Senior Specialist: People Change Manager at Absa Group Limited (Absa)

Job Summary

• The Senior Change Manager will lead and manage moderate to complex change initiatives across the organisation, ensuring alignment with strategic goals, stakeholder alignment, effective communication, and adoption of new ways of working. This role requires extensive experience in change management and organisational development (OD) to drive transformation and enhance organisational effectiveness.

Job Description

Change Strategy and Planning 

• Develop and manage change management plans for assigned projects. 
• Conduct impact assessments and change readiness diagnostics. 
• Define adoption success metrics and monitor progress. 
• Lead the development and implementation of comprehensive change management strategies for major organisational initiatives. 

Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Management 

• Map stakeholder influence and engagement needs. 
• Develop and implement tailored stakeholder engagement plans. 
• Manage stakeholder expectations and resolve resistance. 
• Develop stakeholder engagement plans. 
• Collaborate with senior leadership to integrate change management activities into project plans. 

Communication Planning and Execution 

• Design communication plans aligned to project phases and audiences. 
• Design and execute communication strategies to ensure clear and consistent messaging throughout the organisation. 
• Measure communication reach and adjust tactics as needed. 

Learning and Development Alignment 

• Conduct training needs analysis in collaboration with HR/Training. 
• Oversee content development and facilitation of change-related training. 
• Monitor learning outcomes to evaluate effectiveness. 
• Facilitate workshops, training sessions, and coaching to support change initiatives. 
• Lead the design and delivery of leadership development programmes. 

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Continuous Improvement 

• Track change adoption metrics, risk, and issue logs. 
• Analyse post-change feedback and lessons learned. 
• Recommend improvements to future change initiatives. 
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of change initiatives, adjusting as necessary. 
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and agility. 

Organisational Development Implementation 

• Develop and implement OD strategies to improve organisational performance and culture. 
• Conduct organisational assessments and provide actionable recommendations for improvement. 

KEY COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS 

Internal 

External 

• Senior Project Teams and Managers: Lead change initiatives and manage resistance. 
• Department Heads and Functional Leads: Collaborate to align change activities with business objectives. 
• Human Resources (HR): Coordinate on advanced training and leadership development programmes. 
• Communications and Marketing: Develop and implement strategic communication plans. 
• Risk Management and Compliance: Integrate change strategies with risk mitigation plans. 
• Data Analysis and Reporting Teams: Monitor change metrics and impact analysis. 
• Training and Development Teams: Design and facilitate intermediate-level change training. 
• IT Implementation Teams: Provide technical change support. 
• Digital Transformation Unit: Coordinate on change initiatives involving new systems, processes, or platforms. 
• Clients and Customers: Communicate change impacts and collect feedback. 
• External Consultants: Manage vendor relations for change management tools and frameworks. 
• Industry Networks and Associations: Stay updated on emerging change management practices. 
• Regulatory Bodies: Ensure change initiatives comply with industry regulations. 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS (WHAT IS REQUIRED TO PERFORM THE ESSENTIAL DUTIES) 

Minimum Qualifications 

Ideal Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Organisational Development, Human Resources, Psychology, or a related field. 
• Post graduate degree in Organisational Development, Change Management, or related field. 
• Certification in Change Management (e.g., Prosci, CCMP). 
• Project Management Certification (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2). 

Minimum Experience 

Beneficial Experience 

• 7-10 years of experience in change management and organisational development. 
• Demonstrated experience of change management frameworks (e.g., ADKAR, Kotter’s 8-Step Process, Lean Change). 
• Demonstrated experience in managing large-scale change initiatives. 
• Experience in a leadership role within a similar industry or sector. 
• Experience in conflict management and stakeholder negotiation. 
• Proficiency in data analysis and reporting tools (Power BI, Tableau). 
• Exposure to project management methodologies (Agile, Lean). 

Education

• Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)

End Date: October 28, 2025