Strategic Initiatives Lead

M&T Bank; Buffalo (NY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

M&T Bank is seeking a Change Management Lead in Buffalo, NY, to partner with senior managers on technology initiatives and cross-functional programs. The role focuses on managing change across processes, systems, and job roles to support strategic objectives and regulatory expectations.

You will develop change management strategies, lead training and communications, and guide adoption with senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 5 years’ relevant work experience or equivalent
• Strong attention to detail and willingness to lead teams
• Excellent project management skills and strong analytical ability
• Creative problem-solving and excellent interpersonal skills for cross-functional partnerships
• Strong written and verbal communication; ability to engage at senior levels
• Self-motivated, results-driven, well-organized, and able to handle multiple tasks

Responsibilities

• Lead and define scope/approach for department initiatives; oversee resources and complex projects
• Provide analytical support across planning, design, and results analysis
• Develop change management strategies to drive adoption and value realization
• Serve as liaison to change sponsor, project manager, and stakeholders
• Oversee schedules, budgets, and resource integration with project plans
• Build stakeholder relationships at senior levels and with external partners
• Conduct stakeholder assessments, change impact analyses, and readiness assessments
• Develop and manage communications and training programs for strategic initiatives
• Measure readiness and success metrics using qualitative and quantitative data
• Directly or indirectly manage staff; ensure regulatory and risk standards are followed
• Identify and mitigate change barriers; promote a culture of belonging and brand alignment
• Complete other related duties as assigned

Skills

Change management

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Analytical ability

Problem-solving

Interpersonal skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

Organization

Time management

PC proficiency

Detail-oriented

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

MBA or advanced degree preferred

Job description

This role is four days onsite at our Seneca One Buffalo, NY location, with the flexibility to work from home one day per week

Overview

• Works closely with senior managers within a division and the Bank to manage key Technology initiatives, including supporting critical Division/Department cross-functional projects related to strategic objectives of the Bank, improving risk management and ensuring efficiency and sustainability of core processes and positioning the Bank to meet evolving regulatory expectations.
• Develops and delivers organizational change management strategies and plans for Technology programs with moderate to large change impacts. Focuses on the people side of change, including changes to processes, systems and technology, job roles and organization structures. Drives faster employee adoption and long-term change sustainability.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead efforts to define scope/approach for department initiatives. Direct and monitor resources. May be responsible on an individual basis for directing complex, critical, and highly visible projects for the division.
• Provide analytical expertise to support initiatives that may include planning, design and analysis of results, presenting content at various governance functions, development of comprehensive content and materials, analysis of complex data sets, or analysis/optimization of data structures.
• Consider stakeholder perspectives, address objections, help develop solutions, and drive action. Interact with senior management (internal/external) to obtain pertinent information.
• Apply structured change management approach and tools to develop change strategies and plans to support the adoption and value realization of medium-to-large-scale, complex change initiatives.
• Serve as primary liaison to the change sponsor, project manager, overall project team, and stakeholders; provide guidance to enhance change effectiveness.
• Oversee multiple change project schedules, associated budgets, and resources; integrate change management activities and tasks into project plan.
• Build and maintain a variety of mutually beneficial stakeholder relationships that advance change management effectiveness especially at senior leadership levels and with external partners.
• Conduct and analyze a variety of assessments including stakeholder assessment, change impact analyses, and change readiness.
• Identify, analyze and develop tactics to mitigate change barriers and resistance and enable change readiness.
• Direct the development, delivery and management of the communications and training programs supporting the strategic initiative.
• Define and measure business readiness and success metrics and monitor change progress. Gather qualitative and quantitative data through survey development, focus groups, interviews, and other feedback mechanisms.
• Directly or indirectly manage staff.
• Understand and adhere to the Company’s risk and regulatory standards, policies and controls in accordance with the Company’s Risk Appetite. Identify risk-related issues needing escalation to management.
• Promote an environment that supports belonging and reflects the M&T Bank brand.
• Maintain M&T internal control standards, including timely implementation of internal and external audit points together with any issues raised by external regulators as applicable.
• Complete other related duties as assigned

Education and Experience Required

• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 5 years’ relevant work experience, or in lieu of a degree, a combined minimum of 9 years’ higher education and/or work experience, including a minimum of 5 years’ relevant work experience
• Strong attention to detail
• Strong ability to lead teams
• Excellent project management skills
• Strong analytical ability
• Creative problem-solving skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills necessary for business partner relationships within and outside the organization
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to communicate professionally at many different levels
• Self-motivated
• Results-driven
• Well-organized
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and work under time constraints in support of various assignments
• Proficient with personal computers and pertinent spreadsheet, database, graphing, and presentation software

Education and Experience Preferred

• Bachelors’ degree in Computer Science, Finance, Economics, Math, Accounting, Engineering, or Business Administration; Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) or advanced degree
• Minimum of 6 years’ relevant work experience
• Change Management certification or designation
• Banking/financial industry experience
• Six Sigma, Lean or Process Improvement, or project management-related education
• Experience with financial, regulatory and/or process analysis, and technical writing