Senior Change Delivery Manager

Role summary/purpose of job

This strategic role demands a proven track record in managing complex global business change programmes/projects and driving the change management to maximise the benefits to the business. Leveraging a network of business contacts, the senior change delivery manager will work with, and deliver through, colleagues from across multiple teams, business areas, regions, and offices to ensure successful delivery and lasting change.

Key responsibilities and deliverables

• Drive delivery of global programmes and projects from the firm’s transformation portfolio, delivering to timescale and budget

• Collaborate with/advise partners, directors, and fee earning and business services teams to agree the scope of the programme/project including the design of solutions to business problems (such as new structures and ways of working)

• Convene delivery teams, build comprehensive delivery and change management plans, and develop tailored communication plans

• Develop and maintain programme/project and change management timelines and cost/resource plans at the appropriate level of detail paying particular attention to dependencies between work streams and other projects

• Identify potential risks and interdependencies associated with change initiatives and develop mitigation strategies

• Work with relevant internal teams to develop training programs and success metrics to equip staff with the necessary skills and knowledge to adapt to changes

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging feedback and implementing best practices

Key requirements

• Significant, demonstrable experience of leading complex business change programmes/projects across global organisations, from initiation through to benefit realisation. While these programmes/projects include IT delivery elements, this will not be the sole focus of your work. Candidates whose experience is primarily focused on IT projects may find it challenging to meet the requirements for this role

• Significant, demonstrable experience of having driven the design and approval of business solutions, shaping ambiguous concepts into (sometimes, complex) solutions. Examples of the types of change of particular interest include new businesses/offices, new or amended organizational structures/operating models, and new or amended ways of working

• Significant, demonstrable experience delivering through others, working with large, multidisciplinary programme and project teams involving internal and external resources across different global locations

• Significant, demonstrable experience of developing and maintaining programme/project schedules, resource plans, budgets and financial forecasts, RAID logs, change requests/logs and status reports

Essential Technical Skills

• Expert knowledge and practical experience of project, programme and business change management methodologies and tools

• IT literate, expert user of MS Project (and Project Online) and MS Visio. Fluent in MS Office

Highly Desirable

• Experience of working in professional services / legal sector

• Experience and knowledge in multiple disciplines such as regulation, technology, organization design, process design, and company start-up

• Experience of delivering programmes/projects which establish new (or adapt existing) businesses, from creating the initial case for change through to organisational design, establishing ways of working and operational launch of the new/revised business

Desirable Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or similar academic credit. 

• Relevant professional accreditation – Change Management certification (Prosci, ACMP) and/or Project Management Advanced level - (PMP / APMP / Prince 2 Practitioner)

Competencies

• Strong executive presence, an influencer with demonstrated ability to build, extend and maintain senior executive relationships with executive steering committee members

• Able to deliver work through teams of senior subject matters experts from a variety of work disciplines

• Must be comfortable with ambiguity and able to analyse the issues, generate solutions, with a determination to see a problem through to a solution

• Exhibit confidence in making informed decisions independently, knowing when to escalate or seek approval from leadership

• Takes ownership of tasks and is dedicated to meeting and exceeding expectations

• Able to draft efficiently, varying language and tone to suit the target audience

• Decisive and mature in judgement and decision-making; resilient and calm under pressure

• Excellent presentation skills with the ability to pitch new ideas clearly and inspire confidence

• Takes a consulting approach and has the ability to build strong working relationships at all levels

Inclusion

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered by the firm on the basis of their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.

Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case by case basis and take a number of factors into account (eg the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.