Appointment of Learning & Organisational Development Manager, Energy Organisation

At a Glance

• Sector – Energy
• Location – Brisbane, QLD
• Workforce – 1,400 employees
• Service – HR Recruitment
• Engagement – Permanent Search

The Challenge

An energy organisation with 1,400 employees had an existing L&D team focused entirely on compliance training and technical certifications, with no organisational design or leadership capability function, a gap that became urgent as the business prepared several senior leaders for succession.

An earlier hire into a newly created L&OD Manager role had strong training delivery experience but no organisational design background, and the role had to be re-run within a year.

Our Approach

Civitas specifically screened for organisational-design and diagnostic experience, evidence of having redesigned structures or led capability strategy, rather than training delivery credentials, since that was the exact gap the earlier hire had exposed.

The Solution

The appointed L&OD Manager brought a background in organisational design consulting before moving in-house, immediately beginning a capability audit against the succession plan.

Measured Impact

• Formal leadership capability framework delivered within the first 6 months
• Succession readiness assessed and documented for all senior leadership roles
• Reduced reliance on external OD consultants for structure and capability work
• Supported two internal promotions into senior roles within the first year

Client Reflection

This time we hired for the actual skill set, not the job title. 

Why This Matters

This appointment illustrates the L&D-versus-OD confusion that trips up a large share of Australian L&OD hiring, organisations that need organisational design capability frequently hire training delivery experience instead, because it’s the more visible half of the title.

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