Lead Change Manager - MI6/GCHQ

Flexible Working: We support full-time, part-time, compressed, and flexible hours. We’re committed to offering remote working, however, our ability to do so is dependent on role requirement and business need.

About Us 

MI6 and GCHQ are part of the UK’s Intelligence Services. We work together to safeguard Britain’s people, interests, and businesses from various threats at home, overseas and online, including cyber-attacks, espionage, terrorism, and organised crime. Working across our vital missions, you’ll deliver impact at the heart of national security, all within a supportive and inclusive environment that allows everyone to thrive.

The Role 

The world is full of change, and it’s no different at MI6 and GCHQ. It’s an exciting time to join us, as we’re looking at the way we work and embracing every opportunity to improve and develop our operations. In this role you’ll help to put people, rather than just process or technology, at the heart of our business. You’ll be working in a unique and challenging environment as part of an innovative team, delivering a portfolio of projects and programmes that’ll help us protect the UK.

As a Lead Change Manager, you’ll develop and implement change strategies that span tech adoption, cultural change, and underpin the overall strategic objective. You’ll ensure that the proposed change meets the needs of the business and the articulated business problem. From there, you’ll identify, join up, and document the benefits, developing the benefits realisation plan for the project or programme.

To do this, you’ll get to grips with the needs and challenges of our customers: both internally and externally. You’ll work with senior leaders and deputy directors, presenting and communicating with them on a regular basis. After understanding the opportunity, you’ll champion the case for change and communicate this in a compelling way, using the right channel for the right audience. Everything you do will help bring stakeholders along for the journey; you’ll help them to understand the benefits of new ways of working and get them ready to play their part in the process. Holding senior stakeholders to account to bring the plan to life within our organisation. Importantly, you’ll be the kind of person who is approachable and friendly, and with a passion for sharing knowledge, no matter whether it’s a customer or colleague, you’ll help everyone understand the relevance of change, whilst mentoring junior members of the team and influencing them with your vision. 

About You

You’ll have experience of taking the lead on transition management, where you’ve ensured that business as usual is maintained during transition, and that change has effectively integrated into the business. You’ll have experience working with Agile methodologies and end-to-end change management within different environments, alongside familiarity with a range of change management tools and frameworks.

A clear and engaging communicator, you’ll be comfortable working with customers and senior members of staff alike, as well as presenting at organisational and board meetings. Adaptable, collaborative, and motivated, you’ll love solving problems, sharing your knowledge, and mentoring other colleagues. No matter whether you’re liaising with customers or colleagues, you’ll be happy to help everyone understand and support your strategies.

Training and Development

When you join us, you’ll have a full induction to the organisation, which will help you get to grips with how we operate. You’ll then have a team induction to give you a rounded understanding of business change, followed by on-the-job training to help you settle in.

We’re committed to developing our staff and recognise this will look different for everyone. We have an exceptional skills community, dedicated to supporting you. There’ll be lots of tailored training, coaching, and mentoring, alongside opportunities to pursue career pathways which cover specialism tracks.

There’s plenty of room for growth in this role too, as we’ll support you through our Continuing Professional Development framework, in addition to offering opportunities to gain further recognised change management qualifications.

Whatever your professional goals, we’ll work with you to build the skills you need to excel at your role, and throughout your career.

Rewards and Benefits

You’ll receive a salary of £48,104 - £58,883 plus the opportunity to qualify for a £5,128 skills-related payment (dependent on organisation). Other benefits also include:

• 25 days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
• Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
• Interest-free season ticket loan (parking and travel)
• Excellent pension scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Facilities such as a gym and restaurant, and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
• Paid parental and adoption leave

Equal Opportunities

At MI6 and GCHQ diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website(s):

https://www.sis.gov.uk/explore-careers.html
https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/life-at-gchq.html

We’re Disability Confident

MI6 and GCHQ are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a person-to-person interview to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our ‘Offer of Interview’ (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:

• A qualification up to practitioner level in change management with some evidence of successful change delivery, or evidence of delivering successful change at programme or portfolio level.
• Demonstrate expertise in Agile methodologies and end-to-end change management within different environments.
• Familiarity with a range of change management tools and frameworks.
• Demonstrate the ability to engage with stakeholders at all levels including presenting to senior stakeholders.

What to Expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

• Paper sift – you are advised to make full use of the word allowance for each question
• Interview
• Drugs test
• Vetting Interview

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.

Before You Apply

To work at MI6 and GCHQ you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here.

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.

Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

MI6: The role is based in London, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application. An interest-free loan via our benevolent fund is available to assist with relocating into privately rented accommodation to take up the offer of employment.

GCHQ: The role is based in Manchester, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application, as we do not offer relocation costs.

Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.

Right to Withdraw Statement: 

Please be aware that we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.

When you are ready to apply for the role, return to the previous page, and click the submit button at the bottom of the page to start your application. You'll be able to select the role you want to apply for in the application form.