Professional Development Manager

Location: Derby
Salary: £40,000 £45,000
Working Pattern: 4-Day Working Week
Reports to: Operations & People Director

About the Role

Are you an experienced accountant ready to step into a role where you can shape the development of others as much as deliver technical excellence?

We are seeking a Professional Development Manager to lead and deliver professional training, qualification support and structured career development across our growing accountancy practice.

This role is ideal for someone with strong accountancy experience who enjoys mentoring, coaching and helping colleagues succeed someone ready to help shape how professional development and training is delivered across the firm.

The Opportunity

Working closely with senior leadership and our Learning & Development function, you will design, coordinate and conduct professional development initiatives that support employees throughout their careers.

You will play a central role in creating clear qualification pathways, supporting exam success, and embedding consistent training standards across teams.

This is a hands-on role combining strategy, structure and delivery perfect for someone looking to move into a people-focused leadership position while remaining close to the profession.

Key Responsibilities

Professional Qualifications & Training

• Oversee professional qualification pathways (ACA, ACCA, ATT, CTA and similar)
• Design and manage apprenticeship programmes
• Deliver and facilitate training sessions, workshops and technical development initiatives
• Provide structured exam support and study frameworks
• Maintain relationships with professional bodies and external training providers
• Work alongside Learning & Development to align technical and professional skills training

Career Development & Progression

• Help develop clear career pathways and competency frameworks
• Support progression planning and promotion readiness
• Provide guidance to managers on developing future talent
• Encourage a culture of continuous professional growth

CPD & Professional Standards

• Manage CPD planning and tracking across the firm
• Ensure compliance with professional body requirements
• Maintain consistent training documentation and reporting

About You

• Qualified accountant or significant accountancy practice experience
• Strong technical grounding within an accountancy or professional services environment
• Passion for coaching, mentoring and developing people
• Experience delivering or coordinating training programmes is highly desirable
• Confidently engaging with stakeholders at all levels
• Organised, proactive, and motivated to build structured development frameworks

Why Join Us?

• 4-day working week supporting work-life balance
• Opportunity to shape and deliver firm-wide professional development
• Move into a people-development leadership role while using your technical expertise
• Collaborative and supportive culture
• Genuine opportunity to influence how training and progression evolve within the firm