Strategic HR Change Partner

Grade and Salary: Grade 8 (£47,389 - £58,225) FTE and working pattern: Full-time, 35hrs per week; Open-ended

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

Purpose of Role

The Strategic HR Change Partner will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering transformational change across Heriot‑Watt University’s people, culture, and organisational development agenda. As a newly created position, the role will be responsible for project managing People change projects and programmes, ensuring they are well‑designed, programme managed effectively launched and embedded across the University’s global campuses.

Working closely with the Deputy Director of HR, Human Resource Leadership Team, Senior leaders, and project sponsors, the Strategic HR Change Partner will champion modern, evidence‑based approaches to people change and project management, supporting the University’s Strategy 2035 and beyond. This is a new and unique opportunity within the HR Directorate and the chance to influence University‑wide change and transformation to promote a collaborative, values‑driven environment committed to innovation and continuous improvement.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Act as the HR change expert for major transformation programmes, ensuring people‑centred change principles are embedded.
• Provide expert advice to senior leaders on organisational design and change readiness.
• Build strong relationships across Strategic People Partners and People Partners, and global campus HR teams to ensure consistent change delivery.
• Lead the planning, design, and facilitate the implementation of HR change projects, including across all HR specialisms including for example culture change initiatives, employee relations and organisational design in conjunction with colleagues across the function.
• In partnership with the senior leadership team provide programme management of the people and culture 10-year strategy.
• Establish clear project governance, milestones, and success measures.
• Identify risks, issues, and interdependencies, ensuring proactive mitigation and escalation where required.
• Coordinate cross‑functional project teams and external partners as needed.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Develop and deliver communication and engagement plans that support understanding, adoption, and sustained behavioural change in conjunction with internal communications colleagues.
• Facilitate workshops, focus groups, and consultation activities with staff, managers, and trade union partners.
• Ensure change messaging is inclusive, transparent, and aligned with university values.

Capability Building

• Equip managers and HR colleagues with tools, frameworks, and confidence to lead change effectively.
• Design and deliver training, toolkits, and resources to strengthen organisational change capability in conjunction with Professional and Organisational Development colleagues.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the HR Directorate.
• Use data, analytics, and staff feedback to inform change design and measure impact.
• Produce reports, dashboards, and recommendations for senior leadership around people change.
• Ensure lessons learned are captured and applied to future initiatives.

Essential & Desirable Criteria

• Excellent project management skills, with experience delivering multiple concurrent initiatives and experience with recognised qualifications.
• Excellent change management skills and experience with recognised qualifications.
• Experience leading complex organisational change in a large, multi‑stakeholder environment.
• Strong understanding of HR functions, employment frameworks, and people‑centred change methodologies.
• Demonstrable ability to influence senior leaders and build trust across diverse groups.
• Outstanding communication, facilitation, and relationship‑building skills.
• Ability to analyse data, identify trends, and translate insights into action.
• Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Experience working in a global organisation.

Heriot‑Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.