Change Manager (12-month contract)

Linklaters; Greater London; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Linklaters in London is seeking a Change Management professional with established experience to lead strategic change initiatives across the firm. You will develop durable change strategies, drive adoption, and manage global stakeholder networks.

The role offers exposure to a broad range of programmes, opportunities for professional development, and a culture that values collaboration, inclusivity, and a proactive, data-informed mindset.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years’ change management experience owning and defining change strategies and plans.
• Experience delivering change in global organisations, including an ability to understand cultural and local issues whilst maintaining a focus on global solutions.
• Familiarity with project management approaches, tools and phases of the project or programme lifecycle.
• A proactive and action-orientated approach, with an ability to think strategically and use a data-led approach to inform planning and approach.
• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to communicate, influence and foster a positive change culture across the firm.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute change strategies and plans for strategic programmes and projects and drive change to maximise adoption and beneficial outcomes.
• Build highly effective relationships and conduct effective stakeholder management, identifying key stakeholder groups and defining personas, addressing their needs, concerns and influence on change initiatives.
• Use structured techniques and leverage key subject matter experts to undertake change impact analysis ensuring a holistic and in-depth view across people, processes, systems and data to inform change plans.
• Define and implement structured plans and suitable change activities in view of stakeholders, personas and change impacts, ensuring alignment to overall programme and project plans and key milestones.
• Create, or leverage existing, change networks to ensure highly engaged and informed change leadership globally, recognising and responding to cultural differences.
• Work closely with internal and external communications teams as needed to develop and execute effective communications plans and to ensure alignment with broader narratives across the Firm.
• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and use relevant data to assess the impact of change interventions, modifying plans accordingly to maximise adoption and return on investment.
• Contribute to the ongoing development of the Change Management Centre of Excellence and foster a positive change culture across the firm, enhancing the capacity and willingness of the firm to embrace change.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Change management

Strategic thinking

Data-driven planning

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Education

Change management certification

Job description

Purpose

Drives strategic change across the firm using highly effective relationships and influence, alongside comprehensive change management strategies and plans; a key enabler to realising beneficial outcomes whether related to our clients, our people, and culture, our technology or our ways of working.

Purpose

Drives strategic change across the firm using highly effective relationships and influence, alongside comprehensive change management strategies and plans; a key enabler to realising beneficial outcomes whether related to our clients, our people, and culture, our technology or our ways of working.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute robust change strategies and plans for strategic programmes and projects and drive change to maximise adoption and beneficial outcomes.
• Build highly effective relationships and conduct effective stakeholder management, identifying key stakeholder groups and defining personas, addressing their needs, concerns and influence on change initiatives.
• Use structured techniques and leverage key subject matter experts to undertake change impact analysis ensuring a holistic and in-depth view across people, processes, systems and data to inform change plans.
• Define and implement structured plans and suitable change activities in view of stakeholders, personas and change impacts, ensuring alignment to overall programme and project plans and key milestones.
• Create, or leverage existing, change networks to ensure highly engaged and informed change leadership globally, recognising and responding to cultural differences.
• Work closely with internal and external communications teams as needed to develop and execute effective communications plans and to ensure alignment with broader narratives across the Firm.
• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and use relevant data to assess the impact of change interventions, modifying plans accordingly to maximise adoption and return on investment.
• Contribute to the ongoing development of the Change Management Centre of Excellence and foster a positive change culture across the firm, enhancing the capacity and willingness of the firm to embrace change.

Your Experience

• A minimum of five years’ change management experience, with direct experience owning and defining change management strategies and plans.
• Experience delivering change in complex, global organisations, including an ability to understand cultural and local issues whilst maintaining a focus on global solutions. Experience in legal services or a professional services partnership environment is preferred.
• Familiarity with project management approaches, tools and phases of the project or programme lifecycle.
• A proactive and action-orientated approach, with an ability to think strategically and use a data-led approach to inform planning and approach.
• Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to communicate, influence and foster a positive change culture across the firm.

Qualifications

• A change management certification (e.g. APMG, Prosci or similar) with evidence of continued professional development

The Team

The Business Change Delivery team partners with Partners and Business Team leaders across the firm to identify, deliver and drive transformational change initiatives in pursuit of the firm’s strategic goals - whether through process optimisation, technology implementation, organisational transformation, or cultural change. It plays a crucial role in ensuring that change is delivered effectively, sustainably, with minimal disruption and with a focus on beneficial outcomes.

This role offers exposure to a broad range of projects and change methodologies, providing significant opportunities for professional development and meaningful contribution. We are excited to welcome individuals who are forward-thinking, solution-oriented, and passionate about making a positive impact through well-executed change.

Linklaters

Linklaters is a global law firm, providing legal services in 20 countries and through 30 offices.

Linklaters is a people business. Being best in class in the eyes of our clients means that our people must be exceptional.

We look not only for brilliant minds, but for people who will thrive in our environment: people who love working collaboratively and demonstrate the innovative, efficient, agile, entrepreneurial, and responsible mind-set we aim to bring to every interaction.

Ours is an environment of outperformance. We achieve this not with targets and incentives, but by fostering a positive, supportive, fair, and open atmosphere.

We respect and value difference but insist on inclusivity. We celebrate all aspects of diversity and challenge any form of bias. This is vital to our ability to work as one team, with a common goal.

At Linklaters

What Sets Us Apart

• We offer a truly global work experience and the opportunity to be involved in strategic projects that drive innovation and shape the future of our business
• We belong to a firm that embodies its corporate social, environment, and governance responsibility commitments
• We remain focused on talent and having the best people which will result in a diverse workforce
• Having got the best people, we want them to feel included, valued and respected so they can perform at their best
• We advocate speak-up culture to empower our people in sharing their voices and an open-door policy to ensure they are listened to
• We invest in custom-fit career paths for our people in line with their talents and aspirations
• We provide agile working solutions to meet the changing needs of our people and our business
• We are committed to people first relationships based on mutual trust, respect, and appreciation
• We support the health and wellbeing of our people, providing a safe space to talk about emotions and mental health with access to expert advice as needed
• We invest in developing leaders of the future who demonstrate emotional intelligence and a passion to discover, coach and develop the talents of others

Technical Skills

This list of duties and responsibilities above is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for, the performance of this job. As such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.