Senior Change Manager

Overview

In this role you lead the people side of change for UCL’s Research and Innovation portfolio, owning the change approach and coaching senior leaders to sustain benefits. You will align change management with programme plans and advise on a broad range of initiatives to improve research and innovation services. You’ll coach sponsors and leaders, run readiness activities, and apply agile and waterfall methods to deliver adoption and value. You will shape engagement and communications to ease transitions, and grow change capability across UCL. This is a chance to influence transformation at scale in a highly collaborative university environment.

Pay / Benefits

• 41 days of holiday
• hybrid working
• defined benefit pension
• cycle to work scheme
• on-site nursery
• staff discounts

Responsibilities

• Own the change management strategy and plan across the Research and Innovation portfolio, coordinating with broader programme planning
• Assess change impacts and use data to shape decisions and manage change load
• Advise on, shape, and/or deliver change management for programmes improving research and innovation services
• Coach sponsors and senior leaders to guide teams through change, including workshops and readiness sessions
• Apply agile and waterfall change management tools (stakeholder mapping, impact assessments, adoption and benefits planning)
• Design compelling engagement and communication approaches to ease transitions and address resistance
• Grow change capability across UCL
• Collaborate with RIGE, faculties, Strategic Change and other Professional Services teams
• Lead or contribute to programmes targeting efficiency, compliance and better user experience across services
• Participate in Extended Strategic Change Leadership discussions to align with university strategy

Key requirements

• recognised change qualification or certification (APMG or Prosci)
• track record embedding change (digital, process, behavioural/organisational design) in a large, complex organisation using both agile and waterfall approaches
• knowledge of research and innovation operations in higher education
• expert change management skills: stakeholder management, impact and readiness assessment, transition delivery and adoption measurement
• proven team leadership including matrix management and developing individuals
• strong relationship-building, influencing and coaching across levels including senior sponsors
• excellent communication and presentation skills for diverse audiences
• strategic thinking at enterprise level with ability to plan, pivot and lead through ambiguity
• collaborative approach with willingness to incorporate input from others
• demonstrated contribution to UCL’s Ways of Working and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

• collaboration
• influence and coaching
• calm under pressure
• change management in agile and waterfall environments
• stakeholder mapping
• impact and readiness assessment

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