With 29 member states, laboratories at six sites across Europe and thousands of scientists and engineers working together, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is a powerhouse of biological expertise. EMBL is an intergovernmental organisation, headquartered in Heidelberg, that was founded in 1974 with the mission of promoting molecular biology research in Europe, training young scientists, and developing new technologies. Publishing hundreds of research articles and hosting dozens of conferences every year, EMBL is driving visionary fundamental research, and training Europe’s future scientific talent. Over the past 50 years EMBL has delivered major breakthroughs in life science, improving human, animal and plant health on a global basis. Undoubtedly, our people are at the very heart of this success. To promote and enable further development for our people, we are looking for a Head of Career Development to design, develop and implement career pathways, training and development for both scientific and non-scientific staff members across our 6 European sites. Your role Reporting to the Head of Human Resources, we are looking for an experienced, thoughtful and proactive leader with the ability to drive the strategic direction for Career Development at EMBL in close collaboration with colleagues from EMBL's International Centre for Advanced Training (EICAT) and other key stakeholders from across EMBL. The scope of this role will include: Leading a small team including a Development & Training Manager, Senior Professional Development Manager and a Learning & Development Coordinator Developing career development pathways for staff members across all 6 job families Assessing and responding to EMBL's current and future skill based needs Further development and implementation of competency based development frameworks Researching and integrating best practice within EMBL's career development provision Providing advice and guidance to EMBL Leaders, promoting talent management, effective succession planning and leadership training Researching and implementing tools and technologies to improve learning and development across our sites in close collaboration with scientific training providers at EMBL Continuous development of career development policies and frameworks to support our current and future organisational objectives Developing and maintaining professional relationships with key stakeholders including EMBL Leaders, EICAT, our Staff Association and Senior HR colleagues. This position will be based at our Campus in Hinxton but will have a pan-EMBL focus. Travel to our European sites will be required from time to time in order to build relationships, develop policies and implement new frameworks. We offer hybrid working for all staff at EMBL which includes the opportunity to work from home 2-3 days per week, if desired. You have As our Head of Career Development it is likely you will have: A University degree in Organisational Development, Human Resources, Social Sciences, and/or a related field A strong track record of project delivery in the field of Career Development Experience developing and implementing career development frameworks from the ground up Inclusive leadership experience and ability – (actively seeking to identify your own biases and consider a range of perspectives to inform decision-making and the way you lead and collaborate with others) Demonstrable key leadership qualities – self awareness, empathy, growth mindset, active listening, empowerment of others and superior communication skills The ability to work in a matrix-structure across a complex, international, multi-site organisation Experience in providing expert guidance to leadership and staff across a range of career development topics Superior presentation skills Very good writing skills for the production of reports Very good written and spoken English You may also have Experience in organisations with a scientific or technical staff Experience working internationally A second European language (French and/or German would be helpful) Salary: Grade 8, monthly salary from £4,716 per month after tax, excluding personal pension contributions and health insurances. Plus generous financial allowances depending on personal circumstances. Contract length: 5 years, renewable to a maximum of 9 years Why join us EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity enables us to collaborate more effectively and be innovative in our approaches. We are, therefore, committed to creating an inclusive and flexible culture - one where everyone can realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to our organisation. We encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing team – we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and personal experiences reflect the diversity of the populations that our science serves. We actively encourage applications from all genders and cultures, ethnic groups and all demographics to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights at this transformational point in our people strategy. Enjoy lots of benefits: Financial incentives: Salary free of income tax, Monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances Flexible working arrangements Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family (including all prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover) Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year, in addition to public holidays Relocation package including installation grant (if applicable) Campus life: Free shuttle bus (select sites), on-site library, subsidised on-site gym and cafeteria, casual dress code, extensive sports and social club activities (on campus and remotely) Family benefits: Kindergarten (Heidelberg), 10 days of child sick leave, generous paid maternity/parental leave and monthly family & child allowances Benefits for international newcomers: Visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to travel back to your home country every second year and a monthly non-resident allowance. For detailed information please visit our employee benefits page here What else you need to know International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Visit our International Applicants page, to find out more. EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we apply DORA principles to our recruitment and performance assessment processes here. Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL, we strongly believe that inclusive and diverse teams benefit from higher levels of innovation and creative thought. We encourage applications from women, LGBTQ & individuals from all nationalities. How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. Applications will close at 23:59 CET on the date shown below. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date. Closing Date 05/05/2025