Head of Change - PSR1JP00105408

Head of Change | 1 day per week onsite (Tuesdays) | Contract until 31/03/2027 | Inside IR35

We're supporting a major transformation programme and are seeking an experienced Head of Change to lead business change, stakeholder engagement, adoption, and organisational readiness across a large-scale digital transformation initiative.

This is a senior leadership role within a high-profile programme delivering cloud-based services and modernised ways of working. The successful candidate will be responsible for driving change outcomes, influencing senior stakeholders, and ensuring successful adoption of new processes, systems, and capabilities throughout the transformation lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the change strategy and delivery approach across a major transformation programme.
• Own and manage the programme change plan, ensuring delivery against key milestones and objectives.
• Drive business readiness, change impact assessments, adoption planning, and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Develop and implement communications and engagement strategies to support successful organisational change.
• Establish governance, reporting, and assurance frameworks to monitor programme readiness, risks, dependencies, and delivery confidence.
• Influence and engage senior stakeholders across government and industry to secure alignment and commitment.
• Lead multiple workstreams and coordinate delivery across matrix teams and external partners.
• Provide strategic leadership and expert guidance on change management, business readiness, communications, and engagement.
• Represent the programme at senior governance forums and provide assurance on readiness and adoption.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Minimum 5 years' experience delivering business change within complex transformation environments.
• Strong Change Management background, with change expertise taking precedence over communications experience.
• Proven experience leading and delivering large-scale transformation programmes.
• Successful track record delivering digital or technology-enabled change within the UK public sector.
• Strong understanding of business readiness, stakeholder management, user adoption, benefits realisation, and change delivery methodologies.
• Experience influencing and engaging senior stakeholders, including executive-level leaders and cross-functional teams.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear and effective messaging.
• Experience establishing governance, reporting, assurance, and performance frameworks.
• Demonstrable leadership of multiple workstreams and matrix delivery teams.
• Knowledge of government transformation or commercial transformation environments.

Desirable

• APMG Change Management Practitioner.
• MSP Practitioner.
• APM Qualification or Registered Project Professional.
• Prosci Change Management Certification.
• CIPS Level 4 or above.
• Experience supporting ERP, SaaS, or large-scale cloud transformation programmes.
• Defence sector experience.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate

• Significant Change Management expertise.
• Experience working on large-scale transformation programmes.
• Strong leadership capability and strategic direction.
• The ability to work across organisational boundaries and influence senior decision-makers.
• Proven delivery of programme-level change and adoption outcomes.

Location & Working Pattern

• 1 day per week onsite (Tuesday) just outside Bristol
• Occasional ad hoc travel may be required