Change Management Lead (12 Month Contract) - VKB I&T, Head Office Reitz at VKB Group

About you

• You are keen to join one of the most dynamic and leading agricultural companies in South Africa.
• You want to be part of an I&T department that is passionate about enabling change within the VKB Group.
• You have a proven track record to be Inquisitive, Thorough, Diplomatic and Creative.
• You have the ability to step back and see the bigger picture and keep perspective in pressured and dynamic circumstances.
• Offer objectivity to staff and end-users regarding the change they are about to face.
• You are able to guide VKB's employees to quickly and efficiently adapt to various change initiatives and projects.
• You are teachable and able to adapt to new processes and procedures.
• Methodical and organised approach to organisational change management practices.
• You are comfortable with training VKB’s senior management to offer support and coaching to lower-level managers and supervisors, who in turn directly help employees handle the transitions.
• You are able to work in a team environment and add value and innovation to the team.
• You must be able to manage time and deadlines in a suitable manner and be able to communicate when delays are presented.

About the Role:

• The role is established in the Governance & Service Transition team of the VKB Information and Technology department as part of the Quality Assurance Team. The Change Management Lead will report to the Head of I&T Governance & Service Transition.
• The Change Management Lead will be responsible to work with the Change Management Team and Project Management Office to enable organisational change. The role requires an individual who is able to facilitate multiple, technical programme/project streams, simultaneously, with various inter-dependencies, someone who has the ability to adapt and create a change management methodology wherever the programme/project may be in its life-cycle. We are looking for an experienced change manager who possesses the skills to adapt to, understand and respect the VKB culture and foster an environment which allows for collaborative team-effort between the various stakeholders of the programme/project, while being proactive in mitigating risks and providing solutions.

Main Responsibilities

• Lead change management activities by applying a structured method (Apply a change management process and tools to create a strategy to support adoption of the changes required by a project or initiative)
• Lead communication efforts (Execute the design, development, delivery and management of communications)
• Assess the change impact (Conduct impact analyses, assess change readiness and identify key stakeholders)
• Support training efforts (Provide input, document requirements and support the design and delivery of training programs)
• Support the project teams where necessary
• Establish a sustainable Change Management Competency for VKB
• Mentor, train and develop Change Management resources

Additional Responsibilities

• Complete change management assessments
• Identify, analyse and prepare risk mitigation tactics
• Identify and manage anticipated resistance
• Consult and coach project teams and I&T team in relation to change management and communication
• Create actionable deliverables for the five change management levers: communications plan, sponsor roadmap, coaching plan, training plan, resistance management plan
• Support and engage senior leaders and coach managers and supervisors
• Support organizational design and definition of roles and responsibilities
• Coordinate efforts with other specialists
• Integrate change management activities into project plans and/or Business-As-Usual activities
• Evaluate and ensure user readiness
• Track and report issues
• Define and measure success metrics and monitor change progress
• Support change management at the organizational level
• Manage the change portfolio

Skills and Qualifications

• Minimum Grade 12/ NQF4. 
• Applicable Bachelor’s degree in business, Organizational Psychology, or a related Proven experience in change management, with a specific focus on technology adoption and change fatigue mitigation.
• Certification in Change Management is mandatory.
• At least 5 years’ experience as a change manager.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence and motivate others.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional project management skills.
• Experience working with diverse teams in large organisations, particularly in the context of technological innovation.
• Experience with and knowledge of change management principles, methodologies and tools.
• Ability to clearly articulate messages to a variety of audiences.
• Flexible and adaptable; able to work in ambiguous situations.
• Resilient and tenacious with a propensity to persevere.
• Forward looking with a holistic approach.
• Organised with a natural inclination for planning strategy and tactics.
• Must be a team player and able to work collaboratively with and through others.
• Acute business acumen and understanding of organisational issues and challenges.
• Familiarity with program and project management approaches, tools and phases of the project lifecycle.
• Experience with large-scale organisational change efforts.