Learning and Development Lead

To apply for this role, send your CV and a covering letter to recruitment@isha.co.uk by 9am on Wednesday, 11 November 2026.

In your cover letter, you must answer the following questions:

1. Why do you believe you are a strong fit for the role, with reference to the job description and person specification?
2. Describe a learning intervention that you designed or delivered that had a measurable impact. How did you evaluate its success?
3. What does a strong learning culture look like to you? What practical steps would you take to build one at ISHA?
4. What motivates or excites you most about Learning and Development?
5. Anything else you would like us to know in support of your application?

Please keep your responses to a maximum of 300 words per answer.

Unfortunately, we cannot consider your application if you do not answer these questions.

Reports to: Head of People and Facilities
Direct reports: None
Team: People Team
Directorate: People and Performance

Job purpose

You will lead ISHA’s organisational learning agenda and annual learning plan, identifying current and future capability needs and delivering practical, high-quality learning interventions that support individual, team and organisational performance.

Working closely with stakeholders and subject matter experts, you will manage learning projects from scoping through to evaluation, while ensuring the effective delivery of core learning and development activities. You will combine learning expertise with a practical, delivery-focused approach, creating engaging learning experiences that meet diverse business and learner needs.

You will work in collaboration with our Resident Involvement colleagues to engage and involve residents in the implementation of the Competence and Conduct Standard.

This is a newly created role at ISHA and an exciting opportunity to shape the future of learning and development across the organisation. You will play a key role in building a strong learning culture, enhancing capability and ensuring our colleagues have the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to deliver our corporate strategy and achieve the best possible outcomes for residents.

You will have the opportunity to make a lasting impact, bringing fresh ideas, driving innovation, and influencing how learning is designed and delivered at ISHA. This is a role with real scope to make your own, giving you the freedom to develop approaches, programmes and initiatives that best meet the needs of our colleagues, our organisation and the communities we serve.

Our values

Consistently demonstrate and champion ISHA’s values through your behaviours, decisions, and interactions, whilst always acting as a positive and visible role model for our values:

• Professional
• Motivated to Deliver
• People Focused
• Compassionate 

Key accountabilities

1. Lead the identification and analysis of organisational, team and role-specific learning needs, using business priorities, performance information, employee feedback and regulatory requirements to inform an annual learning plan.
2. Develop, maintain and deliver ISHA’s annual learning and development plan, ensuring that activity is prioritised against the corporate strategy, workforce capability needs and available resources.
3. Support the implementation of relevant professional standards and regulatory competence requirements, including maintaining oversight of qualification and development needs for roles within scope of the social housing Competence and Conduct Standard.
4. Oversee ISHA’s mandatory and compliance learning programme, working with subject matter experts to ensure content remains current and providing appropriate reporting on completion, non-compliance and emerging risks.
5. Maintain accurate and auditable learning records and produce regular management information on participation, completion, expenditure, learner feedback, capability outcomes and the effectiveness of learning activity.
6. Coordinate and continuously improve ISHA’s digital learning offer, including the effective administration and use of relevant learning systems and online learning platforms.
7. Monitor agreed learning expenditure, activity against budget and ensure that commissioned learning represents quality and value for money.
8. Source, commission and manage external learning providers where required, ensuring appropriate quality, safeguarding, data protection, procurement and value-for-money standards are met.
9. Design and coordinate learning interventions across the employee lifecycle, including corporate induction, role-specific onboarding, management development, professional development and career progression activity.
10. Develop and maintain appropriate L&D policies, processes and governance arrangements, ensuring fair and consistent access to learning and professional development opportunities.
11. Ensure that learning content, materials and delivery methods are inclusive, accessible and responsive to different learning needs, working styles and reasonable adjustment requirements.
12. Scope, design and deliver learning interventions that respond to organisational priorities and audience needs.
13. Manage agreed learning projects from initial concept and planning through to implementation and evaluation.
14. Partner with stakeholders and subject matter experts to create relevant, engaging learning experiences.
15. Adapt learning content and delivery methods for different audiences, objectives and business requirements.
16. Coordinate agreed day-to-day L&D activities, ensuring programmes are organised, communicated and delivered effectively.
17. Evaluate the effectiveness of learning interventions and use feedback and evidence to measure impact.
18. Drive a high-engagement learning culture across the business.
19. Work with partners within the business and HR to design and deliver bespoke solutions and follow-up meetings on strategic deliverables.
20. Contribute to the performance management process.

Essentials

In addition to the principal accountabilities of the role, there are significant elements that we deem essential for every role at ISHA:

Ensure safeguarding responsibilities are fully and effectively met by promoting a safeguarding culture appropriate to the scope and seniority of the role.

Champion equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of work, ensuring policies are actively applied and the principles of fairness, inclusion and respect are positively promoted.

Maintain a safe, compliant and responsible working environment by ensuring full adherence to health and safety and data protection requirements, and by promoting practices that protect personal wellbeing, organisational data and the safety of others.

Ensure priorities are met through flexible and responsive working, adapting approach and taking on additional reasonable responsibilities to support the needs of the team, directorate and ISHA, as and when required.

Personal specification

Dear applicant

Thank you for your interest in the role of Learning and Development Lead at ISHA.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a values-led organisation with a clear social purpose and make a meaningful contribution to the development of our people, and support delivery of our corporate strategy. At ISHA, we believe that investing in our colleagues is fundamental to delivering excellent services for residents and creating an inclusive, high-performing workplace where people can thrive.

This newly created role offers a unique opportunity to establish and embed a strategic approach to learning and development across ISHA. We are looking for an experienced, hands-on, learning professional who can quickly build good working relationships, understand organisational needs, and translate them into practical, high-impact learning solutions. You will be equally comfortable delivering learning activity.

As Learning and Development Lead, you will have the freedom to bring fresh ideas, drive innovation and influence how learning is designed, delivered and evaluated across the organisation. If you are passionate about developing people, creating meaningful learning experiences and making a lasting impact for colleagues and residents, we would love to hear from you.

We hope this recruitment pack provides a helpful insight into both the role and life at ISHA, and we look forward to learning more about you and the contribution you could make to our future success.

Best wishes

Heidi Leybourne
Head of People and Facilities

Develop People. Build Capability. Shape the Future.

At ISHA, we believe our people make a difference. By investing in learning, development and continuous improvement, we can build the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to deliver excellent services for residents and achieve our organisational ambitions.

That's why we're looking for an exceptional Learning and Development Lead to help shape the future of learning across the organisation.
This is a rare opportunity to establish and lead a newly created role with freedom, visibility, and support to make a lasting impact. You'll be responsible for building a culture where learning is valued, development is embedded in everyday work, and colleagues are equipped to achieve their full potential.

As our Learning and Development Lead, you will play a key role in ensuring colleagues across ISHA have the capability, confidence and knowledge needed to deliver excellent outcomes for residents, meet regulatory requirements and support organisational success.

Working as part of our People Team, you will partner with colleagues across the organisation to identify learning needs, design innovative development solutions, and deliver programmes that improve individual, team and organisational performance.

We're looking for someone who is passionate about developing people and helping organisations succeed through learning.

You'll be a collaborative learning professional who can combine strategic thinking with a practical, hands-on approach.

You'll bring:

• Significant experience in learning and development.
• Strong project management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience influencing and building credibility with colleagues at all levels.
• An ability to balance strategic priorities with operational delivery.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to use data to evaluate impact and inform decision-making.
• Experience developing leadership and management capability.
• A passion for helping people learn, grow and perform at their best.
• Knowledge of the Competence and Conduct Standard or social housing sector learning requirements would be beneficial, but is not essential.

Why join ISHA?

This is an exciting time to join us. As our first dedicated Learning and Development Lead, you'll have the opportunity to shape how learning is designed, delivered and experienced across the organisation.

You'll play a central role in building organisational capability, strengthening performance, supporting compliance and creating development opportunities that help colleagues thrive.

This role offers genuine scope to make your mark. You'll have the autonomy to introduce new approaches, develop innovative learning solutions and influence how we invest in our people for years to come.

Ultimately, your work will help create a culture where colleagues feel supported to learn, grow and perform at their best, enabling us to deliver better outcomes for residents and communities.

Ready to make a difference? We'd love to hear from you.

At ISHA, community and neighbourhood mean everything to us, and our roots run deep in the areas of North London that we serve. Founded over 90 years ago, we provide around 2,500 homes for over 5,000 people across Islington, Hackney and Waltham Forest. We are proud to remain a community-based housing association with a strong social purpose and an ambitious future.

We offer a wide range of housing choices: social rent, shared ownership, intermediate rent, market rent, supported housing, and options for the elderly. We also provide homes and support for the Vietnamese, South-East Asian and wider communities. We are committed to ensuring equality, diversity, and inclusion of all communities in our approach to services and the way we work.

 
ISHA is smaller and more local than many other housing associations operating in London. The roots of ISHA go back to 1933 when we were involved with tackling slum clearance, poverty, overcrowding, ill-health, and high rents. Today we employ close to 80 staff and have over 2,500 homes.  

Our purpose

To provide quality, safe, and affordable homes across north and east London.

Our mission

Provide high-quality homes and services and contribute to thriving communities.

Our values

We have four values: Professional, Motivated to Deliver, People Focused  and Compassionate.

We live our values every day and take pride in the diversity of our communities. We are committed to creating inclusive spaces where residents feel happy, respected, and able to be themselves. Our values are at the heart of everything we do, which means we are committed to ensuring that every colleague feels they belong and can contribute fully to our success.

We offer a generous pension scheme, 29 days annual leave, eye care vouchers, a cycle to work scheme, health cash-plan, and other great benefits. And we will invest in your professional development with on-going learning and career development opportunities.

Contractual

29 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) rising to 31 days after five years’ service (pro-rata for part-timers). There are three compulsory office closure days between Christmas and New Year, which need to be taken from an employee’s annual leave entitlement.

Non-contractual

Pension: Defined Contribution as a salary sacrifice. Starting at employer (ER) contribution of 6% and 2% employee (EE), or match funded up to a maximum of 10% from ER and EE.

Emergency leave: Up to five days per annum for unexpected emergencies. Day one is paid on five occasions to allow employees time to make alternative arrangements.

Financial services: We joined the London Credit Union that provides employees with fair, ethical, and affordable financial services. You can also access the home contents insurance negotiated for our residents.

Working flexibly: Up to three days working from home per week, if your role allows and with prior managerial approval. With monthly designated ‘all in’ days.

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), offering emotional and practical support, advice for legal or financial matters, a manager support line and access to online self-help resources that can help you stay focused and protect your mental health and wellbeing.

Support for continuous professional development: Everyone has a personal development plan, and we offer opportunities to take qualifications, contributing partial funding and study leave. We also offer study loans repayable over 10 months.

Management Academy for managers: Ongoing professional development for all managers that supports ISHA to set minimum standards and helps us meet best practice as line managers. We are members of the Institute of Customer Service and other relevant bodies with access to training through them. We also support all colleagues by paying for one relevant professional subscription (with approval).

Social opportunities: as a small organisation we meet regularly as a whole team, celebrate successes and share experiences.

Staff awards: Quarterly awards where colleagues nominate one another to express gratitude for great work. There are gift voucher prizes for individuals and a team award.

Health and wellbeing: a health cash plan to reclaim a percentage of the costs for a variety of health services, virtual GP appointments, second opinion diagnosis, online physio, shopping, and gym membership discounts. We also offer eye care vouchers, cycle to work scheme, Interest Free Season Ticket Loan (these are all available post probation).

We expect all ISHA’s staff, residents, and stakeholders to be treated equitably and with respect in their dealings with us.

We will be inclusive and reflect the rich and diverse communities we exist to serve.

We will work to earn the trust and confidence of staff, residents, and stakeholders that they can expect - from us and our contractors - respect, fairness, and equitable treatment.

ISHA has co-created an equality, diversity, and inclusion strategy for 2023-25 (running concurrent to the current strategic plan) and works within the framework of this as well as all current legislation and codes of practice.

London Living Wage

We are proud to be a London Living Wage employer, and no employee will earn below that level. It is calculated independently to reflect the high cost of living in the capital, giving a worker in London and their family enough to afford the essentials and to save.

Diversity

We are a diverse organisation with opportunities across a wide range of roles and professions, and we welcome talent from different backgrounds.

Safe spaces

We provide safe spaces for staff to speak out and have a plan to make us proudly anti-racist. This work has led to co-creating a diversity and inclusion strategy, and we have an internal staff-led Council, who hold regular surgeries for staff to share their concerns in a safe space.

Working in partnership

We work in close cooperation with local authorities, the Regulator of Social Housing, Homes England, the Greater London Authority (GLA), the Building Safety Regulator and other local housing associations, including Black and Minority Ethnic, specialist housing associations and co-operatives. Investment in development is provided through our own borrowing, the GLA and local authorities. ISHA leads the North River Alliance (NRA), a consortium of North and East London community-based housing associations.

We have a G1 Governance rating, C2 Consumer Standards rating, and a V2 Financial Viability rating.

Our commitment to inclusion

At ISHA, we are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome, valued and able to thrive. We believe that having a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve helps us make better decisions, deliver better services and create a stronger organisation. 

We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. We value diversity of thought, experience and perspective, and believe these differences strengthen our team and enrich our culture. 

Our address is: 102 Blackstock Road, London, N4 2DR

Getting to the office

Parking: There is very limited parking in the Finsbury Park area, but ISHA can provide a parking permit to staff with a disability who can only commute via car. We have pool cars, and staff can book parking spaces when transport is essential for their role, subject to availability and approval.

Bicycle racks are available outside the back and front of the office.

Tube/Underground: The nearest tube station is Finsbury Park on the Victoria and Piccadilly lines (10 minutes’ walk to our office).

Trains/overground: The nearest train station is Finsbury Park with trains from Moorgate and Kings Cross. London Overground operates a train from Stratford to Finsbury Park.

Buses: Many buses run between Finsbury Park station and our office: 4, 19, 106, 236. Other buses stop on Seven Sisters Road (7 minutes’ walk) 29, 253, 259, 279.

Physical layout and features

Our reception and Repairs Team are located on the ground floor. All other departments are on the first and second floors. There is a lift that serves each floor.

Our office is wheelchair accessible, and there is a disabled toilet on every floor, and one at reception. The height of some desks can be adjusted and would be suitable for wheelchair users or very tall people.

There are soft strip lights throughout with good natural light. Some managers’ offices are further away from windows and rely more on artificial lighting. However, those offices have an air-cooling system to facilitate temperature control.

As the office is mainly open plan, noise levels vary and can, at times, be high. Most employees sit in an open plan office area with colleagues, with computers and printers operating intermittently during the day.

There are audio loop systems in the main meeting room, the tenant interview rooms, and at reception.

If you prefer, you can download or view all this information in a single file.

• Full recruitment pack for Learning and Development Lead (PDF, 406kb)