Head of Business

Head of Business Change – Contract (Inside IR35)

Duration: 6 Months

Location: Stockport, Hybrid (2–3 days per week on site)

A large, nationally recognised transport and services organisation is undergoing a significant transformation, shifting from decision‑making driven by gut feel or volume of voice to an organisation powered by data. Operating in a commercially tight environment with low margins, the business is embedding technology at the core of its ethos to support transformation and accelerate change.

We are seeking a Head of Change – a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing and delivering a portfolio of strategic change initiatives to achieve defined business outcomes and benefits.

This is a high‑impact role requiring credibility at executive level, strong delivery expertise, and practical business change experience.

• Reporting directly to the Chief Information Officer (CIO)
• Operating at Senior Leadership Team (SLT) level
• Interacting with leaders across:
  Architecture, Infrastructure, Performance & Governance, Cyber Security and Executive Leadership
• Leading and influencing change committees with authority and credibility

• Strategic Leadership – Setting the vision and ambition for change, developing strategy, and horizon‑scanning for future transformation opportunities.
• Portfolio Management – Overseeing the entire portfolio of change programmes, managing interdependencies, risks, and ensuring alignment with business strategy and objectives.
• Project Delivery – Ensuring that complex projects and programmes are effectively planned, coordinated, delivered at pace, and meet their defined outcomes.
• Financial Oversight – Managing and overseeing budgets for the change portfolio, identifying cost efficiencies, and ensuring fiscal responsibility.
• Stakeholder Management – Collaborating with and influencing senior leaders and stakeholders across the organization and with external partners.
• Team Leadership & Development – Leading, mentoring, and developing change delivery teams, enhancing their capabilities, and fostering a culture of performance and continuous improvement.
• Risk Management – Proactively identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks and issues that could impact programmes and projects.
• Quality Assurance – Ensuring that changes are embedded successfully within the organisation and that quality and best practice standards are maintained.

• Working cross‑functionally to deliver change
• Developing business capabilities to remain relevant for the future
• Supporting the development of technological capabilities that make systems safe for all users
• Focusing change on initiatives that are inclusive and deliver value for customers and communities

• Strategic & Financial Acumen
  :
  Ability to translate strategy into actionable plans and manage significant budgets.
• Portfolio Management Expertise
  :
  Strong delivery capability with experience working within Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) and Agile teams and ideally a relevant qualification in LPM.
• Leadership & People Management
  :
  Proven ability to lead, inspire, and develop high‑performing teams.
• Communication & Influence
  :
  Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.
• Commercial Acumen
  :
  Strong supplier management capability with experience managing complex supply chains.
• Transformation
  :
  Extensive experience delivering business and technology transformation through change initiatives.

• Driving transformational change through technology and business change
• Implementing frameworks
• Strong business change background
• Experience working within a corporate environment (organisation of c.25,000 employees – similar scale of operating)

• Must have delivered business change, not just technology change
• Must have worked within an Agile environment using Lean Portfolio Management
• Able to hit the ground running
• Strong practical, hands‑on experience

• Workday