Head of Transformation & Integration in Durham

A little bit about us:

EMG Solicitors is an award winning Legal 500 law firm with offices across the North but acting nationally, specialising in Court of Protection, Deputyships, Mental Health Law, Family Law and Mediation, Residential Conveyancing, Dispute Resolution, Education Law and Wills, Trusts & Probate services.

Our mission is to provide the legal support our clients require in order to achieve anything from their basic needs to their wildest dreams and everything in between.

What are we looking for?

We are currently looking to recruit a Head of Transformation and Integration

Where will you be based?

This role can be based remotely but with presence in our Durham office, we would expect you to travel and work from other offices from time to time.

How many hours will you be working?

This is a full-time role which is 35 hours per week, however at EMG Solicitor we work flexibly, it’s nota9to5role,butwedoexpecttheworktobedone,whenyoudoitcanbelargelyuptoyourself, your Team Leader and the requirements of your clients.

A brief overview of the role:

This role sits at the heart of how EMG runs, changes and grows. Reporting to the CEO, the Head of Transformation & Integration ensures the organisation’s most important priorities move forward with clarity, pace and discipline, while enabling the leadership team to operate at their best.

Blending strategy, delivery and leadership support, this person will be a trusted advisor and an engine for execution - equally comfortable shaping thinking and making things happen. They will act as:

• A driver of delivery – relentless about ‘getting stuff done’
• An honest broker – offering clear, objective perspectives unconstrained by organisational politics
• An integrator – connecting initiatives, people and priorities across the business
• An orchestrator – bringing focus, structure and rhythm to the CEO and leadership team agenda
• A confidant – operating with discretion and without personal or functional bias

What will we expect from you:

Transformation Delivery:

• Own the delivery of the transformation programme with pace, rigour and accountability
• Hands on delivery of initiatives and projects as required
• Lead the PMO and ensure active prioritisation across the change portfolio — surfacing blockers and areas of concern early and working with the CEO and wider leadership to address them
• Anticipate and resolve conflicts between workstreams, teams or priorities before they escalate to leadership-level issues
• Prepare and present clear, concise materials for leadership and CEO that enable confident decision-making
• Identify performance improvement opportunities and lead data-driven initiatives to address them; foster continuous improvement and help the organisation sustain the benefits it achieves
• Surfacing blockers and areas of concern early and working with the CEO and wider leadership to address them

  Acquisition Integration:

  • Lead the integration of new acquisitions into the EMG business, ensuring value is captured quickly and transitions land well
  • Define and execute integration plans from Day 1 planning through to full operational embedding
  • Work across functions to align people, process, systems and culture during integration periods
  • Maintain a clear view of integration milestones, risks and dependencies — escalating issues early and driving resolution
  • Ensure high levels of engagement and adoption during periods of significant change, working closely with HR, communications and operational leads; capture lessons learned to continuously improve EMG’s acquisition playbook
    
  Stakeholder Management & Leadership

  • Build and maintain the relationships that keep the business moving

    Leadership - Build, lead and develop a small team of transformation and change professionals; coach and develop managers and senior leaders on strategy, change management and delivery best practice

    Relationship Building - Build strong relationships and be at ease negotiating and influencing with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation, irrespective of seniority and technical/functional background

    Partner with Fletchers Group to align EMG’s transformation activity with the wider Group change strategy, access support and expertise from key central functions, and collaborate with Group leaders, including Technology, on strategic and delivery planning.

    Provide clear, timely Group-level reporting on progress, risks and dependencies.

To be able to perform this job you will need.

• Leadership experience of working in a portfolio and programme delivery environment and/or as a Chief of Staff
• 5 years or more demonstrable experience of shaping and leading large scale business change deliveries to meet the desired outcomes of the organisation
• Hands-on experience leading acquisition integrations or major organisational change from Day 1 through to full operational embedding
• Strong understanding of change management techniques and embedding colleague change in order to sustain and drive benefits
• Experience of coaching and supporting managers in good delivery practices
• Great relationship management skills, with the ability to engage with colleagues up to and including director and executive level
• Confidence in challenging and influencing all kinds of people in order to fully embed and sustain the changes
• Pro-active, flexible and adaptable; you're able to work in ambiguous situations and bring clarity
• Detail oriented, analytical and inquisitive
• Ability to assimilate complex information and research to drive strategic business outcomes
• Excellent teamworking skills creating an environment in which colleagues can be their best
• Solid organizational skills with the ability to manage a variety of activities concurrently
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office and other project management and delivery tools
• An appropriate portfolio or programme management qualification

Some of the behaviours we want to see demonstrated in this role:

Co-operation–Youwillneedtoworkproactivelytogetherwithyourteamtowardsyourcommon goals,beingwillingtogiveupyourowntimeandhelpingclientsandcolleaguesevenwhenyouare under pressure yourself.

Courage –Youwillfightforyourclient’scause;however,wedon’twantyoutojustsay‘yes’toyour client we want to give the difficult answers and advice too.

Excellence–Weareonelegalfirmand,inyourrole,wewouldexpectyoutoseektohelpyourclient with all their legal issues. In working with your clients, we expect excellence in client care keeping them up to date with what can be done and buy when.

Integrity–Youwillworkinawaywhichdemonstratesfairness,opennessandhonestyoffering training and sharing knowledge. If you do happen to make a mistake, we would want you to raise these with your supervisor without fear of any reprisal.

Kindness–Weaskthatyoulisten,encourageparticipationandallowpeopletobeheard,noticing when colleagues and clients may need an extra hand and an offer of help.

What you can expect from us:

• Firm wide annual bonus scheme, in addition to a competitive salary
  
• 5% Pension employer contributions offered through Standard Life
  
• 25 days holiday entitlement per year (FTE) with an additional three days off at Christmas
  
• 5 extra days paid leave on your 5-year anniversary – (and every 5 years thereafter)
  
• Life Assurance providing your loved ones with a 3x salary death in service benefit
  
• Employee Assistance Program – a Freephone number you can call 24/7 for personal, legal and financial issues; to arrange counselling and a GP helpline
  
• Free annual flu injection
  
• EMG Rewards – Vivup well-being & Tastecard apps offering discounts across a large number of retailers & restaurants
  
• £50 Gift card on your birthday as well as a late start or early finish
  
• £50 Gift card at Christmas plus Christmas closure (subject to variation)
  
• Cycle to work scheme
  
• Salary Sacrifice Electric Car scheme
  
• Fruit and refreshments in each office
  
• If you want to take the family or friends out, we have two passes for Beamish open air museum which you can book out and take up to 10 people
  
• Opportunity to join EMG working groups, such as our Green Team, Better Health at Work Team, Justice, Empowerment, Diversity and Inclusion Team (JEDI) & our Community Team
  
• Regular surveys to understand issues our team care about. Includes regular guest speakers on a wide range of topics

EMG Solicitors are an equal opportunities employer

To apply for this role you must have the right to work within the UK