About the position
We are seeking a Senior Change Manager to lead and drive change initiatives within a complex, fast-paced retail environment. This role will be responsible for ensuring the successful adoption of large-scale business and technology changes across head office, distribution centres, and store operations.
The ideal candidate will have deep experience in enterprise change management, particularly within retail, supply chain, or SAP transformation programmes, and will be comfortable engaging stakeholders from executive level through to operational teams on the ground.
This is an initial 12-month contract, onsite.
Key Responsibilities
Change Strategy & Planning
- Develop and execute comprehensive change management strategies and plans aligned to programme objectives
- Conduct detailed impact assessments across business units (stores, DCs, supply chain, finance, merchandising)
- Define and track change success metrics, adoption KPIs, and readiness indicators
Stakeholder Engagement & Communication
- Engage and influence senior leadership and executive stakeholders
- Design and implement targeted communication strategies across diverse audiences
- Act as the bridge between business, IT, and operational teams
Business Readiness & Adoption
- Drive business readiness activities, ensuring teams are prepared for go-live
- Identify resistance points and implement mitigation and engagement strategies
- Ensure sustainable user adoption and behavioural change
Training & Enablement
- Partner with L&D to design and deliver training strategies and materials
- Oversee train-the-trainer programmes and large-scale rollout initiatives
- Ensure alignment between training, communication, and business readiness
Change Governance & Delivery
- Establish and manage change governance frameworks
- Provide regular reporting on change progress, risks, and adoption metrics
- Work closely with Programme Managers, PMO, and delivery teams to ensure integrated execution
Required Experience & Skills
- Proven experience as a Senior Change Manager within large-scale transformation programmes
- Strong background in retail, FMCG, or operational environments (highly advantageous)
- Experience supporting SAP (S/4HANA), ERP, or supply chain transformations
- Demonstrated ability to operate across enterprise-wide change initiatives
- Strong understanding of change frameworks (e.g., Prosci, ADKAR, Kotter)
- Exceptional stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
- Experience working with operational teams (stores, warehouses, logistics)
- Ability to manage complex organisational change in high-pressure environments
Preferred Qualifications
- Degree in Business, Psychology, HR, or related field
- Change Management certification (e.g., Prosci)
- Experience in large South African retail organisations
Key Competencies
- High emotional intelligence (EQ) and resilience
- Strong communication and storytelling ability
- Structured, analytical, and outcome-driven
- Ability to operate both strategically and hands-on
- Strong facilitation and workshop leadership skills
Desired Skills:
