Head of Change (Ref: 197741)

Head of Change - Leeds (On- site) - £90,000-£110,000 (DOE)

This is an exciting time to join an established and successful UK financial services organisation as it enters the next phase of its business strategy. Building on a strong heritage and well-established foundations, the organisation is focused on improving, growing and modernising the business over the coming years.

As Head of Change, you will be a key member of the organisation’s senior change leadership team, taking strategic ownership of the enterprise change portfolio and providing oversight across the firm’s wider change activity.

You will inherit an established team of talented change professionals, alongside mature governance, frameworks and ways of working. Your role will be to build on these foundations, develop the capability further and ensure that change initiatives are prioritised, governed and delivered effectively. You will be joining an environment where senior leadership is supportive of change, transformation and continuous improvement.

The Projects & Change function has made significant progress in recent years and has an established platform from which to build. This is an opportunity for an experienced change leader to bring strategic direction, challenge and leadership to the function, helping the organisation reach its next stage of growth and development.

Further details regarding the role and responsibilities are set out in the full job description.

What We Are Looking For:

Qualifications, Experience & Knowledge

Essential

• Significant experience leading enterprise-wide change, transformation, portfolio management or equivalent functions.
• Proven experience managing complex portfolios, multiple workstreams and competing priorities.
• Demonstrated success in establishing, developing or maturing a multi-disciplinary change, transformation or Project Management Office function.

Desirable

• Experience within financial services or another highly regulated industry.
• Experience working within an FCA-regulated or equivalent regulatory environment.

Skills & Behaviours

• Client & Outcome Focused – keeps change initiatives focused on delivering meaningful business and client outcomes.
• Commercially Aware – understands the commercial drivers for change and can clearly articulate expected benefits and value.
• Effective Communicator – demonstrates excellent communication, facilitation and negotiation skills across a broad range of stakeholders.
• Process & Detail Oriented – able to design, implement and continuously improve robust governance, processes and controls.
• Professional Integrity & Credibility – has the confidence and credibility to influence, constructively challenge and build relationships at all levels.
• Proactive Problem Solver – actively identifies opportunities for improvement and takes ownership of resolving challenges.
• Resilient & Adaptable – demonstrates sound judgement, effective prioritisation and consistently high-quality delivery, including under pressure and against demanding deadlines.
• Strategic Mindset – able to take a broader organisational view when assessing priorities, resource allocation, dependencies and benefits realisation.
• Strong People Manager – able to lead, motivate, develop and retain high-performing teams.

Candidates will also be expected to demonstrate strong alignment with the organisation’s core values, including Excellence, Integrity, Respect, Responsibility and Teamwork.

About the Organisation

The organisation is an established UK financial services business with a strong reputation, an established client base and a long-term track record of success.

The business is entering an important period of growth and development, with a strategy focused on improving operational efficiency, enhancing existing services, developing new opportunities and continuing to strengthen its market position.

It is committed to creating a modern, inclusive and collaborative working environment where employees are supported to develop their skills and progress their careers. The organisation places a strong emphasis on employee wellbeing, professional development and creating a positive culture.

This is an opportunity to join a well-established organisation at an important stage of its development, with the opportunity to play a significant role in shaping and delivering its future change and transformation agenda.