Change Management Lead
Overview
The Change Management Lead operates with a high degree of autonomy, acting as the primary authority on change strategy, planning, and execution within assigned programs or projects. Empowered to assess organizational readiness, define change approaches, and lead the development of communications, training, and stakeholder engagement plans. The role has decision-making authority over change-related activities and the design of interventions to support adoption, with the ability to influence project timelines, resourcing, and priorities in alignment with change impact.
While the role does not typically carry direct budget ownership, the Change Management Lead may contribute to budgeting decisions related to change enablement, training, communication, and stakeholder engagement, and is accountable for ensuring cost-effective deployment of these activities. They work closely with program leadership, business sponsors, and project managers to align change execution with business outcomes, and escalate critical issues or risks when necessary.
Job Specific Knowledge: The Change Management Lead has strong expertise in change management frameworks, with experience driving large-scale organizational transformations. They understand organizational development, stakeholder engagement, and change psychology. Skilled in designing strategies that align with business goals, reduce resistance, and sustain change. Proficient in integrating change management with project delivery (Agile/waterfall), communication planning, leadership coaching, and measuring change impact. Experienced in risk management and ensuring governance across change initiatives.
Industry Specific Experience: The Change Management Lead typically brings 8+ years of experience leading change initiatives within complex, regulated industries such as Oil & Gas, Mining, Manufacturing, Energy, or Technology. Experience driving digital transformation, operational restructuring, and culture change in large, matrixed organizations is essential. Familiarity with industry-specific regulations, safety standards, and stakeholder environments strengthens the ability to tailor change strategies effectively. Proven success in managing cross-functional teams and engaging executive leadership throughout enterprise-wide change programs is critical.
Education – Qualifications, Accreditation, Training: The Change Management Lead typically holds a bachelor’s degree, ideally complemented by domain knowledge of industrial environments within the Energy, Chemicals, or Resources sectors. Professional certifications in change management—such as Prosci Change Management Certification or ACMP’s Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP)—are highly desirable. Additional qualifications in project management (e.g., PMP or PMI-ACP) or Agile methodologies (e.g., SAFe Agilist) further enhance the candidate’s profile. The role also benefits from formal training in leadership development, organizational behavior, and strategic communication, along with continued professional development in digital transformation, stakeholder engagement, and enterprise change enablement.
HSE Capability Competent
IT Skills: The Change Management Lead should possess a solid understanding of digital tools and platforms that support enterprise change initiatives. Proficiency with collaboration and communication platforms. Familiarity with project and portfolio management tools (e.g., JIRA, Azure DevOps) and change impact tracking systems is valuable. The role requires comfort working in digitally enabled environments, including exposure to ERP systems, cloud platforms, and data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI) to monitor adoption metrics and inform decisions. The ability to interface and understand the digital context of transformation programs is critical.
People Skills: Effective communicator and team leader, capable of translating complex technical concepts into clear, actionable insights for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Other: Team collaboration, strong listening skills, attention to details, problem solving attitude, diplomatic but firm.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related technical field.
- 8+ years of progressive experience leading organizational change initiatives in complex, industrial, or asset-intensive sectors such as Energy, Chemicals, or Resources.
- Deep knowledge of change management frameworks and methodologies.
- Demonstrated success in developing, tailoring, and implementing enterprise-wide change strategies that align with digital transformation, operational efficiency, and cultural change objectives.
- Experience leading stakeholder engagement at all organizational levels, including senior executives, technical teams, and frontline operators, with an ability to navigate diverse interests and drive alignment.
- Skilled in conducting change impact assessments, readiness evaluations, risk identification, and resistance management strategies.
- Strong ability to embed change management practices into various delivery methodologies, including Agile (Scrum/SAFe), Waterfall, or hybrid models.
- Proficiency in planning and delivering communication strategies, learning programs, user adoption plans, and post-implementation reinforcement activities.
- Experience with KPIs and metrics for adoption tracking, benefit realization, and continuous improvement of change outcomes.
- Strong interpersonal and facilitation skills, with a proven ability to build relationships, influence without authority, and create collaborative environments.
- Exposure to large-scale digital initiatives such as ERP implementations, Digital Twin rollouts, Asset Performance Management (APM), or Industrial IoT integration is highly advantageous.
- Familiarity with IT/OT convergence and the cultural, organizational, and behavioral changes required in digital operations and smart asset environments.
- Exceptional communication skills—able to adapt messaging to technical, operational, and executive stakeholders, both in written and verbal form.
- Proficient in using modern collaboration and productivity platforms such as Microsoft 365, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Power BI, Teams, and digital project tracking tools like JIRA or Azure DevOps.
- Demonstrated ability to guide, coach, and support senior leadership and project sponsors in their change leadership responsibilities.
- Professional presence with strong listening, inquiry, and negotiation skills to manage conflict, gain buy-in, and build trust in high-stakes environments.
- Agile and strategic mindset—capable of balancing long-term transformation goals with short-term delivery pressures.
- Comfortable working in fast-paced, dynamic environments with shifting priorities and high degrees of ambiguity.
- Strong organizational, time management, and decision-making skills to drive initiatives forward under tight timelines.
- Willingness and ability to travel occasionally to customer or project sites as needed to support on-ground change activities.