Client Delivery Excellence (CDE) Change & Communications Lead

ERM; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 800,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

A global consulting firm based in Johannesburg is seeking a CDE Change & Communications Lead to innovate and drive change within the organization. This role requires over 10 years of experience in managing strategic change initiatives and effective stakeholder engagement. The ideal candidate will design communication and training programs to ensure successful adoption of changes. This position offers opportunities to impact organizational effectiveness and drive continuous improvement.

Benefits

Inclusive workplace culture

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in global change initiatives.
• Ability to engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience in a global corporate environment.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute a change strategy driven by adoption KPIs.
• Lead senior stakeholder engagement to secure buy-in.
• Conduct change impact assessments.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Change management

Risk mitigation mindset

Education

Certification in Change management (PROCI)

Job description

Overview

Client Delivery Excellence (CDE) is our multi-year; multi-functional program focused on innovating the delivery of our consulting services. Our goal is to exceed client expectations in evolving markets while creating exciting new opportunities for our team.

This program involves:

• Identifying and harmonizing best practice work processes, associated tools, and outputs.
• Leveraging ERM’s global capabilities through an enhanced global operating model.
• Understanding how the latest advancements in technology, such as automation and AI, can improve our ways of working to increase client value.

The CDE Change & Communications Lead focuses on driving organizational change to support the Client Delivery Excellence program aimed at innovating consulting service delivery and leveraging global capabilities and technology advancements. This position ensures rapid adoption of changes with minimal disruption and maximizes the program’s return on investment. This role is part of the CDE Program Leadership team, reporting to the Global Head of CDE.

We anticipate significant changes in a short timeframe, necessitating proactive management of our workforce in a strategic manner. The CC Lead is dedicated to achieving rapid adoption with minimal business disruption, ensuring we realize the intended return on investment (ROI) for our CDE program at the desired scale and pace.

Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities

• Responsible for designing and executing a change strategy driven by adoption KPIs, conducting impact assessments on processes and technology, managing organizational readiness risks, and delivering comprehensive communication and training programs to enable benefits realization.
• Own and manage the change narrative with consistent messaging, lead senior stakeholder engagement to secure buy-in and manage resistance, advise leadership on change risks and timing, and advocates for integrated project delivery plans including change readiness and reinforcement.
• Own and drive the embedding of effective organizational change through the design and execution of a fit-for-purpose, adoption KPI-driven change strategy.
• Conduct a change impact assessment, focusing on new processes, technology, ways of working, and organizational structures.
• Design and deliver change strategy enabling benefits realization aligned with our organizational and employee engagement goals including:
• Broad engagement as well as action-oriented communication for targeted stakeholder groups
• Comprehensive training programs to support the transition
• Reporting and governance
• Reinforcement
• Effectiveness measurement enabling course correction.
• Lead senior stakeholder engagement to secure buy-in, manage resistance, and set the program direction.
• Act as a trusted leadership advisor on change risks, timing, sequencing, and people impacts.
• Advocate for integrated project delivery plans that include organizational change readiness, preparing for a successful go-live and sustainably embedding change.
• Collaborate in alignment with parallel transformation streams to enable a user-centric approach for affected stakeholders.

Influence And Decision Making Authority

• Directs activities that significantly impact the achievement of results for the sub-function, focusing on short to mid-term strategies (e.g., 3 years or less).
• May need to negotiate and compromise to influence internal and external parties to accept concepts, practices, and approaches. Requires the ability to communicate with executive leadership regarding matters of strategic importance.
• Responsible for improving processes or systems using significant conceptualizing, reasoning, and interpretation skills. Problems faced are undefined and moderately complex, requiring detailed analysis and investigation.

Job Requirements & Capabilities

Required experience:

• Proven record (10+ years) in successfully managing global, multi-year, multi-functional strategic change initiatives, including process harmonization (e.g., post-merger integration, building shared service centres, implementing commercial strategy).
• Influencing and engaging stakeholders at all organizational levels, including the C-suite.
• Working in a global corporate environment with cross-functional teams.

Preferred:

• Certification in Change management (PROCI)
• Experience utilizing innovative technologies (AI) in organizational management methodology.

Job specific capabilities/skills:

• Strategic thinker and hands-on executor to deliver the end-to-end change management cycle.
• Demonstrating excellence in stakeholder management.
• Communicating effectively at all organizational levels through compelling, contextual, and consistent messaging.
• Possessing a risk mitigation mindset.
• Team player with a proactive approach to identifying and addressing challenges.
• Strong interpersonal skills with a collaborative, pragmatic approach to problem solving.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and manage competing priorities while maintaining progress despite uncertainties.
• Pro-active attitude and passion for driving change.
• Strong organizational skills in digital and global environment.

ERM is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive, it’s an essential part of what makes ERM a great place to build a career and helps us create better solutions for our clients.

We welcome talent from all backgrounds and provide equal opportunities for every candidate. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or need accommodations during the selection process, we’re here to support you. Our commitment doesn’t stop at hiring. Once you join us, we’ll ensure you have the tools, support, and adjustments needed to succeed and feel a true sense of belonging. Learn more about our Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (DIB) efforts by visiting our website or exploring our 2025 Sustainability Report.