Change Management Lead (Interoperability)

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

Are you an experienced change management professional who thrives on bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and human adoption? We have an exciting opportunity for you to join the AMRC as our Change Management Lead.

You will join the AMRC at the University of Sheffield, as part of a growing interoperability team currently funded through the leadership of a UKRI Future Leadership Fellow. We are tackling critical barriers preventing organisations from fully realising the benefits of leading-edge technology, such as digital twins and artificial intelligence (AI). The work will include understanding industry system interoperability; unifying and connecting siloed information and infrastructures; and demonstrating the innovation's effectiveness to drive industrial adoption. Whilst the wider project focused on accelerating industrial interoperability, this role is dedicated entirely to the change management required for its successful adoption.

As Change Management Lead, you will ensure new systems and practices are successfully communicated and adopted. With 2-3 years of experience in change management, business analysis, or process improvement, you will bridge the gap between technical implementation and human adoption, analysing how organisations function today versus how they will operate tomorrow.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Conduct thorough assessments of how users currently operate and collaborate with information systems. Clearly articulate the operational, cultural, and efficiency differences they will experience upon adopting new technical practices and workflows.
• Utilise process modelling techniques to visually map out existing workflows and design streamlined future-state processes that align with the project's industrial interoperability principles.
• Develop and implement actionable change management plans to maximise user adoption.
• Act as a central communication hub, building strong relationships with industrial end-users to ensure all concerns are heard and addressed during transitions.
• Define and track key metrics to measure the success of adoption efforts and the actual realisation of benefits from the new practices.
• Design and implement overarching change management and communications strategy.
• Lead the creation and delivery of effective training programmes, workshops, and coaching sessions to upskill staff on new working practices.
• Advise senior leadership on organisational readiness and potential risks associated with the cultural shift toward open, interoperable industrial standards and practices.
• Organise technical alignment meetings and supervise/mentor junior staff.
• Support partnered organisations and research teams through transition periods, including go-live readiness activities, managing interim workarounds, and ensuring a smooth handover to business-as-usual (BAU) operations supporting industrial adoption.
• Make ethical decisions in your role, embedding the University's sustainability strategy into your working activities wherever possible.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Business Administration, Organisational Psychology, Management, Information Systems, or a related area, coupled with 2-3 years of practical experience in change management or business analysis. Essential.
• Highly skilled at assessing and clearly articulating the tangible differences between current organisational functions and future-state operations under new frameworks, using process mapping tools (e.g. BPMN, CMMN, DMN, Visio, Miro) to document, visualise, and optimise workflows. Essential.
• Outstanding verbal, written, and facilitation skills, with the proven ability to tailor messaging for diverse audiences and to lead workshops and stakeholder sessions that draw out requirements, surface concerns, and build consensus. Essential.
• Strong interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to actively listen, empathise with user friction, and constructively overcome resistance to change. Essential.
• Ability to carry out evidence-based assessment and decision-making, including defining and tracking adoption metrics, KPIs and benefits to measure the success and lasting value of change initiatives. Essential.
• Ability to work in a complex, interdisciplinary, and agile (e.g., Scrum, Kanban) environment, collaborating across distinct subject areas. Essential.
• Ability to work effectively as part of an agile team (e.g. scrum, kanban) with a demonstrated capacity to operate independently, alongside excellent time, project management, and collaborative skills. Essential.
• Working knowledge of at least one structured change management framework (e.g., ADKAR, Kotter's 8-Step, Lewin's Change Model) with demonstrable ability to apply it in practice. Essential.
• Proven ability to conduct stakeholder analysis, segment audiences by role and readiness, and develop targeted engagement and communication plans. Essential.
• Experience designing and delivering training materials, workshops, or coaching sessions to support the adoption of new processes, tools, or systems. Essential.
• Formal change management certification at practitioner level or above (e.g., APMG Change Management Foundation & Practitioner, PROSCI Certification, or equivalent). Desirable.
• Background or exposure to advanced manufacturing, engineering, industrial R&D, or public sector organisations, with an understanding of the adoption challenges of technically complex systems. Desirable.

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and are respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Further Information

• Grade 7
• Salary £38,784 - £47,289 per annum.
• Work arrangement Full-time
• Duration Fixed term until 31st October 2029
• Line manager Senior Technical Fellow in Interoperability
• Right to work in the UK: If you do not currently hold the right to work in the UK, you can find more information here to help determine your visa eligibility. Additional guidance is also available on the UK Visa & Immigration website.
• Direct reports None - with opportunity for supporting placements and graduate staff.
• For informal enquiries about this job contact Jonathan Eyre, Senior Technical Fellow in Interoperability on

We are committed to exploring flexible working opportunities which benefit the individual and University.

Next steps in the recruitment process

The selection process will consist of an in-person interview at Factory 2050, Sheffield consisting of: a short presentation from applicants, a series of questions from a panel, followed by a tour around the facility. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage within two weeks of the closing date. Contact Jonathan Eyre if you require any reasonable adjustments.

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What we offer

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women's and Parent's networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Academic Career Pathways / Professional Services Shared Skills Framework.
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
• paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
• access to menopause support in the workplace
• paid time off and support for fertility treatment
• and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Leader (opens in a new window). If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Criminal record

Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment at the University of Sheffield. We recognise the value of steady employment in the rehabilitation process and examine each case in its own right. More information can be found on our Information for candidates page.

Baseline personnel security standard

This role requires the postholder to undertake a Government baseline personnel security standard (BPSS) check as a condition of employment.

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision ( ) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.

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