Business Change Manager (12 months fixed term contract)

Being a part of Kent Fire and Rescue Service 

Everyone is unique. Everyone has value. Everyone helps to make Kent Fire and Rescue Service a great place to work. We are one team. Together with our customers we are creating a safer future for Kent and Medway.

Being a Business Change Manager

As a Business Change Manager, you will play a pivotal role in driving meaningful improvements across the Fire and Rescue Service by positively impacting both the organisation and the communities we serve. Working within the Portfolio and Business Change Team, you will lead the people side of change, ensuring that colleagues, partners, and stakeholders are fully engaged, supported, and empowered to embrace new ways of working.

You will be instrumental in delivering key initiatives that realise programme and project benefits, while helping the organisation meet its efficiency targets. Although this role does not include line management or budget responsibilities, it offers the opportunity to manage impactful processes and projects that shape the future of the service.

We are looking for a proactive change champion—someone who fosters innovation, promotes continuous improvement, and ensures that change is inclusive, consistent, and sustainable. As a role model for positive transformation, you will help cultivate a modern, forward-thinking culture that delivers the best possible outcomes for our communities.

What you’ll do

• Support multiple programmes and projects simultaneously from early concept and design to completion, all while ensuring benefits are delivered, embedded, and sustained.
• Collaborate with colleagues at all levels, including senior leaders, frontline teams, and external partners, to design and implement effective change management strategies.
• Define and embed change management approaches and tools aligned with best practice and organisational needs.
• Build strong, trust-based relationships with internal and external stakeholders to drive engagement and collaboration
• Coach and support managers in preparing their teams for change, offering tailored guidance and 1:1 support.
• Partner with the Engagement and Communications Team to deliver inclusive, accessible communication and engagement plans.
• Identify, monitor, and address risks and barriers to successful change.
• Evaluate the impact of change initiatives to ensure long-term benefit realisation.

What you’ll bring

• Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience.
• Formal training or accreditation in change management (e.g. Prosci, APMG Change Management Foundation/Practitioner).
  • Desirable qualifications in project/programme management (e.g. PRINCE2, MSP, AgilePM) and continuous improvement (e.g. Lean Six Sigma Yellow/Green Belt).
• Proven experience leading change management in medium to large organisations, including designing and delivering communication and engagement plans.
• Strong knowledge of change management principles, methodologies, and tools (e.g. Prosci, Kotter, ADKAR).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a track record of engaging and influencing stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience producing high-quality reports and performance metrics to assess change impact and present findings to senior leaders.
• A clear understanding of equality, diversity, and inclusion principles and their application in change programmes.

Benefits

• Automatic membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Blue Light Card discount scheme supported by a number of high street retailers
• A range of family friendly policies including promoting work-life balance
• Access to health and wellbeing services and advice
• Access to LinkedIn learning online training
• Free parking
• Above all you’ll become part of a service that is committed to the safety of our community

How to apply

Please complete an online application and provide your CV. We will then be in touch shortly to arrange the next steps. Interviews will take place a Service Headquarters, Tovil, Kent.

Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We know that great minds don’t think alike, so we rely on diverse thoughts, feelings, beliefs and backgrounds to create the best working environment that we can possibly offer.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service, its employees and volunteers, are committed to safeguarding, protecting and supporting children, young people and adults at risk. As part of our safer recruitment process, we will undertake pre-employment checks to verify your suitability for the role. These checks will include your references and a standard or enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Enhanced DBS check with barred lists are carried out for roles with direct and unsupervised access to children, young people and adults at risk. Risk assessments will be undertaken on any disclosures identified as part of the pre-employment checks.

As a Public Sector organisation with added responsibilities under the Equality Act, 2010 the candidate must demonstrate an understanding of what is meant by Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and how this fits in with their everyday work.