Market Change Lead

University of Fort Hare; Durban; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Fort Hare seeks a Market Change Lead to drive successful organisational change within the KwaZulu-Natal market. You will localisation of global strategies, engage leadership and employees, and tailor communications to reflect local regulatory and cultural realities.

You will work with the Market Deployment Lead and functional teams to ensure a consistent, people-centred change experience and maintain alignment with overall transformation objectives.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading change initiatives within a single-country market.
• Strong understanding of employee engagement, communications, and cultural adaptation.
• Ability to work collaboratively with global, wave, and functional teams.
• Familiarity with change frameworks (Prosci, ADKAR, Kotter) and agile delivery.
• Excellent stakeholder management, planning, analytical and communication capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Own the market-level change plan aligned with wave and global strategies.
• Act as the primary contact for all change activities impacting employees in the market.
• Ensure global and wave change initiatives are tailored to local needs without weakening the global approach.
• Lead local market Change Impact Sessions and ensure effectiveness of local workarounds.
• Adapt messaging and enablement materials to reflect local culture and regulations.
• Identify and map market stakeholders and build relationships to drive advocacy and engagement.
• Setup and utilise a market change network to gather ground insights and risks.
• Coordinate market-level training, tools, and resources leveraging global assets.
• Ensure market activities align with governance and integrate with BAU operations.

Skills

Change management

Stakeholder management

Employee engagement

Communications

Cultural adaptation

Agile delivery

Prosci

ADKAR

Kotter

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Our client is undergoing a significant transformation, marking a defining period in its evolution as an independent business.

The transformation programme is focused on simplifying and rebuilding the organisation’s operating model, bringing together multiple workstreams into a single, integrated programme with shared priorities.

The objective is to establish a stronger, more agile, profitable and competitive business, while creating the foundations for sustainable growth as an independent organisation.

This is a large-scale transformation requiring strong engagement across the organisation. Its success will depend on effective collaboration, consistent implementation and the ability to successfully navigate change across multiple markets.

Role Purpose

The Market Change Lead is responsible for driving successful organisational change within a specific market as part of a broader enterprise transformation programme. The role ensures that global and programme-level change strategies are effectively localised, adapted and implemented within the market, taking into account local cultural, regulatory, operational and business requirements while maintaining alignment with overall transformation objectives. Acting as the primary point of accountability for employee-facing change within the market, the Market Change Lead will work closely with the Market Deployment Lead, broader Programme Change Lead, local leadership and functional stakeholders. The role will be responsible for creating a consistent, integrated and people-centred change experience, ensuring employees understand the transformation, its impact on them and how they will be supported throughout the journey.

Market Change Leadership

• Own the market-level change plan aligned with wave and global strategies.
• Act as the primary contact for all change activities impacting employees in the market.
• Ensure global and wave change initiatives are tailored to local needs and realities without impacting the credibility of the global approach.
• Lead local market Change Impact Sessions and ensure effectiveness of local workarounds.

Localization & Cultural Adaptation

• Adapt messaging, communications, and enablement materials to reflect local cultural, regulatory, and operational considerations.
• Ensure employee engagement approaches resonate with the local audience.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Identify and map key market stakeholders, including leadership, HR, and influencers.
• Build strong relationships to drive advocacy and engagement.
• Set up and utilise a market change network to act as eyes and ears on the ground
• Track stakeholder sentiment and readiness, escalating risks to the Wave Change Lead.

Employee Communications & Engagement

• Deliver clear, timely, and culturally relevant communications within the market.
• Champion feedback loops and employee listening to inform adjustments.

Enablement & Support

• Coordinate market-level training, toolkits, and resources, leveraging global and wave assets.
• Monitor adoption and sentiment locally, adjusting plans as needed.

Integration & Governance

• Ensure market change activities align with wave and global governance frameworks.
• Integrate change efforts with business-as-usual operations in the market.

Skills & Experience

• Proven experience leading change initiatives within a single-country or market context.
• Strong understanding of employee engagement, communications, and cultural adaptation.
• Ability to work collaboratively with global, wave, and functional teams.
• Familiarity with change frameworks (e.g., Prosci, ADKAR, Kotter) and agile delivery models.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Strong planning, analytical, and communication capabilities.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.