Transformation Lead
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
Job purpose
Reporting to our Senior Transformation Leads this role will work in collaboration across the Transformation Team, and key stakeholders across the University, the Transformation Lead will act as the day-to-day ‘business owner’ for projects, or specific deliveries, within the Transformation Portfolio. We’re looking for someone with leadership experience within complex multi-year change initiatives. The role holder will have significant experience within programme and project work, be able to adapt their approach depending on the challenges in front of them. An inspirational and outcome-focused individual, their purpose is to keep projects on track, working alongside a cross-functional group of stakeholders from across the University to inform, influence and shape projects that deliver measurable benefits. Adept at working as a leader, matrix managing resources from diverse backgrounds able to create a cohesive project team aligned to the transformation ask and delivery of agreed outcomes and benefits.
Main duties & responsibilities
- Lead deliverables within our large-scale, multi-year transformation programmes, acting as the day-to-day ‘business owner’ or decision maker. Ensuring that project plans, budgets and resources are in place aligned to the strategic nature of the change.
- Meaningfully input into both business cases and compelling cases for change to influence senior leaders to support the execution of change. Good influencing and storytelling skills, able to engage diverse stakeholders, crafting effective messaging, to the appropriate audience, that drives forward transformation projects and change.
- Facilitate the diagnosis, design, and creation of innovative and sustainable solutions to achieve project benefits, including improved service excellence and/or more effective use of university resources. Demonstrating a data-led approach to create actionable insights, utilising industry-leading thinking to shape solutions fit for the future.
- Bring together cross-functional teams, in a matrix management structure, on a range of projects.
- Coaching and nurturing subject matter experts from within and out-with the Transformation Team to ensure that our staff and student representatives are able to develop their skills through our work. Able to create an open and constructive feedback culture amongst colleagues who come from different ‘home’ teams.
- Leading real and effective stakeholder engagement bringing people with us on the journey, and being an advocate for change across the institution.
- Create and embed change utilising the University of Glasgow’s Change Framework, working closely to nurture strategic partnerships with People and Organisational Development, Finance, Information Services, Colleges & Schools and others to ensure effective shape and deliver broad-scale transformational change. Adept at implementing a variety of different change solutions across, people (organisation), process, technology and data.
- Escalating at the right time for support, decisions or intervention where needed to Senior Leadership – both within the Transformation Team and our governance forums e.g. Transformation Board.
- The Transformation Lead must be able to impact the organisation not only through their influencing & leadership skills but by taking personal ownership for the delivery of measurable results. They must be able to garner respect from individuals or teams and be willing to get their hands dirty in getting the job done.
Knowledge and qualifications
Essential
- Ability to demonstrate the necessary strategic competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary professional knowledge and leadership experience in a similar or number of different specialist roles.
- Highly developed knowledge and understanding of change and/or change management methodologies.
- Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of transformative change and improvement projects in complex environments.
Desirable
- Relevant Technical/Professional Improvement or Change Qualifications (e.g. Lean/Sigma/Operational Excellence/Change/ or Transformation Accreditation)
- Strong understanding of Higher Education organisations, purpose, and infrastructure.
- Deep understanding of organisational dynamics, psychology, and social and behavioural science.
- Recognised Certifications in either Coaching (ICF), Facilitation (IAF) or Organisation Development.
- Recognised certifications in project management disciplines (Agile, Waterfall).
Skills
Essential
- Solid skill in leading diverse types of change across different teams and organisational boundaries in a variety of sectors.
- Effective communication and influencing skills, to interact effectively with a range of internal stakeholders over whom you have little or no direct authority across diverse functional areas.
- Highly credible communicator with a strong ability to influence and persuade management teams of appropriate courses of action that may have University-wide implications.
- Leadership skills to shape and execute complex projects with working experience of effective project management methodologies.
- Ability to develop innovative solutions and influence behaviours in the adoption of new ways of working.
- Solid analytical and problem-solving skills in the analysis of existing processes, bridging the gap between varying levels of stakeholders in terms of subject matter expertise and project management capability.
- Good interpersonal skills including motivational negotiating, motivating, influencing, coaching, and building credible relationships with stakeholders.
- Comprehensive ability to prepare and deliver engaging presentations and training programmes.
- Highly effective negotiation and diplomacy skills.
- Strong benefits management and benefits delivery.
Desirable
- Creative approach to data and reporting presentations.
- Mixed skillset in both business and technology change.
Experience
Essential
- Professional experience at a senior level in private/public sector with a demonstrable track record in leading and delivering transformation projects to a clear and successful conclusion.
- Experience managing relevant business change projects involving multiple stakeholders across several business units and/or in complex environments.
- Proven track record of managing specialist improvement resources including the coaching and development of others in improvement and change techniques.
- Significant experience in successfully utilising multiple improvement or design methodologies in a variety of settings.
- Sound experience within a similar transformation, strategic, business change or planning environment gained in industry, the public sector and/or consultancy.
- Experience in a leadership role for a major change programme with significant delivery implications in complex organisations.
- Solid experience of task managing a diverse pool of resources from within a matrix organisation.
Desirable
- Experience of working in HE Sector.
- Commercial acumen including the development of benefit realisation strategies.
- Experience of large-scale effective programme communications.
- Experience of managing and controlling budgets/resources/funding and understanding of financial management procedures along with experience in delivering project benefits.
How to apply
Full details of the role and how to apply can be found by visiting our website:
The closing date for applications is 21 October 2024.
Terms & Conditions
Salary will be Grade 8, £49,250 - £56,921 per annum.
This post is full time (35 hours per week) and has funding until 31 July 2027 in the first instance.
As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.
An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook [https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/](https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/), benefits and discount packages.
A flexible approach to working.
A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University [https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/](https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/).
We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community [https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/](https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/).
We endorse the principles of Athena Swan [https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/](https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/) and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.
We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website [https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/](https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/) for more information.
Campus development plan
Our Vision
Over the next 10 years, the major investment will expand our campus footprint by 25%, creating a new urban quarter with the University at the heart of a revitalised west end. This is the largest development since the creation of the original campus in 1870.
This is a unique opportunity for a University to extend the boundaries of its historic core in a central city location. It will create:
- New learning and teaching facilities
- Refurbishment and repurposing of existing iconic buildings for specialist uses
- Identification and design of social spaces that support the student and community experience.
The expansion of our Gilmorehill campus into the 14 acre, former Western Infirmary site will transform the West End of Glasgow. The Masterplan for the site will incorporate:
- New learning and teaching facilities supporting our students and making sure they get the best in modern teaching and learning styles and approaches
- Creation of a Research Hub, housing large-scale multidisciplinary projects and incubator space for spin out collaborations with industry. This will encourage further innovation development
- New public cycle and pedestrian routes and a new central square which will link Byres Road to the up-and-coming cultural quarter for the West End, with new links to Kelvingrove and the newly-refurbished Kelvin Hall
- Refurbishment of five listed buildings: The Chapel, the Outpatients building, the Macgregor building, the Tennent Institute and Anderson College
- Commercial opportunities, including a hotel, restaurant, bars and cafes
- The state of the art Learning and Teaching Hub adjacent to the Boyd Orr building on University Avenue will be completed next year.
Find out more
Living in Glasgow
A UNESCO City of Music, a vibrant arts and culture scene, a food-lover’s delight, and a shopper’s paradise. Just some of the highlights of the ‘friendliest city in the world’. As well as that accolade by the Rough Guides poll, Glasgow has also been named a must visit destination by publications including the New York Times, The Guardian, and Wanderlust.
Music
The city hosts an average of 130 music events a week catering for every taste; from rock to rap, and classical to country. Glasgow also has a world class club scene playing host to some of the world’s top DJs.
Shopping
Outside of London’s West End, Glasgow is frequently voted the best place for shopping in the UK. A must-visit destination for any shop-a-holic, it houses high street chains, international designers, and independent retailers. The West End, home to the University of Glasgow, is bustling with vintage fashion, vinyl stores, and second-hand bookshops.
Arts and Culture
Glasgow’s arts scene has gone from strength to strength, and is the base for five internationally renowned performing arts companies including the National Theatre of Scotland and Scottish Ballet. The city has several world-class museums, which are free to the public, and the city’s architecture is a work of art in itself.
Food and drink
You can be in Glasgow and taste the world with its many diverse restaurants, cafes, and bars. And if you’ve yet to sample the delights of haggis and whisky, Glasgow is the place to be.
The City and Beyond
Glasgow has all the opportunities and excitement of a big city but its compact size means you can quickly travel from one vibrant district to the next. You could be relaxing in one of its many parks, before shopping in the quirky West End, and then dancing until the wee small hours in the Merchant City.
And when you fancy getting out of the city you can reach the stunning Loch Lomond in just 30 minutes, climb one of our many breath-taking Munros, play golf at one of Scotland’s many world-class courses, visit one of our ancient castles, or go further North and search for Nessie! Scotland has also just been named the world’s most beautiful country by Rough Guides.
Relocating to Glasgow
Choosing to relocate to Glasgow is a big decision. There are numerous things to be considered, such as the costs of moving, the cost of living, and where exactly to relocate to. We have created two guides to aide you in the decision making process.
Find out more on relocating to Glasgow at the below link:
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
WORLD CHANGING GLASGOW 2025
Our outstanding disciplinary breadth and expertise has enabled us to make world-changing advances in fields as diverse as medicine, physics, linguistics, public policy and global development.
The key to our success is our talented staff and students pushing back at the boundaries of knowledge and understanding together.
Our World Changers Together strategy recognises the fundamental importance of a culture of open cooperation: not just as colleagues and mentors or students and teachers, but as a community of discovery that reaches beyond its walls and draws inspiration and strength from its connections and partnerships worldwide: excellence that's part of something bigger. The strategy is articulated across three themes:
COMMUNITY
- People centred, globally engaged
CONNECTIVITY
- Collaboratively minded, digitally enhanced
CHALLENGES
- Solution focused, impact oriented
Find out more
It is the University of Glasgow’s mission to foster an inclusive climate, which ensures equality in our working, learning, research and teaching environment. We strongly endorse the principles of Athena SWAN, including a supportive and flexible working environment, with commitment from all levels of the organisation in promoting gender equity.
Our values
The future holds innumerable challenges for our sector, our society, and our world. We will have to adapt and change what we do and what we offer if we are to navigate these successfully. Our strategy and approach may evolve as the landscape changes, but our values will remain constant: a fixed point of certainty in uncertain times.
We have identified our values in consultation and partnership with our staff and student community. Living and upholding these values will ensure that we remain true to the spirit of our community and ourselves:
Ambition and Excellence
- We strive for excellence through our work
- We defend academic freedom globally
- We recognise and celebrate shared success
- We have an unrelenting focus on development
Curiosity and Discovery
- We innovate and solve problems together
- We lead by influence and example
- We engage with lifelong learning and personal development
- We learn from our mistakes
Integrity and Truth
- We uphold honesty, integrity and fairness
- We share our work widely and generously
- We do the right thing, not the easy thing - or we don’t do it
- We take responsibility
An Inclusive Community
- We are one Glasgow team, and we care for and respect one another
- We advocate for diversity and believe in variety as a vital part of a healthy university
- We champion education as an engine for social progress
- We practise and advance sustainability