consistency, and accessibility for strategic planning and operational decision-making.
• Continuous Improvement and Innovation:
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• Proactively identify opportunities to enhance workforce planning processes, tools, and methodologies.
• Promote a culture of learning, agility, and resilience within the People and business teams to adapt swiftly to changing market and organisational needs.
• Training and Capability Building:
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• Support the development of training materials and sessions to enhance understanding of workforce planning tools and methodologies across the People Team.
• Foster capability and confidence in data-driven decision-making.
Work arrangements:
At AXA we work smart, empowering our people to balance their time between home and the office in a way that works best for them, their team and our customers. You'll work at least two days a week (40%) away from home, moving to three days a week (60%) in the future. Away from home means attending the office, visiting clients or attending industry events.
Your skills & experience:
• Proven experience in workforce planning, talent management, or organisational development, ideally within the insurance sector.
• Strong understanding of insurance industry regulations, skills requirements, and market dynamics.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse workforce data, develop insights, and support strategic decision-making.
• Experience in delivering or supporting skills development programs, reskilling, or talent pipelines in complex organisations.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, communication, and change management skills.
• Familiarity with HR technology platforms, analytics tools, and data-driven workforce planning approaches.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
As a precondition of employment for this role, you must be eligible and authorised to work in the United Kingdom.
How to apply:
To apply, click on the 'apply now' button, you'll then need to log in or create a profile to submit your CV. We're proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer and don't discriminate against employees or potential employees based on protected characteristics. If you have a long-term condition or disability and require adjustments during the application or interview process, we're proud to offer access to the AXA Accessibility Concierge. For our support, please send an email to: suzie.elliott@axa-uk.co.uk.
We encourage you to apply for this opportunity as soon as possible, as we may close this advert earlier than the listed closing date.