OCM Specialist (Contractor Position)

Massachusetts-Bay-Transportation-Authority; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The MBTA is seeking an Organizational Change Management Specialist to drive adoption of a digital transformation across frontline staff and management. This contractor role focuses on readiness, communications, and end-user experience, with daily collaboration across project teams and field staff.

Responsibilities include strategy development, stakeholder analysis, and execution; creating user-centric messaging; mitigating resistance; and measuring adoption through surveys and dashboards.

Qualifications

• Five years of professional experience leading organizational change initiatives.
• Proven excellence in audience-specific messaging and engagement strategy.
• Ability to navigate resistance through empathy and relationship-building.
• Strong understanding of user experience principles related to behavior change.
• Experience with change frameworks like Prosci ADKAR or Kotter.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, storytelling and facilitation.
• Ability to collaborate across disciplines and levels and influence without authority.
• High emotional intelligence and active listening with diverse audiences.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and collaboration tools (Miro, Smartsheet, Asana).

Responsibilities

• Facilitate the change management workstream of the digital initiative, including strategy development, stakeholder analysis, and execution.
• Develop and execute a communication plan that translates technical implementation milestones into user-centric messaging tailored to specific audiences (frontline staff, managers, executives)
• Act as a liaison between project leadership and field staff, capturing input and feedback to refine rollout strategies and maximize adoption
• Partner with Training and Communications teams to design and deliver engaging educational materials and toolkits that support behavioral change
• Identify and mitigate change-related risks and resistance through targeted interventions and continuous dialogue
• Measure and report on change readiness, communication effectiveness, and user adoption using surveys, in—person interviews, and metrics dashboards
• Collaborate with program management to align change management plans with overall project timelines and implementation activities
• Coordinate implementation and internal ambassador programs that reinforce key messages and build momentum for change
• Develop internal case studies and success stories to demonstrate impact and drive cultural shifts
• Perform related duties and projects as assigned
• Coordinate with other project team members including contractors, outreach staff, and MBTA stakeholders

Skills

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication planning

Audience messaging

Relationship-building

Empathy

Storytelling

Facilitation

Team collaboration

Emotional intelligence

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications, organizational psychology, business or related field

High School Diploma or GED with 9 years related experience substitutes

Associate degree with 5 years related experience substitutes

Master's degree substitutes for two years of general experience

Nationally recognized certification in change management substitutes for 1 year

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Miro

Smartsheet

Asana

Job description

The MBTA is launching a digital transformation initiative that equips frontline employees with streamlined, mobile-first tools for accessing safety-critical resources and contributing remote data from the field. As part of this initiative, the Organizational Change Management Specialist (OCM Specialist) will ensure that all stakeholders—from supervisors to operators—are aligned, engaged, and equipped to adopt the new technology.

This individual will focus on fostering change readiness, crafting clear and compelling communications, leading audience engagement strategies, and ensuring a seamless end-user experience. The OCM Specialist will be a visible, trusted face of the transformation, building relationships with teams across the Authority, especially those traditionally hesitant about change.

This is a term-limited and project-specific contractor position that is not employed directly by the MBTA. This hybrid position requires being in the office at least two (2) days per week.

• Facilitate the change management workstream of the digital initiative, including strategy development, stakeholder analysis, and execution
• Develop and execute a communication plan that translates technical implementation milestones into user-centric messaging tailored to specific audiences (frontline staff, managers, executives)
• Act as a liaison between project leadership and field staff, capturing input and feedback to refine rollout strategies and maximize adoption
• Partner with Training and Communications teams to design and deliver engaging educational materials and toolkits that support behavioral change
• Identify and mitigate change-related risks and resistance through targeted interventions and continuous dialogue
• Measure and report on change readiness, communication effectiveness, and user adoption using surveys, in—person interviews, and metrics dashboards
• Collaborate with program management to align change management plans with overall project timelines and implementation activities
• Coordinate implementation and internal ambassador programs that reinforce key messages and build momentum for change
• Develop internal case studies and success stories to demonstrate impact and drive cultural shifts
• Perform related duties and projects as assigned
• Coordinate with other project team members including contractors, outreach staff, and MBTA stakeholders

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in communications, organizational psychology, business, or related field
• Five (5) years of professional experience leading organizational change initiatives, preferably in a unionized, public sector, or transportation environment.
• Demonstrated excellence in audience-specific messaging, engagement strategy, and communication planning.
• Proven experience navigating resistance to change through empathy, relationship-building, and face-to-face dialogue.
• Strong understanding of user experience principles as they relate to behavior change and technology adoption.
• Experience with change frameworks such as Prosci ADKAR, Kotter, or similar.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including storytelling, presentation development, and facilitation.
• Ability to work collaboratively across disciplines and levels, and influence without authority.
• High emotional intelligence, active listening, and the ability to connect with a wide variety of audiences.
• Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams), and familiarity with collaboration tools such as Miro, Smartsheet, or Asana.
• Experience tracking and analyzing communication metrics and adjusting strategies accordingly.

Substitutions Include:

• A High School Diploma or GED with an additional nine (9) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• An associate degree with an additional five (5) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• A master’s degree in a related subject substitutes for two (2) years of general experience.
• A nationally recognized certification in change management substitutes for one (1) year of experience

• Experience implementing large-scale technology solutions in a field-based, frontline workforce.
• Familiarity with transit operations, safety systems, or compliance-based environments.