Change Manager

Serco Group Plc; Bradley Stoke; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading service provider in the UK is seeking an experienced Change Manager to oversee contract-wide change initiatives. This pivotal role involves developing internal change strategies, managing client relationships, and ensuring effective communication throughout the change lifecycle. The ideal candidate should have a strong background in change management and proven skills in stakeholder engagement, with a focus on delivering quality outcomes within scope and budget. This position offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits.

Benefits

Discretionary company bonus

Single private medical cover

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Flexible working options

Up to 6% contributory pension scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Proven track record in leading and embedding change across complex organisations.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and adapting to evolving priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the delivery of internal change initiatives.
• Build and maintain positive client relationships with stakeholders.
• Overall accountability for AFRS communications and change messaging.

Skills

Change Management certification (APMG, PROSCI or equivalent)

Strong stakeholder engagement skills

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Ability to produce high-quality reports

Experience in leading change

Education

Degree in change, transformation, or project management

Job description

We're looking for an experienced Change Manager to lead contract-wide change initiatives across AFRS. In this pivotal role, you'll shape and deliver internal and external change strategies, build organisational capability, and ensure smooth transitions to business-as-usual. Working closely with consortium partners and client stakeholders, you'll play a key role in managing reputation, communications, and stakeholder engagement to ensure change is understood, supported, and successful.

• Lead and manage the delivery of internal change by following contractual and internal processes for identifying and impact assessing proposed changes; planning the implementation of changes; and delivering the change against an agreed schedule.
• Develop and implement change processes that supplement existing contractual and internal processes.
• Ensure change is delivered on time, within scope and budget, while meeting quality and approved targets / deadlines.
• Track the progress of change requests through to implementation, providing status reports to stakeholders using agreed formats and metrics.
• Identify, own, and manage the risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies associated with change and the implementation of change. Work across AFRS, engaging a range of stakeholders, to mitigate risk, validate assumptions, resolve issues, and manage dependencies.
• Build and maintain positive client relationships with internal and external clients at Senior Management level or Heads of Service/department). Liaise with internal teams, consortium team members, subcontractors and the client as required.
• Proactively provide change management consultancy/advice to colleagues, operational staff, sub‑contractors, and the client as required.
• Provide guidance and create content, briefing materials etc. for all stakeholders as required.
• Overall accountability for AFRS communications, and specifically for change communication ensuring that all stakeholders are aware of the high level and product‑specific planning, scheduling coordination and communication of changes. Ownership of messaging related to change, ensuring it is accurate and reflects the principles of AFRS.
• Ensure that key stakeholders are kept informed through the Service and change lifecycle and that expectations are managed.

• Discretionary company bonus
• Single private medical cover
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Annual leave purchase scheme.
• Up to 6% contributory pension scheme
• Flexible working options.
• Serco discounts which include cinema, merlin entertainment and online shopping discounts, and discounts on mobile phone plans and leisure centre memberships.
• A range of benefits to support the health and wellbeing of you and your family such as Employee Assistance Programme, Simply Health Cash Plans, and more.
• A wealth of career development training to suit your future aspirations. These range from role specific training, leadership coaching, formal study and much more to support you to build your career with Serco.
• A safe and supportive culture.
• A company passionate about diversity and inclusion

Linked Opportunity

This role will be advertised alongside our People Liaison Operations Manager position within the AFRS contract. Both roles are integral to strengthening the partnership between Serco and the Ministry of Defence, ensuring that transformation across Armed Forces Recruitment is delivered in a way that supports and engages both military and civilian personnel. While the Change Manager leads the planning and delivery of contract‑wide transformation, the People Liaison Operations Manager provides the vital link between the MOD’s Embedded Service Personnel and Serco's civilian teams. Together, these roles help embed cultural change, enhance engagement, and deliver a cohesive people‑centred approach to continuous improvement. We recognise there is natural alignment between the two positions - particularly around stakeholder engagement, people strategy, and change implementation - and would welcome applications from candidates with the experience and capability to deliver both remits as a combined role. Click here to review the People Liaison Operations Manager advert: HR/People Operations Manager in Home Based, West Midlands, United Kingdom | Corporate Operations and ICT at Serco.

AFRS brings together the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force under a single, strategically important defence recruitment programme. This integration marks a significant cultural transformation for both civilian and military personnel. To support this change, we are seeking a dedicated Change Manager to provide clear, consistent leadership across the entire AFRS programme. The successful candidate will play a key role in minimising disruption, enabling successful adoption of change, and positioning AFRS for long‑term success. This role requires strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence and manage senior internal and external (client) stakeholders throughout the change journey.

• Eligible for SC (Security Check) clearance.
• Change Management certification (APMG, PROSCI or equivalent)
• Degree in change, transformation, or project management-or equivalent experience.
• Proven track record in leading and embedding change across complex organisations.
• Strong understanding of mobilisation, transition, and transformation processes.
• Skilled in applying structured change methodologies and managing people impacts.
• Ability to interpret commercial drivers, cost models, and business cases.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and adapting to evolving priorities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong influencing and networking abilities across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Capable of articulating complex messages to varied audiences.
• Effective in leading teams and influencing without direct authority.
• Experienced in working within matrixed or virtual environments.
• Able to produce high‑quality reports and presentations under tight deadlines.

Disability Confident

About Disability Confident. A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high‑volume, seasonal and high‑peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non‑disabled people. For more details please go to .

Flexible to travel across AFRS UK sites. Full Time/ 2 Year fixed term contract. Competitive salary plus excellent benefits. At Serco, we are proud to partner with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) in providing critical recruitment services for the UK's Armed Forces. This new approach will, for the first time, see the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force have a joint Armed Forces Recruitment Service (AFRS). Delivered through a partnership of the MOD, Serco, and our consortium of partners, this service will provide end‑to‑end support from candidate attraction to assessment, onboarding, and Phase 1 training. Our team brings together best‑in‑class integrated technology and specialist partners to offer a holistic recruitment and skills solution for the UK Armed Forces, designed to modernise and improve the overall candidate experience. We are driven by the values of doing the right thing for our people, the MOD, His Majesty's Government (HMG), broader society, and the candidates we source.