Change Manager

Job summary

• Are you someone who can take a big idea and shape it into a clear, actionable plan?
• Do you thrive in environments where you can experiment, iterate, and improve how things are done?
• Have you got a leadership quality than enables you to inspire, guide, and empower others?
• When a team needs direction, are you the person who can bring insight and momentum?

If you’re somebody who excels at the intersection of leadership, innovation, and delivery then please get in touch.

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Read more in the Benefits section below!

Find out more about what it's like working at VCA.

Our work is focused on improving vehicle safety and environmental protection by providing robust testing and certification to national and internationally recognised standards. We are a part of the Department of Transport as the designated UK Vehicle Type Approval Authority. With more than 40 years’ experience, we have become one of the largest and well-respected approval bodies around. This position has been built on a reputation for technical expertise and quality, which is at the heart of everything we do, and what you could be a part of.

Job description

The Change Manager will play a key role in shaping the future of the Vehicle Certification Agency, leading high‑impact change to support safe, secure and sustainable vehicle certification. At the heart of the VCA’s transformation, you will lead and embed complex initiatives aligned to the Business Plan, preparing the organisation for regulatory, technological and commercial change. You will build trusted stakeholder relationships, drive adoption of new ways of working, travel across sites, and help ensure the VCA remains resilient and respected.

Your main duties will include but will not be limited to:

• Stakeholder management: Identify, classify, and update the stakeholder engagement plan. Act as point of contact for senior stakeholders and lead stakeholder engagement activities
• Leadership and delivery: Provide visible and effective leadership in the business change management activities. Work with project managers to deliver the business case benefits and outcomes. Champion the use of best practice business change management standards, tools and processes. Build strong networks both internally and externally. Actively listen to, assess and understand the impact on stakeholders to improve the likelihood of their adoption of the change.
• Business case: Lead the change management elements of the business case.
• Change products: Lead the creation of the Business Change products for various projects. Lead on engagement with key contacts. Ensure products are used appropriately by the projects and stakeholders to embed the change.
• Change planning: Establish and maintain the change plan for projects and provide input into the overall Programme Plan.
• Business readiness: Identify, qualify, and update the business readiness assessments before implementation. Report the progress of these to Project Boards to feed in to go-live decision points.
• Training: Work with business leads to complete training needs analysis and develop the required training. Assist in delivery where required.
• Benefits realisation: Work in partnership with Project Managers and stakeholders to plan and confirm benefits realisation as part of all Business Change activities.
• Change communication: Lead Business Change messaging, working closely with the Communications team. Provide content relating to Business Change across the portfolio that can be appropriately communicated.
• Risk Management: Identify, assess, and manage risks and issues associated with change. Escalate risks as appropriate.
• Guidance and support: Provide direction and guidance to the team and support the development of others.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile.Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process.

Person specification

The ideal candidate will be an accomplished Business Change Manager with a demonstrable track record of successfully delivering complex, cross-functional change, either within the public sector or a multi-stakeholder environment. The VCA portfolio is varied, working across other government departments and industry. The successful individual must be a highly dynamic, politically astute, and an engaging leader of change. They will have a desire to promote continuous improvement and learning across the business. The role requires someone confident in operating within formal governance structures, able to engage senior stakeholders, including the SRO and Portfolio Management Board.

We are looking for someone with significant experience of managing high-profile change initiatives that require significant stakeholder buy-in and collaboration across multiple organisational boundaries. They must be capable of working autonomously, motivating stakeholders, and quickly establishing credibility with senior leaders across different government departments.

Additional Information

This role is suitable for hybrid working, and therefore a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements. Hybrid working is a non-contractual arrangement where employees have the flexibility to work remotely combined with a minimum of 60% of their working time a month at either their principal workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, visiting stakeholders and colleagues, or carrying out detached duty in another VCA workplace. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

If you have questions regarding how hybrid working is practiced within the business area, or any reasonable adjustments or flexible working arrangements you may currently have or need in place if successful in your application, please contact the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details).

Please note that whilst we welcome applications from candidates seeking part-time hours, with this role there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to work a minimum of 30 hours per week.

This post is offered on a Fixed Term Appointment (FTA) basis to complete a finite piece of work initially but has a possibility of becoming a permanent position.

For permanent Civil Servants, this role is only available on loan, so you must have your home departments approval to return to them at the end of the loan before you apply. There is no opportunity for a permanent Civil Servant to take on this role as a fixed term appointment. OGD applicants will be appointed on an inward loan and subject to the terms of the agreed inward loan. Internal candidates will return to their previous post at the end of the loan period, which will need to be agreed with your line manager in advance.

If you're employed by a non-departmental public body (NDPB) by moving jobs this will involve a change of employer, and you may break the statutory rules on continuity of employment.

There could be the potential of extension up to 2 years or permanency, subject to the role being available (and for those coming across on loan, your home departments agreement

VCA does not offer Visa sponsorship. Candidates should ensure they have the appropriate rights to work in the UK before application.

Licences

A full UK Category B Driving Licence

Qualifications

APM, ADKAR or Prosci Change Management Practitioner or similar qualification.

You will be required to provide evidence that you hold any essential qualifications prior to your interview. If you cannot provide evidence, your application will be withdrawn. Please note that Project Management qualifications alone will not be accepted.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,241, Vehicle Certification Agency contributes £12,816 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window).

You can also read more in our candidate pack.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's qualifications, skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1000-word count). Please provide evidence of your Experience of the following:

1. 1. Experience of completing business readiness assessments and taking corrective actions
   2. Experience of working with teams to identify and realise benefits
   3. Experience of fostering good stakeholder engagement in remote team

You will find guidance on this process in our Candidate Pack.

The sift will take place from 21st May 2026.

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Behaviours – Changing and Improving, Making Effective Decisions, Seeing the Big Picture, Communicating and Influencing
• Experience

You will also be required to create and deliver an informal presentation to assess the Behaviour Working Together.

Presentation delivery will be conducted within the first 15 minutes of the interview timeslot. Guidance will be provided if you are invited to interview.

The interviews will take place from 2nd June.

This interview will be conducted in person at our Bristol or Nuneaton office. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change

Further information on the selection process

We will also hold a 12-month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for. You can read more about our reserve lists here.

During your application, you should indicate which location(s) you wish to be considered for and, if successful, you will be placed on an individual list of candidates for each location. Candidates will be held on that list and drawn from it in merit order. We advise you to carefully consider which locations you wish to be considered for. If you decline an offer for a location you have expressed a preference in or have expressed an interest in more than one location and accept an offer, you will be withdrawn from any lists you may be held on. We may also offer candidates a location that they have not expressed a preference for where we have the requirement to do so but this will again be done on the basis of your place in the overall merit order and, in this event, you will not be removed from the list if you decline.

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable adjustment so that you can complete your application, you should contact Government Recruitment Service via dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Document Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

This job advert contains links to the DfT Careers website. Our website provides useful guidance and information that can support you during the application process. If you cannot access the information on our website for any reason, please email DRGComms@dft.gov.uk for assistance.

Further Information

For more information about how we hire, and for useful tips on submitting your application for this role, visit theHow We Hire page of our DfT Careers website. You can find detailed information about the recruitment process and what to expect when applying for a role.

Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a civil servant at the point of starting in the relevant new post. If their contract ends (e.g. end of FTA contract or resignation) at any point during the recruitment/onboarding process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and may be withdrawn.

Pre-employment Checking

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

All External applicants and current employees of accredited non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) will be required to undergo a Social Media Check. A Social Media Check is a review of your publicly available online activity, typically across platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The purpose is to identify any public posts or content that could raise concerns for employers, such as:

Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour

Threats or acts of violence

Illegal activity or substance misuse

Sexually explicit material

Extremist views or affiliations

Importantly, this check does not involve hacking into your accounts or accessing private messages. It only considers content you have chosen to make public.

Employers use this kind of screening to help ensure their workplace remains safe, inclusive, and aligned with company values. It’s not about judging your personality or lifestyle—it’s about checking for potential red flags that might affect the role or company culture.

If you have questions or concerns about the social media check, we would be happy to explain in more detail what’s being looked at and how your data is handled securely and fairly.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Samantha Savage
• Email : samantha.savage@vca.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact Government Recruitment Services via email: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website Here

Attachments

SEO Change Manager Role_Profile Opens in new window (pdf, 191kB)VCA_Candidate_Pack_Corporate_Affairs_Rev0 Opens in new window (pdf, 6054kB)