On behalf of the MOD, we are looking for a Head of Change Communications - Inside IR35 for a contract until 31st March 2027 working on a Hybrid basis - 1 day per week in Bristol, Abbey Wood office (Tuesdays) and remaining WFH
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is a central government department with a mission to protect our country and provide the ultimate guarantee of its security and independence, as well as helping to protect its values and interests abroad.
The MOD is one of the biggest public procurement organisations in Europe and the single largest customer for UK industry. It currently manages approximately £20 billion of spend on capital investments in equipment and infrastructure every year. Over the next decade the MOD is committed to spending over £190 billion on equipment and support. The MOD’s customers include both the armed forces and national security agencies, and it has a diverse range of requirements, including military fighting vehicles, education services, nuclear submarines and facilities management.
The MOD’s aim is to provide its armed forces with the best capabilities to enable them to protect the UK’s security and advance national interests, both now and in the long term.
To do this the MOD has an annual budget of almost £53 billion and a workforce comprising 197,000 people. of which 54,000 are civilians working for the UK MOD.
The work really matters; the MOD offers a range of engaging roles which have a direct impact on the quality of services they provide, in many locations across the UK. We support teams working in HR, Primary Health Care, Corporate Services, and many others.
About the role:
The Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Corporate Service Modernisation (CSM) Programme is a multi-year transformation initiative, cementing MODs ambition and providing its response to the Government Shared Service Strategy (GSSS). This was established to encourage greater collaboration, help reform government and to play a part in emphasising interoperability across government, in line with global industry standards. It is a digitally enabled Transformation Portfolio, bringing together multiple programmes of work under one umbrella. This will put the customer first, leverage value from investments in technology, and streamline the end-to-end experience.
At the heart of the CSM programme portfolio is a core system technology implementation for HR, Finance and Commercial. The Government has mandated that internally hosted systems in Government Departments will be replaced with cloud-based systems. This will be delivered on a Software as a Service (SAAS) basis, enabling the end-to-end processes, policy and data design, to deliver improved user experience, data driven decision making, operating productivity and wider benefits to the MoD
Are you looking for a new and exciting role that will directly impact everyone in the Ministry of Defence? Do you want to be a part of one of the most ambitious projects in Defence People? We are looking for passionate and dedicated individuals to join our team and help us deliver a once-in-a-generation transformation to the service and experiences we provide for our people.
We are looking for a Head of Change, Comms and Engagement that wants to help us successfully deliver a simplified sourcing process which provides users with the information to drive digital integration and interoperability across the function. Further embedding standards that enhance data quality, transparency and insight. By digitising processes and using AI and automation, CSM Commercial will reduce effort and improve efficiency. Fostering collaboration and delivering greater value for our stakeholders through productivity gain and cashable benefits.
We are a critical part of the MOD’s Corporate Services Modernisation (CSM) programme and digitalisation ambition with the highest levels of sponsorship and support.
This role is a critical G6 role for the J2C Commercial programme, that is part of the CSM Portfolio. It will be central to supporting the delivery of the Commercial Strategy through the delivery of a seamless end to end Commercial solution. Enabling the successful support to the 3 priority themes, namely:
- Our People - ensuring we have the skills needed for the future
- Our Ways of Working - speeding up and simplifying our processes
- Our Supply Chains - improved understanding to ensure better resilience, pace of delivery and innovation.
Job Description:
The Head of Change, Comms and Engagement will provide strategic leadership for stakeholder engagement, communications, business readiness and change adoption across the Journey to the Cloud (J2C) Commercial programme and wider Corporate Services Modernisation (CSM) portfolio.
As a senior leader within the J2C Commercial team, you will be accountable for developing and delivering the communications, engagement and business change strategy that supports the successful adoption of new digital services, processes and ways of working across Defence.
Working across CSM, Defence Functions, programme teams and delivery partners, you will ensure that user needs are understood, stakeholder voices are represented, and organisational impacts are effectively managed throughout the transformation lifecycle.
You will act as the senior communications, engagement and change lead for J2C Commercial, providing leadership, governance and assurance to ensure that business change activities are aligned, effective and support the successful delivery of programme outcomes.
The main duties and responsibilities of the Head of Change Communications would be to:
- Change Management and Business Readiness
- Own the J2C Commercial project plan.
- Manage and co-ordinate all change delivery within J2C Commercial project.
- Own and oversee Change Impact Assessments across J2C Commercial, ensuring impacts are identified, assessed and managed appropriately.
- Lead the development and delivery of business readiness activities to support the successful adoption of new systems, processes and ways of working.
- Develop and monitor adoption, readiness and engagement measures to assess progress and inform decision making.
- Develop and deliver the Communications, Engagement and Change Strategy for J2C Commercial, ensuring alignment with wider CSM and Defence transformation objectives.
- Provide visible leadership and expert advice on change management, communications, stakeholder engagement and business readiness.
- Establish governance, reporting and assurance mechanisms to monitor adoption, engagement and organisational readiness across the programme.
- Influence and engage senior stakeholders across Defence to secure commitment, alignment and support for programme objectives.
- Ensure that MOD commercial leaders and their teams understand the purpose of the J2C Commercial project and are aware of the outcomes that will be delivered by the plan. Encourage advocacy and work with detractors to understand and address their concerns.
- Lead the development and delivery of strategic communications and engagement campaigns for internal and external stakeholders.
- Ensure communications activities are aligned across the CSM Portfolio, creating a coherent and consistent transformation narrative.
- Oversee the planning and delivery of engagement events, roadshows, workshops and leadership communications.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, ensuring effective two-way engagement and feedback mechanisms are in place.
- Oversee the development and integration of Learning Needs Assessments into wider programme and portfolio training strategies.
- Promote innovation, continuous improvement and evidence-based approaches to communications, engagement and change management.
- Ensure organisational and user impacts are considered throughout the transformation lifecycle.
- Act as the senior point of contact for change, communications and engagement activities within J2C Commercial.
- Lead and develop change, engagement and communications resources across the programme, providing direction, support and professional leadership.
- Foster collaboration across programme, portfolio and functional boundaries to ensure the successful coordination of change activities.
- Represent J2C Commercial at senior governance forums, providing assurance and strategic advice on change readiness, stakeholder engagement and adoption.
PLEASE NOTE: NPPV/CTC/SC/DV Clearance is an essential requirement for this role, as a minimum you must be willing & eligible to undergo checks. Please note, due to the exceptional requirements of this position (short-term nature of this role and speed at which we require a postholder in situ) preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance.
Essential:
- Proven experience delivering business change within complex digital transformation programmes, with clear accountability for planning, coordinating and delivering change outcomes successfully.
- Proven ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders across organisational boundaries, including Senior Civil Service, military and industry stakeholders.
- Successful track record of delivering digital projects or technology-enabled change in the UK public sector, ideally within Defence, Government Commercial Function or wider central government environments.
- Strong practical understanding of change delivery methods, business readiness, stakeholder engagement, user adoption and benefits realisation in a digital project environment.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to distil complex information into clear, timely messaging for customers, senior leaders and governance forums, and to maintain effective two-way engagement throughout delivery.
- Experience leading multiple workstreams and delivering outcomes through matrix teams and delivery partners, including direct accountability for managing and delivering the J2C Commercial Project Plan, milestones, dependencies, risks and issues.
- Demonstrable experience establishing governance, reporting and assurance frameworks to support the successful delivery of digital projects, including clear reporting on progress against the J2C Commercial Project Plan, delivery confidence, risks and customer engagement.
- Knowledge of Defence, Government Commercial Function or wider Government transformation environments.
Desirable:
- APMG Change Management Practitioner.
- MSP (Managing Successful Programmes) Practitioner.
- APM Project Management Qualification or Registered Project Professional.
- Prosci Change Management Certification.
- CIPS Level 4 or above.
- Experience supporting major ERP, SaaS or large-scale digital transformation programmes.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.
Disability Confident
As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, the MOD guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.
This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.
Armed Forces Covenant
The MOD guarantees to interview veterans or spouses / partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates / military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.
In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.
