Business Readiness & Adoption Specialist in Edinburgh

The Business Readiness and Adoption Specialist will play a critical role in ensuring the successful implementation and integration of new technologies, strategies and processes within the organisation. This position is responsible for preparing the business for change, ahead of programme delivery and driving user adoption strategy, thus ensuring that new initiatives deliver the intended value and benefits. The role sits within Business Transformation, a newly formed function within the Innovation Department.

Responsibilities:

• Business Transformation: Evaluation of the depth of the change that is required, ensuring that all aspects relating to transformation including cultural influences are accounted for, whilst maintaining a human-centric approach skillset.
• Change Management: Develop and implement comprehensive change management strategies to facilitate smooth transitions during the rollout of new systems, technologies, and processes. Consider and utilise appropriate communication methods and pathways to support change success.
• Business Readiness and Enablement Assessments: Conduct assessments to gauge the organisation's readiness for change. Identify potential risks and obstacles, and develop mitigation plans to address them.
• User Adoption Monitoring: Monitor user adoption rates and gather feedback to assess the effectiveness of change initiatives. Implement strategies to address resistance and improve adoption.
• Impact Analysis and Understanding: Evaluate and prioritise projects based on strategic importance, potential impact both technically and culturally, and resource availability to ensure alignment with organisational goals, escalating to the relevant management group as required. Analysis of the firmwide landscape for continuous improvement opportunities for efficiencies and leveraging feedback to enhance future initiatives.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Identify and engage key stakeholders across the organisation to ensure their support and involvement in new initiatives. Conduct regular communications to keep stakeholders informed and aligned, creating meaningful network connectivity across the firm.
• Influencing Change: Change and transformation can be challenging both technically and culturally, the Adoption Specialist needs to be able to demonstrate a multi-faceted capability, adapting style authentically and empathetically whilst still ensuring that the readiness, enablement and adoption disciplines are achieved.
• Performance Measurement: Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of change initiatives. Provide regular reports and updates to senior management on progress and outcomes.
• Enablement of Training and Development needs: Understand and contribute to any training and development that is required from change is appropriate so that related resources to this element are accessible and can support learning and adoption appropriately.

Your Knowledge and Experience:

• Proven, demonstrable experience in leading large-scale, pan-firm transformational implementations within a Change Management function.
• Proven expertise in driving multiple successful change assessment, enablement and adoption across processes, technology and future skills within organisations.
• Experience with change management methodologies, preferably PROSCI and McKinsey 7s.
• Impressive influencing abilities are crucial, coupled with the ability to build trust and connection at pace.
• A highly collaborative and human-centric approach.
• Strong verbal, written, and presentation skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where business needs drive focus.
• Strong teamwork skills, able to build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and manage deliverables quickly and effectively.

Qualifications:

• Certified in a Change Management Professional qualification.
• PROSCI certified (Preferred).
• McKinsey 7s (Preferred).

The type of candidate that we’re looking for:

As a seasoned change and transformation professional, you are, by nature, highly collaborative and can quickly build credibility and trust-based relationships through successful delivery, impressive interpersonal skills, and a high degree of emotional intelligence. You’re known for your influencing abilities; you thrive in fast-paced environments and leverage your future-looking focus to help drive a culture and approach of continuous improvement.

Critical Skills: Adaptability, Improvement Mindset, Systems Thinking, Nurture Relationships.

Closing Date: January 18, 2026.

If you are currently working at Baillie Gifford as an employee or contractor please apply to this job from the firm's Workday internal career site.