Change Director

You’ll lead a team of change professionals who are aligned to the organisations sources of value, who support the business with the prioritisation, planning and execution of change initiatives.  By designing and operating empirical measurement systems, you’ll provide a seamless link between Technology, Business Functions and Finance, ensuring tangible benefits are realised successfully within the organisation. 

The Change Director will collaborate with senior leaders across the organisation to ensure successful change implementation and alignment with the Group’s strategic objectives, whilst ensuring compliance with regulatory and governance requirements. You’ll also regularly lead executives and the Board through retrospective and forward-looking plans and will contribute to strategic business planning exercises. 

We value flexible working arrangements, so you can choose to work remotely or maybe you live within a commutable distance from one of our offices in Salford Quays, Manchester, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, or Guernsey, and want to work in the office occasionally.  

Core skills were looking for to succeed in the role: 

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and prioritise multiple initiatives simultaneously 

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written - ability to articulate an argument and persuade senior stakeholders with robust and comprehensive communication 

• Excellent time management and organisation skills 

• Strategic and benefits leadership – ensuring the focus is on delivery of the strategy, desired business outcomes and benefits 

• Senior stakeholder management – ability to constructively challenge, win the respect of and negotiate effectively with senior management including ExCo and Board Level 

• Leadership – the ability to look ahead and understand/mitigate risks, and the ability to see the few key issues in a situation, problem or delivery and – working with others – cut through to the solution 

• Role model and leader of people – ability to guide, steer and coach team members to enable them to deliver effectively and develop professionally 

• Deep and extensive understanding of business change delivery and management processes and the keys to successful delivery of change 

• Effective planning and understanding the key components of all plans 

• Financial management – the ability to estimate and budget effectively, allowing for suitable contingency, and the ability to put together a robust and achievable business case in conjunction with Finance and business leaders 

• Ability to work effectively with others collaboratively for optimal results 

• Ability to proactively contribute to the capability development of change disciplines within the wider business 

What’s involved:  

•  Ownership of the Group’s Change Strategy and Change Delivery Framework 

• You’ll work with business pillars, develop and implement change management strategies and plans to ensure successful delivery of initiatives across the enterprise. 

• You’ll assess the impact of change, developing appropriate strategies and communication plans to mitigate delivery/benefit realisation risk 

• You’ll collaborate with business and technology teams to identify and address barriers/impediments to successful implementation 

• You’ll lead a team of Value Stream Leads, who’ll oversee change effort related to specific enterprise outcomes and their underlying technology and data products. 

• You’ll lead a team of Value Stream Product Owners who’ll manage change effort within specific parts of the enterprise 

• You’ll own and maintain the Group’s Enterprise Change Plan, prioritization processes and reporting. 

• You’ll regularly engage with the Value Stream Steering Committees, Horizon 2 Steering Committees, ExCo and Boards to align roadmaps with strategic imperatives and to understand future priorities 

• You’ll be responsible for the team of Value Stream Product Owners who will manage change effort within specific parts of the enterprise 

• You’ll own and maintain the Group’s Enterprise Change Plan and the enterprise prioritisation process, including the communication of priorities in collaboration with ExCo and Senior Stakeholders  

• You’ll proactively manage changes to the Enterprise Portfolio within delivery cycles to ensure changes are evaluated against established criteria, approved by appropriate stakeholders and communicated effectively to all relevant parties.  

• You’ll be responsible for effective change governance processes including change budget and benefit reforecasting.   

• You’ll work with the business and technology teams to identify, assess and mitigate risks associated with the portfolio to minimise potential impacts on business outcomes and strategic initiatives 

• You’ll facilitate close business and technology alignment through a collaborative, supportive and consultative manner, delivering the organisation’s business strategies and balancing innovation and growth 

• You’ll prepare and disseminate regular performance updates to senior leadership, ExCo and Boards 

• You’ll comply with the requirements, and act in accordance with, the Group Code of Conduct and Fitness and Propriety policies at all times 

• You’ll ensure compliance with Company Policies, Values and guidelines and other relevant standards/ regulations at all times 

Experience & knowledge 

• Proven track record of leading a change delivery function, including designing strategies and frameworks which respond to business and macro-economic changes in priority. 

• Demonstrable experience in portfolio mobilisation, initiation, planning and management 

• Exceptional leadership skills with evidence of managing teams across a range of disciplines and locations 

• Demonstrable record of managing multi-million-pound portfolio budgets effectively, and delivering within budgetary constraints 

• Proven understanding of Project and Programme Management techniques in different change environments. 

• Proven understanding and experience in working scaled agile - SAFe or other agile frameworks 

• Significant understanding of IT systems and how successful IT change is affected including experience of all stages of project delivery and software development lifecycle  

• Ability to construct a realistic and achievable business case in conjunction with business leaders and Finance 

• Experience of engaging and managing third parties 

• Experience of working within an FCA regulated industry, ideally within Financial Services or Insurance.   

• Knowledge of FCA requirements (including individual responsibilities in relation to Consumer Duty) 

• Develop and deliver change management training programs to build change readiness and capability within the organisation 

• Stay updated on industry best practices and emerging trends in change management, applying relevant insights to enhance change initiatives 

Skills 

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and prioritise multiple initiatives simultaneously 

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written - ability to articulate an argument and persuade senior stakeholders with robust and comprehensive communication 

• Excellent time management and organisation skills 

• Strategic and benefits leadership – ensuring the focus is on delivery of the strategy, desired business outcomes and benefits 

• Senior stakeholder management – ability to constructively challenge, win the respect of and negotiate effectively with senior management including ExCo and Board Level 

• Leadership – the ability to look ahead and understand/mitigate risks, and the ability to see the few key issues in a situation, problem or delivery and – working with others – cut through to the solution 

• Role model and leader of people – ability to guide, steer and coach team members to enable them to deliver effectively and develop professionally 

• Deep and extensive understanding of business change delivery and management processes and the keys to successful delivery of change 

• Effective planning and understanding the key components of all plans 

• Financial management – the ability to estimate and budget effectively, allowing for suitable contingency, and the ability to put together a robust and achievable business case in conjunction with Finance and business leaders 

• Ability to work effectively with others collaboratively for optimal results 

• Ability to proactively contribute to the capability development of change disciplines within the wider business 

Qualifications 

• Change management qualifications (Agile, PRINCE 2 etc) desirable however demonstrable experience preferred 

• Degree level desirable however demonstrable experience preferred 

Behaviours  

• Self-motivated and enthusiastic 

• An organised and proactive approach 

• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team 

• A flexible approach and positive attitude 

• Strives to drive business improvements to contribute to the success of the business