Job Details

Job Description
HR & OD Change Management Specialist

Organisation: London Borough of Redbridge
Directorate: People & Culture
Location: 255–259 High Road, Ilford, Greater London, IG1 1NN
Working Pattern: Hybrid – 3 days in the office / 2 days remote
Contract: Interim Contract
Rate: £297.62 per day

About the London Borough of Redbridge

The London Borough of Redbridge is undertaking one of the most ambitious transformation programmes in its history. With a target to deliver £70 million in savings over the next three years, the Council is fundamentally redesigning how services are delivered while continuing to meet the needs of its diverse and growing communities.

As part of this transformation, the People & Culture Directorate is seeking an experienced HR & OD Change Management Specialist to play a key role in supporting organisational transformation, workforce change and service modernisation.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced change professional to work across high-profile transformation programmes and help shape the future of one of London’s most diverse boroughs.

The Role

As an HR & OD Change Management Specialist, you will lead and support complex organisational change initiatives across the Council’s modernisation programme.

Working closely with senior leaders, HR and OD colleagues, programme and project managers, business analysts, digital specialists and other key stakeholders, you will ensure that the people impact of change is understood, planned for and effectively managed.

You will develop and implement change management strategies that support service redesign, organisational restructuring, digital transformation and workforce planning initiatives. You will play a critical role in ensuring that change is successfully adopted, embedded and sustained, enabling the Council to achieve measurable service improvements and financial benefits.

The role will involve working across multiple transformation programmes, providing specialist change management expertise and supporting leaders, managers and employees through periods of significant organisational change.

Key Responsibilities
Lead the development and delivery of effective change management strategies and plans across organisational transformation programmes.
Undertake detailed change impact assessments, organisational assessments and workforce readiness evaluations.
Identify people, process, technology and cultural impacts arising from transformation initiatives.
Develop stakeholder engagement strategies and communication plans that support successful change adoption.
Design and deliver employee engagement, consultation and adoption activities.
Provide trusted advice and support to senior leaders and managers navigating complex organisational change and redesign.
Facilitate workshops, focus groups, engagement sessions and other change interventions.
Develop change management toolkits, guidance, training materials and resources for managers and employees.
Support organisational design, workforce transition planning and implementation activity.
Work collaboratively with HR, OD, programme management, business analysis and digital teams to ensure people-related activity is integrated into programme delivery.
Build strong and effective relationships with senior stakeholders, operational leaders, HR colleagues, programme leads and Trade Union representatives.
Identify and manage people-related risks, issues, dependencies and barriers to successful change.
Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of change interventions using data, employee feedback, insight and performance measures.
Support the embedding and sustainability of new ways of working, processes, systems and organisational structures.
Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and organisational learning.
Ensure that change activity is aligned with programme governance, milestones, benefits realisation and implementation plans.
Provide specialist advice and challenge where required to ensure that organisational change is delivered effectively and with appropriate consideration of workforce impact.
About You

We are looking for an experienced change and transformation professional who combines strategic thinking with strong practical delivery skills.

You will be confident working in complex and changing environments and able to build credibility quickly with senior stakeholders. You will have excellent communication and facilitation skills and be comfortable managing multiple priorities across large-scale transformation programmes.

You will understand the human and organisational aspects of change and be able to translate strategic transformation objectives into practical plans that support successful adoption and sustainable outcomes.

Essential Experience and Qualifications

You will have:

A CIPD Level 5 or Level 7, recognised Change Management qualification such as Prosci, APMG, CMI or equivalent, or significant relevant professional experience.
Proven experience delivering organisational change and transformation programmes within complex organisations.
Strong experience developing and implementing structured change management strategies and plans.
Experience conducting change impact assessments and organisational/workforce readiness assessments.
Demonstrable experience developing stakeholder engagement and communications strategies.
Experience supporting organisational redesign, service transformation, digital transformation, business process re-engineering or workforce transformation.
Experience supporting leaders and managers through complex organisational change.
Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, including the ability to constructively challenge senior stakeholders.
Strong facilitation skills, with experience leading workshops, focus groups and engagement activities.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong understanding of employee engagement, organisational development and change adoption principles.
Experience working collaboratively with HR, programme/project management and operational teams.
Ability to analyse information, identify risks and translate insight into practical change interventions.
Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple workstreams and competing priorities.
Desirable Experience and Qualifications

It would be advantageous to have:

CIPD Level 7 in HR Management or Organisational Development.
A recognised coaching qualification.
Project or programme management qualification such as PRINCE2, Agile, MSP or equivalent.
Experience working within local government or the wider public sector.
Experience working with Trade Unions in the context of organisational change and consultation.
Experience delivering large-scale workforce transformation or service modernisation programmes.
Experience supporting financial transformation and benefits realisation programmes.
Key Skills and Competencies
Change Management
Strong knowledge of organisational change methodologies and best practice.
Ability to assess change impacts and develop appropriate interventions.
Understanding of change adoption, behavioural change and sustainability.
Ability to manage resistance and support organisations through complex transformation.
Stakeholder Management
Excellent ability to build relationships and influence at all levels.
Confident working with senior leaders, managers, employees and Trade Union representatives.
Ability to navigate competing priorities and interests in a complex environment.
Communication & Engagement
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to communicate complex change clearly to different audiences.
Strong experience developing communications, engagement and adoption plans.
Facilitation
Confident facilitator able to lead workshops, focus groups and stakeholder sessions.
Ability to encourage participation, challenge constructively and achieve meaningful outcomes.
Strategic & Analytical Thinking
Ability to understand the wider organisational context and translate strategic objectives into practical change plans.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Ability to use data, feedback and insight to assess change effectiveness and workforce readiness.
What You Will Achieve

In this role, you will help the London Borough of Redbridge to:

Successfully deliver major organisational transformation initiatives.
Support the Council in achieving its £70 million savings target over three years.
Improve workforce readiness and employee adoption of new ways of working.
Ensure organisational and workforce impacts are effectively managed.
Support successful service redesign and modernisation.
Embed sustainable changes that improve service delivery and organisational performance.
Strengthen the Council’s capability to manage and sustain future organisational change.
Why Join the London Borough of Redbridge?

This is an opportunity to play a significant role in one of the Council’s most important transformation programmes.

You will work alongside experienced modernisation, HR, OD, digital and programme professionals and have the opportunity to influence significant organisational change across a diverse London borough.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to make a tangible contribution to the Council’s long-term financial sustainability, workforce transformation and service delivery.

Redbridge is committed to its core values of:

Collaboration
Honesty
Excellence
Fairness