Manager Leadership Development

To build a thriving, future-ready WWF workforce by ensuring that people at all levels have the skills, capabilities, and development pathways needed to deliver the WWF Strategy.

• Embed WWF’s core values and standards to strengthen the culture and create the right working environment across the Network.
• Develop and maintain P&C standards, policies, systems, and platforms that attract, develop, and retain the right people for the organisation.
• Create the conditions for high performance, ensuring that staff can perform at their fullest potential and maximise their contribution to WWF’s conservation goals.

Role Purpose

The Manager, Leadership Development designs and rolls out the leadership framework and ensures a pipeline of leaders. Supports the Talent Development Director in delivering WWF International’s global approach to talent development. The role strengthens leadership capability across all levels of the WWF Network by designing, delivering, and continuously improving leadership development pathways that enable people to succeed in delivering the WWF Strategy. The position ensures that leadership development initiatives are future‑focused, equitable, aligned with WWF values, and integrated into broader learning, capability building, succession planning, and talent mobility efforts.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership Development Strategy & Framework

• Develop and implement an organisation-wide leadership and management development strategy aligned with organisational priorities and culture aspirations.
• Define leadership capability frameworks, management expectations, and leadership pathways for different employee groups (e.g., first-line managers, senior leaders, functional leaders, executive leadership).
• Translate organisational values and desired behaviours into practical leadership expectations and development interventions.
• Ensure leadership development supports organisational transformation, new operating models, and culture change.

Management & Leadership Capability Building

• Design and deliver scalable leadership and manager development programmes for global and geographically dispersed teams.
• Build core management capabilities, including:
  • People leadership
  • Inclusive leadership
  • Leading in complexity and ambiguity
  • Performance management
  • Coaching and feedback
  • Change leadership
  • Employee engagement
  • Team effectiveness
  • Psychological safety and wellbeing
  • Cross-cultural and remote leadership
• Develop targeted onboarding and transition programmes for newly appointed managers and leaders.

Learning Design & Programme Management

• Lead the design, sourcing, facilitation, and evaluation of leadership development interventions, including: (Leadership academies, manager essentials programmes, Workshops and virtual learning, Coaching and mentoring initiatives, Action learning, Peer learning communities, Leadership retreats, Self-directed learning pathways)
• Manage external vendors, facilitators, coaches, and learning partners.
• Ensure programmes are inclusive, accessible, and culturally relevant across regions and contexts.

Leadership Effectiveness

• Support leaders in navigating organisational transformation and change processes.
• Facilitate leadership team effectiveness initiatives and team development interventions.
• Promote leadership accountability, collaboration, and shared ownership in a matrixed operating environment.

Stakeholder Partnership & Advisory

• Act as a trusted advisor to leaders and managers on leadership effectiveness and team development.
• Partner with functional leaders to identify capability gaps and tailor interventions.
• Collaborate with DEI, safeguarding, wellbeing, and People & Culture colleagues to ensure integrated leadership practices.

Measurement, Insights & Continuous Improvement

• Develop measures to assess leadership effectiveness and learning impact.
• Use employee engagement data, performance insights, 360 feedback, and organisational metrics to identify development priorities.
• Monitor programme effectiveness and continuously improve learning offerings.
• Report on leadership capability progress and return on investment.
• Collaborate with DEI, safeguarding, and wellbeing teams.
• Collaborate with external facilitators, leadership coaches, and learning providers.