Change Manager in Manchester

Lead and manage the effective delivery of organisational change across SBG, ensuring that people, processes and systems are prepared for transformation. The Change Manager will act as a key enabler of successful programme delivery by developing and executing change management strategies that minimise disruption, maximise adoption and embed sustainable improvements aligned to the organisation’s strategic objectives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement comprehensive change management plans for strategic programmes and projects, covering stakeholder engagement, communications, training and embedding activity.
• Act as the single point of contact for change management activity across assigned programmes and workstreams, partnering with Project Managers and business sponsors to align change delivery with project plans.
• Conduct change impact assessments and readiness assessments to identify risks, gaps and dependencies, and produce actionable plans to address them prior to implementation.
• Design and deliver targeted communications strategies that engage stakeholders at all levels, including Exec and Board, ensuring the rationale for change and expected benefits are clearly articulated.
• Identify and manage resistance to change, using appropriate techniques to diagnose root causes and develop mitigation plans in collaboration with senior stakeholders.
• Work closely with HR, Learning & Development and operational teams to design and deliver role-specific training programmes and support materials that build capability and confidence in advance of change go-live.
• Build and maintain a network of change champions and sponsors across the business to drive grassroots engagement and embed a culture of continuous improvement.
• Monitor and report on change adoption, utilisation and proficiency metrics post-implementation, taking corrective action where adoption falls short of agreed targets.
• Contribute to the development and ongoing refinement of SBG’s change management methodology, tools and templates to build internal capability and consistency.
• Support the Transformation Office in maintaining a consolidated view of change activity across the portfolio, flagging change saturation risks and recommending sequencing adjustments where required.
• Actively participate in the Change Management Community of Practice, sharing lessons learned and contributing to continuous improvement of change practices across SBG.

Critical behaviours required

• Ability to engage a range of stakeholders and articulate concepts at all levels of the organisation.
• Resilient and adaptable, maintaining focus and positivity in ambiguous or fast-moving environments.
• Collaborative and inclusive approach, working effectively across functional boundaries.
• Demonstrates personal accountability and takes ownership of outcomes.

Qualifications required

• Recognised Change Management qualification (e.g. Prosci Practitioner, APMG Change Management Foundation/Practitioner or equivalent) may be useful but are not essential providing the candidate can evidence their experience.

Experience required

• Demonstrable track record of leading change management activity on significant business transformation programmes, with evidence of successful adoption outcomes.
• Experience of working across multiple concurrent projects, managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience of developing and delivering stakeholder engagement plans, communications campaigns and training programmes in a change context.
• Previous experience in Financial Services, retail distribution or the IFA market.
• Experience of change management in Agile or hybrid delivery environments.

Our Approach to Risk Management

You will require an awareness of operational and regulatory risk which may impact on SBG. You will be responsible for reporting to your line manager any risk which may impact on the business.

Three Lines of Defence Risk Management Model

You will be required to deliver your role competently and comply with the relevant standards and procedures, ensuring that SBG delivers a service where suitable advice is given to the end consumer, which is adequately recorded and ultimately promotes good customer outcomes. This can either be through direct influence or in a support services capacity.

The Consumer Duty Principle

You will be required to highlight to your line manager procedures and processes that may impact on SBG’s ability to deliver good outcomes for retail customers and/or may lead to foreseeable harm. Where possible and relevant to your department, put forward suggestions that could positively impact the outcomes achieved by retail customers.

Information Security

You will need to be aware of all information security principles, policies and procedures and ensure these are followed on a day-to-day basis. You will be required to remain vigilant at all times and report any security concerns, suspicions and/or breaches in a timely manner.

Proven ability to develop and execute structured change management plans that deliver measurable adoption outcomes in complex, multi-stakeholder environments. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex change narratives into clear, compelling messages for a broad range of audiences up to Exec and Board level. Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build trust and credibility quickly, challenge constructively, and manage resistance effectively. Ability to conduct robust change impact, readiness and risk assessments, translating findings into prioritised, actionable plans. Skilled in designing and facilitating workshops, focus groups and engagement sessions with diverse teams and business representatives. High level of emotional intelligence, with the ability to coach and support individuals and teams through uncertainty and ambiguity. Strong planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams and adapt to shifting priorities. Good MS Office skills, particularly Word, PowerPoint and Excel, and the ability to quickly learn and use project and collaboration tools.

Critical Knowledge Required

• Formal change management methodology (e.g. Prosci/ADKAR, Kotter, LaMarsh) and practical experience of applying frameworks in a real-world delivery context.
• Understanding of the project and programme lifecycle and the interface between project management and change management.
• Knowledge of the Financial Services sector, ideally with exposure to the Wealth Management, Mortgage, Protection or IFA distribution markets.
• Knowledge of Sesame Bankhall Group, its products, services and regulatory environment.
• Awareness of regulatory requirements relevant to Financial Services, including Consumer Duty obligations and their implications for change delivery.