Change Manager

INTERNAL ONLY VACANCY. This post is open to existing Leeds City Council employees only. Applications will not be considered from external candidates.

In Leeds we aim high for our children and young people, with the ambition of being a child friendly city. We put children at the heart of all decisions that affect them. Whilst we hold central our ambitions for all children to have the best start in life, to have access to the right opportunities to live happy and healthy lives, critical to delivery of this is the Children's & Families workforce. The values, behaviour, insight and approach that leaders, managers and practitioners bring to their work determines the quality of the service that children, young people and families receive. We have a lot to shout about and be proud of in Leeds. In 2022 the Children's & Families services retained its Outstanding Ofsted judgement. The current Children & Families environment is challenging, not least as impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic continue to be felt, however it is also an exciting time, with lots of opportunities to make improvements in service delivery and work practices. Why not come and join us on this journey and be part of making a real difference to the lives of children, young people and their families across the city.

Introduction to the role of the team: Within Children & Families you will work in the Transformation team who support the delivery of an ambitious programme of change to achieve efficiencies, increase service capacity and improve outcomes for children, young people and their families.

Your role: Playing an integral part in delivering and embedding a significant programme of transformation across the directorate, you will have a central role in successful development and delivery of the transformation agenda, by providing strong leadership, with high-support, high-challenge, in the context of a complex programme of change. Proactive and creative, you will be able to use your excellent professional knowledge and skills to improve services through the delivery of programmes of strategic significance by managing a portfolio of projects to facilitate innovation and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of services and functions across the directorate. The Change Manager will engage with partners and other stakeholders to gain agreement and commitment to delivering change, co-operation, and resources to successfully deliver service improvement.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage a significant, varied and complex programme of change aligned to the directorate's transformation agenda, ensuring successful delivery.
• Matrix management of multi-disciplinary project teams, identifying and planning for required resource within project programmes.
• Provide support to teams, managers and senior leaders, supporting readiness for change.
• Provide strategic and operational leadership across the directorate in change and transformation, with high-support, high-challenge.
• Supervision and appraisal of staff in line with associated policies and procedures.
• Support staff to feel motivated and engaged in the values, vision and direction of the service, promoting the values of the Council through appropriate behaviour and professionalism.
• Manage performance of the team across a range of agreed indicators and undertake management actions to improve performance as necessary.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives through contributing to cross Council projects and collaborative working with partners across the health and care sector.
• Work with a range of colleagues from across the directorate, council and partners to ensure the right support for teams, managers and senior leaders, which create the right conditions for successful change.
• Take lead for ensuring appropriate use of information technology, processes and systems to ensure efficient and effective service delivery including planning and control in accordance with the requirements of GDPR.
• Use initiative to identify issues and develop solutions to issues and problems to ensure effective delivery of the service.
• Manage competing priorities, ensuring consistency of approach, with a key focus on delivery and quality.
• Provide written and verbal reports on activity to the directorate's senior leadership team, transformation delivery board and other stakeholders, as required.
• Oversee budgets aligned to the directorate's transformation programme supporting project delivery, including planning and monitoring spend and working with finance colleagues to provide monitoring reports as required.
• Engage with partners and other stakeholders to gain agreement to, and ensure ongoing commitment to, delivering the directorate's change and transformation agenda.
• To be an active participant in the Transformation & Partnerships Service leadership team.
• Advise senior leaders, executive and elected members as required on matters of policy and strategy.
• Chair and manage meetings as required, including agenda planning and preparation.
• Be aware of relevant legislation, guidance, policies and interpret and apply them consistently.
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
• Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g., child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality, and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, and promoting the values, standards, and equality and diversity policies opportunities of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse of equality and diversity, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Qualifications: It is essential that you hold a relevant programme or project management qualification or be able to clearly demonstrate substantial equivalent knowledge and experience of project management.

Essential Requirements: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements.

Skills Required:

• Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate.
• Able to use initiative to develop solutions to issues and problems to ensure effective delivery of the service.
• Strong leadership skills in the context of managing change and leading major projects.
• Effective application of project management techniques and methodologies to achieve desired outcomes.
• Able to review current processes and delivery models, identify areas for improvement/change and lead the design of business re-engineering to meet agreed outcomes.
• Excellent report writing skills, with the ability to present complex information succinctly.
• Strong presentation skills, both written and verbal, to a range of audience including to senior leaders, boards, and Elected Members.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across team and organisational boundaries.
• Highly effective inter-personal skills with the ability to lead, influence, establish and maintain positive working relationships across a range of stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to gather, interpret, present data from a range of sources.

Experience Required:

• Substantial experience of working within a programme and/or project management environment.
• Of working across complex change programmes, supporting successful project delivery.
• Of leading and managing projects involving partnership working across a variety of disciplines and professions.
• Of supporting teams through both cultural and operational change to ensure effective service delivery.
• Of working within a matrix management approach.

Behavioural & other Characteristics required:

• Committed to continuous improvement.
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council Equality & Diversity Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities to ensure up to date knowledge, skills and continuous professional development.