Regional Early Talent Development Manager EMEA

Digital Realty Trust Inc.; City of London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A global data center solutions provider is seeking a Regional Early Talent Development Manager for EMEA. This role involves designing and leading apprenticeship and internship programs, collaborating with multiple stakeholders, and ensuring a positive experience for apprentices. The ideal candidate will have a strong educational background in Learning & Development and proven experience in workforce development programs. Join this dynamic team to shape the future of early-career talent in the data center sector.

Benefits

Development opportunities

Inclusive environment

Supportive team culture

Qualifications

• Proven experience building and scaling apprenticeship or early-career programs.
• Strong alignment with operations, HR, talent acquisition, and leadership teams.
• Mentoring or coaching experience is essential.

Responsibilities

• Design and launch early talent programs aligned to operational needs.
• Lead recruitment and selection processes for early talent.
• Maintain relationships with educational institutions and organizations.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Cross-cultural communication

Data and insights mindset

Employer branding awareness

Relationship building

Education

Learning & Development qualification

Certification in Instructional Design

Job description

Regional Early Talent Development Manager EMEA

We are seeking an experienced and visionary leader to build, scale, and lead our EMEA Early Talent Engagement program. This role will design and deliver apprenticeship, internship, and early‑career development pathways that strengthen our data center operations workforce across the region. The ideal candidate will combine strategic thinking with hands‑on execution, strong cross‑functional leadership, and a passion for developing the next generation of engineering talent. This program will first be established across EMEA and then expanded into APAC.

What You’ll Do

• Program Design and Development
  • Design, launch, and scale early talent programs (apprenticeships, internships, bootcamps, career pathways) aligned to operational workforce needs.
  • Build structured development frameworks including competency models, rotation plans, technical and soft skills development, and progression pathways.
  • Ensure programs align with business priorities and the global talent strategy.
• End‑to‑End Talent Lifecycle Ownership
  • Lead the intake, recruitment, and selection process for early talent.
  • Oversee onboarding and induction activities to ensure a strong start.
  • Facilitate the transition of participants into post‑program roles and support conversion to full‑time employment.
  • Enable long‑term career growth and retention through structured support and career pathways.
• Apprentice Experience
  • Design and lead initiatives to ensure a positive, engaging, and inclusive apprentice experience.
  • Maintain strong communication with participants to support development, engagement, and satisfaction.
• Manager and Mentor Enablement
  • Provide tools, training, and guidance to managers and mentors to support apprentices effectively.
  • Act as a trusted advisor to managers and mentors to ensure consistency and high‑quality coaching.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with Operations, HR, Talent Acquisition, Legal, Learning & Development, and other key stakeholders to ensure alignment, resource planning, and smooth execution.
  • Collaborate with the AMER Early Talent Engagement Senior Manager to share best practices and ensure global alignment.
• Employer Branding and Talent Pipeline Building
  • Collaborate with Talent Acquisition and Marketing to strengthen employer branding, recruitment marketing, and talent attraction strategies.
  • Share success stories and program outcomes internally and externally to elevate visibility and attract talent.
• Community and Ecosystem Partnerships
  • Build and maintain relationships with educational institutions, community organizations, non‑profits, and workforce development agencies across EMEA.
  • Expand access and create pathways for underrepresented and diverse talent.
• Data, Metrics, and Insights
  • Use data and insights to evaluate program participation, conversion, and career progression.
  • Provide recommendations to leadership based on trends, outcomes, and workforce needs.
• Governance and Program Operations
  • Establish governance, processes, and policies to ensure consistency, compliance, and quality across regions.
  • Oversee logistics, communication, scheduling, and coordination of training, events, and development activities.
• Global Expansion
  • Once the EMEA program is established, support the expansion of similar programs into APAC.
  • Serve as a key voice in workforce development strategy, advocating for early‑in‑career talent and future‑proofing our operations workforce.

What You’ll Need

Education

• Learning & Development qualification required.
• Certified in Instructional Design preferred.

Experience

• Proven experience building and scaling apprenticeship or early‑career workforce development programs, ideally within data center, engineering, or technical sectors.
• Strong track record of aligning with operations, HR, talent acquisition, and leadership teams.
• Experience in workforce development, talent pipeline strategy, and career pathways.
• Demonstrated ability to work across multiple regions and cultures.
• Experience with budget planning or resource allocation.
• Experience with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• Mentoring, coaching, or talent development experience.

Skills

• Ability to build structured development programs (competency frameworks, rotational plans, progression pathways).
• Strong stakeholder management and cross‑cultural communication skills.
• Strategic thinker with a hands‑on approach to implementation.
• Data and insights mindset for decision‑making and program improvement.
• Employer branding and recruitment marketing awareness.
• Relationship‑building with internal and external partners.

Additional Requirements

• High proficiency in English and one additional European language will be beneficial.
• Willingness to travel extensively across the EMEA region.

About Us

Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL®, the company's global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data meeting place and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx™) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges. Digital Realty gives its customers access to the connected data communities that matter to them with a global data center footprint of 300+ facilities in 50+ metros across 25+ countries on six continents. To learn more about Digital Realty, please visit digitalrealty.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

What We Can Offer You

Our rapidly evolving business sector offers the opportunity to be part of a courageous and passionate team who work together to understand and meet the changing needs of our global customers. Join us and you’ll be part of a supportive and inclusive environment where you can bring your whole self to work. As part of our team, you’ll get to work with people from different business areas, challenge the way we do things and put your ideas into action. We’ll also give you plenty of development opportunities so you can build a rewarding and successful career with us. This is an exciting time to join our business so apply now and make your mark on our future.

Safely powering progress

Safety isn't just a priority here at Digital; it's critical to everything we do. Safeguarding lives, protecting assets, and securing data aren't just ideals - they're essential pillars of our commitment to excellence for our people, our partners and our customers. We have a culture of care where every member of Team Digital embraces a relentless pursuit of working safely across Digital Realty. Together we are Safely Powering Progress.

Location: Greater London, England, United Kingdom