Change Manager

The starting salary for this full-time position is 53,713 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week. This is a fixed-term contract / secondment opportunity until 31st March 2027.

We have a great opportunity for a Change Manager to join our fantastic Children’s Social Care Transformation Team.

This position is open to hybrid working with at least two days per week based at locations across Surrey. This includes one day with the team in Woking and another spent elsewhere in Surrey, dependent on business requirements.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the Role

The Transformation Team leads a range of programmes and projects dedicated to shaping, driving, and facilitating sustainable change and improvement for children in Surrey. These projects range from implementing new technologies to reviewing and improving cross‑division processes.

This role will be part of a programme team, supporting the delivery of complex, multifaceted transformation in Children’s Social Care and supporting our Directorate‑wide efficiencies programme.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead and deliver change initiatives within the Children’s Social Care Transformation Programme, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities, embedding sustainable change, fostering a cultural shift towards new ways of working, and enabling improved outcomes for children, families, and practitioners.

Key Responsibilities

• Planning and delivering change activities across multiple projects and workstreams
• Building strong relationships with operational teams, senior leaders, and external partners to co‑design and implement change effectively
• Developing and executing change management strategies, including clear communication, training, and engagement plans
• Monitoring and evaluating the impact of change initiatives, using data and feedback to drive continuous improvement
• Identifying and managing risks and issues that may affect delivery, escalating them when necessary

As a Change Manager, you will be instrumental in championing a culture of innovation, collaboration, and ongoing improvement across Children’s Services.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in leading change within complex public sector environments, which could include children’s services or social care
• Strong understanding of change management methodologies (e.g. ADKAR, Kotter)
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills
• Ability to work across strategic and operational levels
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities
• Experience in using data and insights to drive decision‑making and measure impact
• Willingness and ability to travel around the county to meet the demands of the role and attend stakeholder meetings

Local Government Reorganisation

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two‑tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview.

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