Lead Change Manager Ref.3280

Flexible Working: We support full-time, part-time, compressed, flexible working patterns. Due to the nature of the role home working is limited and not guaranteed.

About Us

We're MI6, also known as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). Our mission is to protect the security and economic wellbeing of the UK from overseas threats such as regional instability, terrorism, and cyber-attacks. Working across the globe and in close partnership with MI5 and GCHQ, we help the Government to counter these threats through the provision of secret intelligence. A role in MI6 will see you providing vital support to this work, within a supportive and encouraging environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.

The Role

The world is full of change, and it's no different at MI6. It's an exciting time to join us, as we're looking at the way we work and embracing every opportunity to improve and develop our operations, capabilities and people. In this role you'll help to put people, rather than just process or technology, at the heart of our business success. You'll ensure MI6, alongside our partners MI5 and GCHQ, deliver a world-class service giving us the edge over our adversaries. You'll work in a unique and challenging environment as part of innovative and collaborative teams, delivering projects and programmes that help protect the UK and its interests.

As a Lead Change Manager, you'll develop and implement change strategies that span technology adoption, process, cultural change, and organisational transformation, that underpin the overall strategic objectives. You'll ensure that the proposed change and transformation meets the needs of the organisation and delivers against the full range of business opportunities and challenges within it. From there, you'll identify, join up, develop and drive the benefits realisation plan for the project or programme.

To do this, you'll get to grips with the needs and challenges of our customers: both internally and externally. You'll work with senior leaders, deputy directors and front-line staff, engaging, communicating and presenting with them on a regular basis.

After understanding the opportunity, you'll champion the case for change and communicate this in a compelling way, using the right channel for the right audience.

Everything you do will help bring stakeholders along for the journey; you'll help them to understand the benefits of new ways of working and get them ready to play their part in the process. Holding senior stakeholders to account to bring the plan to life within our organisation.

You'll get the opportunity to build and lead cross functional multi-disciplinary teams, whilst simultaneously playing an active role in other teams and professional forums.

Importantly, as a Lead Change Manager, you'll be the kind of person who is approachable and friendly, and with a passion for sharing knowledge, developing and supporting others, no matter whether it's a customer or colleague, you'll help everyone understand the role and value of effective change at all levels, influencing them with a clearly developed change vision. You'll also play a crucial role in advancing the professionalisation of change management within both the project and programme management community and the wider organization. You'll use your coaching and mentoring skills, including guiding apprentices, change analysts, and other junior members of the team.

About You

As a Lead Change Manager, you'll have experience of taking the lead on change and transition management, where you've ensured that business as usual is maintained during transition, and that change is effectively integrated into the business. You'll have experience working with Agile methodologies and end-to-end change management within different environments, alongside familiarity with a range of change management tools and frameworks.

A clear and engaging communicator and facilitator, you'll be comfortable working with fellow change, project/programme and business analysis professionals, customers and senior members of staff, as well as presenting at organisational and board meetings. Adaptable, collaborative, and motivated, you'll love facilitating discovering and developing solutions to complex problems, sharing your knowledge, and mentoring other colleagues. No matter whether you're liaising with customers or colleagues, you'll be happy to help everyone understand and support your strategies and plans.

Training and Development

When you join us, you'll have a full induction into the organisation, which will help you get to grips with how we operate. You'll then have a team induction to give you a rounded understanding of business change, followed by on-the-job training to help you settle in.

We're committed to developing our staff and recognise this will look different for everyone. We have an exceptional skills community, dedicated to supporting you. There'll be lots of tailored training, coaching, and mentoring, alongside opportunities to pursue career pathways which cover specialism tracks.

There's plenty of room for growth in this role too, as we'll support you through our Continuing Professional Development framework, in addition we'll cover the cost and provide support by offering opportunities to gain further recognised change management qualifications.

Whatever your professional goals, we'll work with you to build the skills you need to excel at your role, and throughout your career.

Rewards and Benefits

You'll receive a starting salary for a Lead Change Manager of £54,611 - £58,703 dependent on skills and experience, plus the opportunity to qualify for a skills payment successful of £5,128.

Other benefits also include:

1. 25 days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
2. Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
3. Interest-free season ticket loan (parking and travel)
4. Excellent pension scheme
5. Cycle to work scheme
6. Facilities such as a gym and restaurant, and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
7. Paid parental and adoption leave

Equal Opportunities

At MI6 diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

We're Disability Confident

MI6 are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP's Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a person-to-person interview to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our 'Offer of Interview' (OOI).

To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:

1. A qualification up to practitioner level in change management with some evidence of successful change delivery, or evidence of delivering successful change at programme or portfolio level - assessed at application form sift.
2. Demonstrate expertise in Agile methodologies and end-to-end change management within different environments - assessed at application form sift.
3. Familiarity with a range of change management tools and frameworks - assessed at application form sift.
4. Demonstrate the ability to engage with stakeholders at all levels including presenting to senior stakeholders - assessed at application form sift.

What to Expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

1. Paper sift - you are advised to make full use of the word allowance for each question
2. Interview
3. Drugs test
4. Vetting Interview

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.

Before You Apply

To work at MI6 you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here.

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It's something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.

Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can't take any recreational drugs, and you'll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you to manage your application with us more discretely.

The role is based in London, so you'll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application. An interest-free loan via our benevolent fund is available to assist with relocating into privately rented accommodation to take up the offer of employment.

Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.

Right to Withdraw Statement:
Please be aware that we withhold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.