Head of Business Transformation
Summary:
Are you a visionary leader ready to shape the future of a purpose driven organisation? Do you have the strategic mindset to bridge the gap between complex change and real world results?
This is your opportunity to join as Head of Transformation, a high impact role where you'll provide strategic oversight for our entire change management portfolio, ensuring every project isn't just a task, but a step towards our long-term organisational strategy. You'll be the central heartbeat of our transformation journey, balancing risks, managing significant budgets, and driving a culture of excellence.
Reporting to the Technology & Insights Director, this role provides strategic oversight and management of the entire project and programme portfolio. This involves defining and enforcing governance standards, ensuring all projects align with organisational strategy and driving continuous improvement across the business.
This position acts as the central point of contact for all change portfolio related activities. Key responsibilities include managing high level reporting and dashboards for all levels of senior management, resolving escalated issues and providing guidance and coaching to Project and Programme Managers.
A core function of this role is to cultivate a high-performing Project Management Office (PMO) team to ensure the consistent and successful execution of all projects and programmes.
Main responsibilities:
Skills / Qualifications / Experience
We want to be the water company people want to be supplied by and want to work for.
We know the communities we serve are diverse. We recognise creativity comes from diversity not similarity. That's why we are enthusiastic about creating inclusion across age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion and identity. You will experience our dedication to equal opportunities and fair treatment for all: through your recruitment, employment and career progression with South East Water.
Benefits package:
South East Water kindly asks that recruitment agencies refrain from submitting CVs to our employees or associates without explicit invitation from our HR Resourcing team. CVs sent on a speculative basis will not be acknowledged and will not assume any responsibility for fees or commissions in the event that we hire a candidate who applied directly or subsequently introduced by an instructed agency.
Compensation package:
Starting from £100,000 dependent on experience + £9,844 car allowance + senior management bonus
Are you a visionary leader ready to shape the future of a purpose driven organisation? Do you have the strategic mindset to bridge the gap between complex change and real world results?
This is your opportunity to join as Head of Transformation, a high impact role where you'll provide strategic oversight for our entire change management portfolio, ensuring every project isn't just a task, but a step towards our long-term organisational strategy. You'll be the central heartbeat of our transformation journey, balancing risks, managing significant budgets, and driving a culture of excellence.
Reporting to the Technology & Insights Director, this role provides strategic oversight and management of the entire project and programme portfolio. This involves defining and enforcing governance standards, ensuring all projects align with organisational strategy and driving continuous improvement across the business.
This position acts as the central point of contact for all change portfolio related activities. Key responsibilities include managing high level reporting and dashboards for all levels of senior management, resolving escalated issues and providing guidance and coaching to Project and Programme Managers.
A core function of this role is to cultivate a high-performing Project Management Office (PMO) team to ensure the consistent and successful execution of all projects and programmes.
Main responsibilities:
- Provide senior management accountability for the Change Project Management Office (CPMO), leading its strategic direction and maturity.
- Serve as the key liaison and central point of contact between business departments, ensuring seamless alignment and communication across the portfolio.
- Direct the portfolio governance process, including the design and enforcement of frameworks, to ensure all projects and programs align with organisational strategy.
- Manage resource allocation across the entire project portfolio to optimise value delivery and achieve strategic objectives.
- Assume direct accountability for the Transformation Budget, overseeing all financial aspects from forecasting to governance.
- Balance risks, benefits, and costs to inform strategic decision-making and ensure optimal portfolio performance.
- Cultivate and lead a high-performing team of change professionals, providing them with the support and autonomy to deliver exceptional results.
- Drive continuous improvement by leading strategic workforce planning to address capability gaps and maintain a strategic view of skills across the organisation.
- Serve as the Product Owner for the Project Portfolio Management (PPM) Tool, overseeing its functionality and ensuring it provides strategic insights for the business.
- Champion a culture of excellence in project, portfolio, and change management across the organisation.
- Assume responsibility for portfolio-level change management, proactively assessing and mitigating change impact to ensure successful adoption and benefit realisation.
- Own the CPMO's interfaces into annual and AMP planning cycles, directly influencing the strategic direction of Directorate plans and initiatives.
Skills / Qualifications / Experience
- A professional project management qualification such as Project Management Professional (PMP) or PRINCE2 and a professional programme management qualification, such as Programme Management Professional (PgMP) are essential or an equivalent degree (e.g. Bachelor's / MBA in business administration / organisational development / change management).
- The ability to develop a clear, compelling vision and strategy for the project portfolio, aligning it with overall business goals.
- A strong understanding of business and financial principles, including budgeting, forecasting, and return on investment (ROI) analysis.
- Expertise in benefits realisation management, ensuring all intended outcomes - whether strategic, financial or cultural - are defined, tracked and achieved.
- Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, for articulating complex concepts to diverse audiences, including senior management.
- Expertise in negotiation, conflict resolution, and influencing without direct authority.
- The ability to build, mentor and lead a high-performing team, fostering a culture of accountability and professional growth within the PMO.
- In-depth knowledge of project and programme management methodologies (e.g., Agile, PRINCE2).
- Proficiency in project portfolio management (PPM) tools and technologies.
- A deep understanding of the people-side of change, including overcoming resistance, fostering a culture of adaptability and acting as a catalyst for positive change.
- Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills.
- A proactive approach to identifying, assessing and mitigating risks at both the project and portfolio levels.
- The ability to creatively solve complex problems and navigate unforeseen challenges with composure and resilience.
- Expertise in leading and managing large-scale organisational change and transformation initiatives.
- Experience in designing and implementing new governance frameworks and business processes to support transformation.
- Proven track record in establishing and managing a benefits realisation framework, ensuring all intended outcomes are measured and achieved.
- Experience reporting to the Senior Management, Executive and Board level teams, effectively communicating complex portfolio and change information.
- Demonstrated experience in aligning project and programme initiatives with overall business goals.
- Experience with managing a large transformation budget, including financial forecasting and governance at a portfolio level.
- Proven experience in building and maintaining strong relationships with diverse stakeholders and managing competing interests.
- Experience with resource allocation, workload balancing and optimising project delivery to maximise value.
- Experience building, managing, and developing a PMO or a dedicated team of change professionals.
We want to be the water company people want to be supplied by and want to work for.
We know the communities we serve are diverse. We recognise creativity comes from diversity not similarity. That's why we are enthusiastic about creating inclusion across age, race, gender, ethnicity, religion and identity. You will experience our dedication to equal opportunities and fair treatment for all: through your recruitment, employment and career progression with South East Water.
Benefits package:
- Excellent Stakeholder pension scheme, up to 10% employer contribution.
- 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays per annum, increasing to 6 weeks with length of service.
- Flexible annual leave policy to buy or sell holiday leave.
- Paid volunteering days.
- Cycle to work scheme.
- Health cash plan.
- Life assurance.
- Wellbeing related benefits.
- To apply for this position, please submit your CV on our career's website.
- It is necessary for you to have the legal right to work in the UK when you begin employment with South East Water.
- Additionally, as part of the employment offer, you will need to pass background, identity, and employment referencing checks.
South East Water kindly asks that recruitment agencies refrain from submitting CVs to our employees or associates without explicit invitation from our HR Resourcing team. CVs sent on a speculative basis will not be acknowledged and will not assume any responsibility for fees or commissions in the event that we hire a candidate who applied directly or subsequently introduced by an instructed agency.
Compensation package:
Starting from £100,000 dependent on experience + £9,844 car allowance + senior management bonus