IT Change Manager

Job summary

As our IT Change Manager, you will lead the governance and continual improvement of IT Change Management, ensuring that new and updated technology can move into live service with risks understood and operational stability protected.

This is much more than a process role. You will have the authority to influence significant deployment decisions, bring stakeholders together and drive improvements across Technology Operations. From managing high-pressure emergency changes to leading conversations and chairing the Change Authority Board, your judgement and expertise will directly support successful delivery.

You will join a collaborative environment where your ideas, professional challenge and ability to turn complex information into clear decisions will make a visible difference.

You will work as part of the IT Service Delivery team and have the opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge both through formal training and other development opportunities.

Hybrid working

This job role can be worked on a hybrid basis, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, working between the office in Taunton and remotely within the UK.

Our team has a mix of colleagues, split between those who work predominantly from home and those who attend the office, dependent on business needs. This role requires frequent contact with the Senior Management team and site-based support teams. The successful candidate will therefore need to be able to attend the office regularly, at least one day a week, due to the nature of the role.

Job description

1. Lead the day-to-day operation of IT Change Management, guiding changes from initial submission through approval, implementation and review.
2. Assess the risk, impact and operational readiness of proposed changes, ensuring plans are robust before deployment to live services.
3. Chair the weekly Change Authority Board, bringing stakeholders together to make clear, informed and timely go/no-go decisions.
4. Provide expert advice and constructive challenge to technical teams, projects and senior stakeholders, helping them deliver change safely and effectively.
5. Oversee emergency and unauthorised changes, making confident decisions and coordinating communications in fast-moving or high-pressure situations.
6. Maintain a clear view of upcoming change through the Forward Schedule of Change, identifying potential conflicts and managing change moratorium periods.
7. Lead post-implementation reviews, capturing lessons from successful and unsuccessful changes and ensuring agreed improvements are taken forward.
8. Continuously improve the Change Management approach, using feedback, performance information and industry good practice to strengthen governance and reduce disruption to live services.

Person specification

1. Significant recent professional experience of IT Change Management within a large, complex technology environment.
2. SFIA Skills: Change control: Level 5, Risk Management: Level 4. Strong knowledge of IT service management best practice, supported by an ITIL 4 qualification.
3. Extensive experience analysing complex change proposals, assessing risk and making timely, evidence-based decisions.
4. Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to provide constructive challenge and engage stakeholders at all levels.
5. A collaborative team player who can build strong working relationships across technical, project and business teams.
6. Highly organised and able to manage competing priorities, operational pressures and urgent changes effectively.
7. Experience of using IT service management tools and producing performance information to monitor outcomes and drive improvement.
8. A proactive and resilient approach, with the confidence to take ownership, work independently and maintain standards in challenging situations

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills

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

• Evidence of SFIA skills:Change Control - Level 5Risk Management - Level 4All skills A–Z — English (sfia-online.org)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £50,292, UK Hydrographic Office contributes £14,569 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

At the UK Hydrographic Office, it's very important to us that our people feel valued.

We offer a huge range of benefits such as training and development, well-being support, flexible/ homeworking, a fantastic state of the art building, high spec equipment, and so much more.

See our attached Candidate Information Pack for more details.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

How to Apply:

When you click "Apply Now" at the bottom of this page, you will be required to attach your anonymised CV, together with a 750 word supporting statement on the experience criteria below (please use 250 words per criteria with clear headings in your supporting statement).

Timeline:

• Advert Closes for applications: 15th October 2026
• Shortlisting: W/c 19th October 2026
• Interviews: W/c 2nd November 2026

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

All applications are processed anonymously. You will be short-listed against the following criteria:

Pre-Sift Criteria

• ITIL v4 Foundation qualified (this information will be taken from your CV and supporting statement).

If you do not meet the pre-sift criteria, your application will not be taken through to be sifted on the Experience Criteria below:-

Sift/Shortlist Criteria:

• IT Change Management Expertise - Demonstrates evidence of significant experience leading and governing IT change within a complex technology environment, with a strong understanding of risk management, change control and service management best practice (lead criteria used in the event of a high volume of applications).
• Decision Making and Risk Assessment - Demonstrates ability to evaluate complex technical and business information, assess risk and impact, and make sound, evidence-based decisions that balance operational stability with business delivery needs.
• Leadership and Governance - Demonstrates evidence of experience leading governance forums, driving accountability and ensuring compliance with agreed processes, standards and controls whilst maintaining a collaborative approach.

Please ensure that you cover all the above criteria in your CV and 750 word supporting statement. Your statement should be set out with the 3 headings above providing 250 words on each of these criteria.

Interview Criteria:

Experience:

• IT Change Management Expertise - Demonstrates evidence of significant experience leading and governing IT change within a complex technology environment, with a strong understanding of risk management, change control and service management best practice (lead criteria used in the event of a tie at interview). This criteria will be assessed by a presentation and follow-up questions.

Technical:

Evidence of SFIA skills:

• Change Control - Level 5
• Risk Management - Level 4

All skills A–Z — English (sfia-online.org)

Civil Service Behaviours (SEO level):

• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture

See here for further information: Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Process:

• Single Stage Interview via TEAMS. You will be contacted to book a suitable slot if you are shortlisted (see our Candidate Pack for further information)
• Interview will be with a panel of no more than 3 people and will last approximately 45 minutes.

Onboarding Checks:

In the event you are offered a role with us, you will be required to go through Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which will include Employment and Right to Work Checks. You will also need to apply for SC (Security Clearance), but you may be able to start your role before gaining this. Please see our attached Candidate Pack for further details and Terms.

Please note, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship.

Residency Requirements:

SC – non reserved
This is a Ministry of Defence non-reserved post and although open to UK, British Commonwealth and European Economic Area nationals, successful applicants will require a security clearance (SC) and therefore need to have resided in the UK for a minimum of 12 consecutive months within the last 5 years.

Eligibility

Due to the secure nature of our work, there may be eligibility restrictions if you hold dual nationality or are not a British Citizen. We will consider each application on a case-by-case basis. We will ask you in our application form to confirm your place of birth and details of any dual or previous nationalities.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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.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 : recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk
• Email : recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk

Further information

Further Information

The Department’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the requirement of selection for appointment based on merit, open and fair competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, details of which can be found at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact recruitment.queries@ukho.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can further contact the Civil Service Commission at: civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk or view more details at http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk

Attachments

20210309 additional pay info Opens in new window (pdf, 163kB)UKHO Candidate Information Pack - Tech Opens in new window (pdf, 5887kB)