**Position Overview**
ICFO is seeking a highly motivated and experienced leader for the role of **Head of Professional Development**, reporting to the Vice-Director of People, Education and Culture. This leadership position plays a crucial role to ensure that ICFO provides high-quality career development programs to support both current performance and long-term professional growth of all ICFOnians.
This call is issued under the framework of the approved ICFO Public Employment Offer (OPO 2025), as approved by the ICFO Board of Trustees and in accordance with Law 14/2011 on Science, Technology and Innovation, Law 9/2022 on the Catalan Science System, the Basic Statute of Public Employees (Royal Legislative Decree 5/2015 - EBEP), and Law 19/2014 on Transparency, Access to Public Information and Good Governance.
**Key Responsibilities**
- Deliver & continuously improve **Professional and Career Development** programs for ICFO’s operational teams. Implement **annual individual career development planning and evaluation procedures** in close collaboration with the Academic Affairs and Labor Affairs teams.
- Implement an in-house **Leadership Development and Coaching** program for ICFO’s Group Leaders and Team Leaders to ensure long-term sustainability of ICFO’s leadership and operational structures.
- Provide comprehensive **Student & Researcher Support and Wellbeing Services** in coordination with the Health and Safe Office ensuring a consistent and integrated approach to wellbeing across the organization.
- Design and implement methodologies for detecting institutional and individual development needs, ensuring alignment between professional growth opportunities and ICFO’s strategic goals.
- Collaborate with the **Digital Transformation Lead** to ensure that professional and leadership development are integrated into ICFO’s digital transformation strategy.
- Implement tools for data analysis, automation, and performance tracking. Monitor impact and outcomes for continuous improvement.
**Why Join Us?**
At ICFO, you will have the opportunity to lead innovation and engagement at a globally renowned research institution.
This role offers a platform to make a meaningful impact by recruiting outstanding students, researchers and staff to fulfill ICFO’s triple mission of performing groundbreaking research, educating the next generation of research leaders, and transforming research into solutions that benefit society.
ICFO provides an intellectually stimulating and inclusive environment, dedicated to fostering professional growth and advancing the frontiers of science and technology.
**Share this opening!**:
Use the following URL:
**Qualifications and Experience Required**
- 5+ years of experience in professional development role in a research driven organization, including experience in designing and implementing professional development programs for students, researchers, and management professionals.
- 3+ years’ experience in leading and managing a team of direct reports.
- Proven experience in developing and delivering training programs across various formats.
- Knowledge of Catalan at level C1 or equivalent, or commitment to demonstrate equivalent proficiency through an internal test conducted under the standards of the Consorci per a la Normalització Lingüística (CNL), in accordance with Catalan public-sector requirements.
- Masters level qualification in teaching, professional development, or the equivalent.
**We will also value demonstrable experience in**
- Experience with graduate education programs in the regional, national and/or European context.
- Ability to collaborate with senior leadership, including research group leaders, to align professional development strategies with institutional goals.
- Proficiency in using digitalization and automation tools, including AI, in the context of professional development, and ability to leverage data and generate insights to improve professional development programs.
**Personal Characteristics & Skills**
- Strong understanding of adult learning principles and instructional design methodologies.
- Strong leadership, relationship-building, and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to inspire trust, credibility and collaboration.
- Ability to anticipate future needs and align training programs with institutional strategic objectives.
- Ability to work in a diverse, international environment, understanding different cultural perspectives and adapting strategies accordingly.
- Exceptional communication skills, both oral and written.
- Fluency in English, Spanish and Catalan.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and facilitation skills
- Ability to analyze data and assess training effectiveness
- Leadership skills to influence and collaborate with stakeholders at different levels
- Knowledge of relevant industry trends and best practices in professional development
**Conditions**
This is a full-time position.
The contract offered will be a perman