Head of Change and Impact

Job summary

This role is for a leader who is committed to making change stick and demonstrating the results.
As Head of Change and Impact, you will guide the strategic delivery of innovation, AI, and change initiatives across the organisation, working collaboratively with service owners and senior stakeholders to enhance service delivery and operational performance. You will ensure that change is co-designed with service users, frontline teams, and operational leaders, building credibility and momentum where it matters most.

You will also embed discipline around impact: defining clear benefits, tracking delivery, and ensuring improvements are measured, evidenced, and sustained over time. As a senior member of the Office of the Chief Digital and Information Officer, you will help strengthen organisational capability by developing project delivery and change‑management maturity, and by supporting continuous improvement across services and teams.

Job description

We are looking for a credible change leader with a strong track record of delivering complex change, innovation or transformation in operational or service-delivery environments.

You will bring the ability to lead across a diverse portfolio, working confidently with senior leaders, service owners and multidisciplinary teams to translate strategy into clear, deliverable plans.

You will understand how to embed change so that improvements are not only delivered but adopted, sustained and measured, with a strong grasp of benefits realisation and impact.

Experience spanning digital, data and non-digital change is essential, alongside the ability to prioritise effectively and maintain momentum in a complex and evolving landscape.

Just as important is how you lead. You will be purpose-driven, motivated by improving public services and outcomes rather than simply delivering outputs. You will bring a proactive, resilient and collaborative, anticipating challenges, taking ownership, and building trust through inclusive ways of working and co-design.
As an inspirational leader, you will set clear direction, empower others and role-model continuous improvement. You will be curious and reflective, open to learning and experimentation, and a pragmatic problem solver who balances ambition with realism to make progress even in uncertain or imperfect conditions.

A typical week in this role is varied and outward facing. You will spend time working with service owners and senior leaders to shape and progress change and innovation initiatives, ensuring they are aligned to organisational priorities and focused on real impact.

You will lead discussions on benefits and outcomes, unblock issues, and help teams turn ambition into delivery.

Alongside this, you’ll balance strategic thinking with hands-on leadership, developing change capability, mentoring senior colleagues, and championing inclusive, user centred ways of working. No two weeks look the same, but the constant is a focus on making change stick and improving how services perform for the people who use them.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. Internal rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest

Working hours:

Standard working week is 37 hours, flexible working hours policy available

Part time at 25 hours or above, flexible working hours policy available.

The Planning Inspectorate has a long and proud history in ensuring a fair planning system for England. The work we do has a significant impact on people’s lives, the communities where they live and the economy.

We want our colleagues to be able to work more flexibly and more collaboratively, exploring new and innovative ways to improve the way we provide services.

For further information on the Planning Inspectorate, please visit our careers page at Civil Service Careers

Office Attendance

This role is contractually based in Bristol, 10 minute walk from Temple Meads train station. We recognise and value the mutual benefits of hybrid working and have a flexible approach to in person attendance, which can vary dependent on the requirements of individual business units - the details of which can be discussed with candidates if invited to attend an interview.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Proven experience leading and delivering a wide range of digital and non-digital innovation projects, change and benefits realisation that deliver tangible results in service delivery or operational environments.
• Excellent understanding of Innovation and Change processes, service design, user-centred change, and performance improvement.
• Experience of building effective and supportive relationships within teams across the organisation and with stakeholders internally and externally.
• Effective skills in communicating, influencing and operating clearly and effectively at all levels and positively and successfully reacting to challenge.
• Ability to analyse service data and translate insights into actionable change. Familiarity with government transformation frameworks and service standards.

Desirable Criteria

• Hold practitioner level qualifications or have extensive experience of leading Programme and Project management initiatives (g. MSP, PMI, APMQ).
• Experience in digital service transformation or operational excellence programmes.

Behaviours

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

• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £77,741, Planning Inspectorate contributes £22,521 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Flexible working options, including flexi-time, part-time, compressed hours and home working if suitable for the role.
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity.
• 25 days annual leave increasing by 1 day per year up to 30 days after 5 years, plus 1 privilege day to mark the King’s birthday. In addition to the normal bank holidays.
• Generous family friendly policies.
• Fast and modern IT kit which utilises Windows 11 and Microsoft 365, enabling seamless working from home and collaboration across teams.

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.

Application

Drop-in session:

The Chief Digital and Information Officer will be holding a drop-in session to answer any questions relating to this

role or about working in the Planning Inspectorate at 1:30pm Monday 23rd March . If you wish to

attend the session, please follow this link. If you experience any problems accessing the link

please email pins.recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Complete the online application form on Civil Service Jobs which requires the following information:

• A CV: This is an opportunity to detail your career history. It should outline the jobs you have done, the length of time you were employed and a brief description of your role, responsibilities and duties which demonstrate relevance to the role you are applying for against the essential criteria. [Note: You must type, or ‘copy and paste’ into the text box called ‘Employment History’ on the online application. CV’s cannot be attached].
• A Personal Statement (maximum of 1,000 words): The personal statement lets you explain why you're a good fit for the job in more detail. Use it to show how you meet the essential criteria listed.
• A short statement against the lead criteria shown below (maximum of 250 words): This allows you to outline your experience and will only be used if there are a large number of applications. The minimum standard must be reached for applications to proceed.
• Proven experience leading and delivering a wide range of digital and non-digital innovation projects, change and benefits realisation that deliver tangible results in service delivery or operational environments.

All shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome shortly afterwards.

Interview

If you are shortlisted, you will:

• Be asked to attend an interview to have a more in-depth discussion about your experience and suitability for the role
• Interviews will be a blend of behaviour and experience questions

Candidates who pass the shortlist stage will receive full assessment details with their interview invitations.

Other Information

Shortlist Date: 07 – 08 April 2026

Interview Date: 21 and 24 April 2026

Interviews will be held remotely using MS Teams. The interview will not be recorded or retained, other than usual interview protocol and in line with Civil Service Jobs privacy notice.

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Future Matches

Candidates who demonstrate strong potential and future readiness but score just below the required level at interview may be considered for alternative positions. These roles may be at a lower grade but align with their skills and offer opportunities for growth.

We encourage all candidates to make themselves familiar with the role and what we will be assessing you against which is detailed in the Person Specification.

ID and Documents

If the job needs specific qualifications or memberships and you get the job, you'll need to send scanned or photographed images of them before you start.

We must check that any successful candidates are allowed to work for the Civil Service before we employ them. If successful, you will be asked to do a right to work check using identity document validation technology (IDVT) through the services of an Identity Service Provider (IDSP), Civil Service Jobs. If we are unable to confirm your right to work and through the IDVT we will need to do a manual right to work check using original documents with you in person.

Visa Sponsorship

The Planning Inspectorate cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates, we do not hold a Visa sponsorship licence.

Disability Confident Interview scheme/Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service values diversity and offers equal opportunities. We have a Disability Confident Interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the job's minimum criteria. We will also provide reasonable adjustments to all where possible. For more information please see Reasonable Adjustments , Civil Service Careers.

Security Check

In addition to the BPSS, the level of security clearance required for this role is Security Check (SC) and the process can take a number of weeks to complete. For more details of vetting levels and requirements please refer to the Cabinet Office HMG Personnel Security Controls.

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 : Rachel Graham
• Email : PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact in the first instance: The Vacancy Manager via the Recruitment Team (PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk).
If you are not satisfied with the response, you receive you should then contact, Chief People Officer, via the Recruitment Team (PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk).
If you are still not satisfied with the response you receive from the Planning Inspectorate, you can contact the Office of the Civil Service Commission. https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitme…

Attachments

EVP(Great_Place_To_Work) Opens in new window (pdf, 534kB)