Contract: 18-month Fixed-Term Contract
Location: London (Hybrid – 60% on-site, likely more initially)
Start Date: ASAP
Salary: £45,000-£55,000
Sector: Higher Education / Public Sector
A leading London-based university is undertaking a major transformation programme following a merger and is seeking two experienced HR Change Managers to join their People Workstream. These roles sit within a growing internal team focused on delivering organisational design, staff consultation, and structural integration across Professional Services.
You’ll play a central role in supporting a complex, high-profile programme of change, including redundancy consultation, trade union engagement, and the delivery of a new operating model that supports long-term service and financial sustainability.
Key Focus Areas:
* Leading people-side change initiatives related to a large-scale integration across Professional Services functions
* Supporting the development of business cases and job design, including job evaluation and structural proposals
* Leading on formal employee consultations (individual and collective), including consultation documentation, process planning and execution
* Acting as HR lead with trade unions (Unison, Unite, UCU) – managing engagement, consultation and resolution
* Applying your expertise in employee relations, organisational change and TUPE/redundancy processes to ensure legal compliance and best practice
* Advising on risks, communications, and employee wellbeing during organisational transformation
* Contributing to a strategic cost-saving objective (targeting a 5.8% saving, aligned with natural turnover)
What We're Looking For:
* Strong track record of complex change management in unionised environments, ideally public sector, NHS or Higher Education
* Deep experience managing employee relations during organisational change – redundancy, restructuring, and job design are key
* Excellent project and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels and manage sensitive consultation exercises
* Skilled in working directly with trade unions, navigating industrial relations with confidence and diplomacy
* Background in organisational change, HR consultancy, or transformation within complex, matrixed organisations
* Understanding of job evaluation, workforce design, and the broader HR change lifecycle
* While HE sector experience is beneficial, change delivery expertise is the main priority
* Excellent benefits including 30 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays + 4 closure days, and a generous pension contribution (14% employer, 8% employee)
Please do not delay in applying, as the advert may close earlier if a successful applicant is found.