Operational Change Manager

Job Title

Operational Change Manager

Location

Hybrid work in their London office, with availability to travel across Europe

Salary/Rate

Up to £552 a day Inside ir35

Start Date

Nov 2025

Job Type

6-month contract (with scope to extend)

Company Introduction

We are looking for an Operational Change Manager, who will lead and execute change management activities for the rollout of IT systems across manufacturing plants in Europe, beginning with the UK.

The role focuses on preparing, equipping, and supporting plant teams to adopt new digital tools, applications, and processes introduced as part of the manufacturing IT transformation program.

This individual will work closely with program management, local site leadership, functional process owners, and IT deployment teams to ensure smooth adoption, minimal disruption to operations, and measurable business readiness.

Job Responsibilities/Objectives

• Change Strategy & Planning:
  • Develop and implement a structured change management strategy tailored for multi-site manufacturing IT rollouts.
  • Define change impact assessments, stakeholder analysis, and communication roadmaps for each site.
• Stakeholder Engagement:
  • Partner with plant leadership, production managers, and site IT leads to ensure alignment between global strategy and local operations.
  • Build strong relationships with key stakeholders at corporate and site levels to ensure ownership of change outcomes.
• Communication & Training:
  • Create and deliver targeted communication plans to ensure clear understanding of project goals, benefits, and timelines.
  • Oversee development and execution of end-user training, including train-the-trainer programs.
• Business Readiness & Adoption:
  • Conduct readiness assessments and monitor site-level adoption progress.
  • Identify resistance and develop mitigation plans to address adoption barriers.
  • Track post-implementation performance to ensure successful transition to new systems.
• Continuous Improvement:
  • Gather feedback from plant users and incorporate learnings into subsequent rollouts.
  • Support harmonisation of operational practices across sites.

Required Skills/Experience

• Vast experience in Change Management or Operational Excellence roles.
• Solid experience in manufacturing IT transformation or plant digitalization programs (MES, ERP, LIMS, IP.21, etc.).
• Proven track record in multi-country or multi-plant rollout environments.
• Familiarity with manufacturing operations, shop floor systems, and industrial IT applications.
• Experience working within structured project environments (Agile, PMI, or Prince2).
• Excellent communication, presentation, and influencing skills.
• Strong stakeholder management and ability to drive change in complex, cross-cultural settings.
• High adaptability and willingness to travel across Europe.

Desirable Skills/Experience

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, IT, or Business Management (master's preferred).
• Certification in Change Management (e.g., PROSCI, ACMP) is an advantage.
• A Lean Six Sigma or Operational Excellence background is a plus.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply now with your updated CV in Microsoft Word/PDF format.

Disclaimer

Notwithstanding any guidelines given to level of experience sought, we will consider candidates from outside this range if they can demonstrate the necessary competencies.

Square One is acting as both an employment agency and an employment business and is an equal opportunities recruitment business. Square One embraces diversity and will treat everyone equally. Please see our website for our full diversity statement.