Change Management Officer / Change Manager

Overview:

Overview:

This is a new role to the business created under the new Transformation and Analytics division and is key in helping to support operational departments initiate, plan, deliver and land change.

The business has recently developed a flywheel strategy and we are looking to deliver large, high level change projects, as well as spark lower-level process efficiencies within departments themselves.  This role sits between those two levels, administrating projects with the appropriate level of control and oversight, working with departments to land those changes, as well as challenging established ways of working, helping to uncover efficiencies that the teams may not even know were possible.

Direct reports: none

Responsibilities:

Project Management

The business has grown fast, and now needs an appropriate level of control and clarity around it’s projects.  We are looking to bring structure that doesn’t stifle innovation and to link up developments in one department into others.  One key element of the role is bringing structure to projects both large and small and this role will play a dynamic project management role across projects in flight.

• Attend all appropriate project meetings, record and publish action plans, ensuring you understand the details of the projects sufficiently to call out conflicts, risks, issues and successes.
  • Advise project members on best practice and ensure that the organisation is considering the wider picture and not operating projects in isolation.
  • Ensure timelines signed up to are realistic and achievable, hold project team members to account on their commitments to action.
  • Utilise appropriate project management tools and documentation, making sure that a clear position on key projects is maintained.
  • Present the overall state of your project portfolio, highlighting important details, approaches, risks and issues at the appropriate time.
  • Stay abreast of all projects and change and incorporate those developments into the thinking on your projects.

Change Management

When we have delivered change previously, we haven’t always been great at keeping the users involved, and what they get given, may come as a surprise when it isn’t exactly how they envisaged it to begin with.  Communication, prototyping, involvement of key stakeholders and generally leading people through the change is a really key facet to this role.  “Do with, not to” is the mantra we are looking to adopt.

• Be the voice of Change Management in all projects, championing the need to constantly consider the end user, and them being able to absorb the programme of change.
  • Gather requirements from teams for projects, fully understanding the need and the impact on the client / efficient processes.  Keep an open mind about the ‘why’ of processes understanding what are legacy approaches and what really makes a difference to outcomes.
  • Translate these requirements to the IT team who will select / build appropriate solutions.  Dig into these solutions with the team understanding processes, practicalities, and actual fit to the initial requirements. 
  • Walk the line between the users’ desire for perfect solutions, and the IT team’s view of achievable ones.  Know when to push for better user outcomes vs challenging the users on their thinking on legacy approaches.  Operate using agile methods to release benefits asap, improve capability over time and pivot when required.
  • Impact plan with teams about how upcoming central developments will affect processes in their area.  Understand and map processes and any supporting analytics and/or oversight that will be required to make the process work.  This may also include acquisitions, and the integration of new staff and processes.
  • Demonstrate prototypes to key stakeholders, gather and incorporate feedback and translate back to the IT team any legitimate challenges.
  • Co-Ordinate (and where appropriate, lead) training of users in new ways of working, landing the story with them so they understand the why as well as the how.
  • Identify opportunities to apply efficiencies and developments from one area of the business into another, highlighting potential areas to investigate.
  • Lead stakeholders on journeys that allows them to see the bigger picture of working in certain ways and the benefit to the business.

Communications

One further key area we are looking to focus on is keeping the business informed of what projects are due to come when, what the roadmap for the future looks like and what pain points we are looking to take away.  For a small business there is a huge amount going on here, and being able to provide visibility of that roadmap is key.

• Design, write, edit and publish a Transformation newsletter at appropriate intervals (which may vary over time).
  • Stay abreast of the roadmap, and the impacts on processes and how that will affect the teams.  Put yourself in their shoes and communicate in ways that brings this to life for the teams.
  • Gain feedback on the newsletter and modify approaches accordingly.

Person Specification

We are an equal opportunities employer and have an awareness that certain demographic groups are less likely to apply for roles if they don’t fit every single requirement.  As such we’ve tried to keep it general below.  If you’re thinking that you don’t tick every box, but think you have relevant skills and experience, please do reach out as we’d love to hear from you. 

The role can be a Change Manager or a Change Management Officer dependent on experience.  A fully rounded individual in all of the above would be a rare thing, and we are keen to work with people who want to develop into that full package.  As such, it would suit someone with experience of managing projects but is able to empathise and engage with people going through change.  It would also suit someone who is a talented communicator who has an interest in project management.

We are a 65-strong accountancy firm, so being able to build relationships is key, as well as being able to decipher some of the more technical points too (don’t worry you don’t need an accountancy qualification)!

• Empathy – the ability to put yourselves in the shoes of the people and help them adapt to change.
• Independent thinking – being able to look at problems differently and being able to understand what is really important in a scenario and what is just ‘noise’.
• Influential – being able to get others to think and behave differently
• General understanding of project management best practice and what works in reality vs as well as in theory.
• Organised – able to keep track of multiple (potentially competing) projects across a variety of stakeholders and deadlines, capturing and detailing all relevant information in a timely fashion so we have records of where we are on all fronts.
• Great communicator – Adept at building relationships, and being able to tell stories as well as being able to write engaging updates that peak interest and keep people involved.
• Attention to detail – being able to pick out the really relevant details amongst a large amount of information, and piece together the little things that really make a difference.

Desirable for the role…

• Possess driving licence

The perks…

In return, the successful candidate will receive:

• Salary up to £35,000 (depending on experience)
• Benefits package inc. private medical insurance, death in service benefit
• Development for career progression within a family-feel environment
• Hybrid working patterns available, once past probation period