Head of Change

Newly created role in an established, well regarded and expanding full service banking group, based in City of London. The Head of Change and Delivery is responsible for leading and overseeing the successful execution of the bank's strategic change agenda. This role ensures effective planning, governance, and delivery of large-scale transformation initiatives across the organization. The role combines leadership, project/programme management, and change management capabilities to drive continuous improvement, innovation, and value creation.

Core Duties And Responsibilities

• Assist the Head of Digital Transformation to define and build the bank's change and transformation strategy in alignment with overall business goals and then lead the execution of this strategy with a focus on the delivery of excellence.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, influencing direction based on change capability and delivery performance.
• Build, lead, and manage a high-performing Change and Delivery team, including programme managers, project managers, business analysts, and PMO professionals. Portfolio & Programme Delivery
• Oversee the enterprise-wide portfolio of change initiatives including regulatory, digital, operational, and technology-driven programmes.
• Drive successful delivery of programmes and projects to time, scope, budget, and quality.
• Implement and maintain robust delivery methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid) and governance frameworks. Stakeholder & Change Management
• Work closely with to ensure alignment and sponsorship of key initiatives.
• Lead organisational change management efforts to embed new processes, technologies, and behaviours.
• Ensure communications and engagement plans are executed to support cultural and operational change. Risk, Compliance & Governance
• Ensure all change initiatives comply with relevant banking regulations and internal policies.
• Monitor risks, issues, dependencies, and interdependencies across programmes, escalating where necessary.
• Report on progress, performance, and benefits realisation to the Executive Committee and relevant governance boards.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Promote a culture of excellence, continuous improvement, innovation, and agile thinking within the bank.
• Identify opportunities to enhance delivery efficiency, speed, and value through new tools, automation, and ways of working.
• Drive digital transformation initiatives including core banking upgrades, customer experience enhancement, and data driven solutions.
• Leverage AI and advanced analytics to enable continuous improvement, smarter decision-making, and operational efficiency.

Essential Experience & Qualifications

• Experience in leading change, transformation, or programme delivery within financial services or banking.
• Proven track record in delivering complex, high-value programmes and portfolios.
• Deep understanding of banking operations, technology landscapes, and regulatory environments.
• Strong understanding of Agile delivery methodologies (Scrum, SAFe, Kanban) and hands-on experience applying them within large-scale transformation projects.
• Proven track record of working with core banking systems (e.g., Temenos, Finacle, Mambu, T24, or similar) in an Agile environment.
• Ability to bridge business requirements and technical delivery, ensuring solutions align with enterprise banking technology architecture.
• Professional certifications such as PMP, MSP, Agile, SAFe, or PRINCE2 are desirable.

Skills & Competencies Required

• Strong leadership, people management, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strategic thinking with a hands-on delivery mindset.
• Expertise in change management, project governance, and risk management.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and influencing abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross-functional Agile teams in core banking implementation or migration contexts.
• Familiarity with modern banking technology stacks (APIs, microservices, digital channels) and their integration with core banking platforms.
• High emotional intelligence and resilience in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.