Change Management Specialist

Summary

The University of California, Riverside is a higher education institution seeking a Change Management Specialist to support organizational change management efforts for campus technology initiatives. The role applies change management practices, builds stakeholder relationships, develops communication and training plans, advises change sponsors and managers, and supports the sustained adoption of new technology systems across the university.

Responsibilities

• Under the general supervision of the Manager for Communication and Training, and in consultation with the Information Technology Solutions (ITS) leadership team, this position will assist in administering organizational change management (OCM) efforts in support of campus technology initiatives
• Primary responsibilities include applying change management methodology and best practices to support the successful adoption of new and evolving technology systems across campus
• The position will build and maintain relationships with campus stakeholders, and will help ensure change initiatives are effective by understanding the needs of each affected campus audience and tailoring engagement, communication, and training approaches accordingly
• The position will also advise and support project sponsors and people managers in effectively championing change within their respective areas
• The position will contribute to activities that include stakeholder and change impact analysis, change readiness assessment, change management plan development and implementation, communication and training material development, adoption tracking, and other tasks required to achieve successful, sustained adoption of technology change across the university
• As part of this work, the Change Management Specialist will work closely with the Communication Specialist, Visual Communication Specialist, Technical Training Lead, and Documentation Coordinator to develop and implement robust communication and training plans, as well as perform other tasks that help ITS achieve its strategic plan

Skills

• Bachelor's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training
• Minimum of 4-7 years of related experience
• Knowledge, skills, and ability to advise and consult with management and change sponsors to ensure delivery of the desired message to target and/or broad audiences, and to support sponsors in effectively fulfilling their role in leading change
• Knowledge of institutional protocols and channels for communication internally and externally
• Solid written, verbal, interpersonal communication, active listening, and political acumen skills, including the proven ability to build trust and influence stakeholders through periods of change
• Knowledge and understanding of communication production tools and applications — including communication and collaboration platforms, design software, video production software, web content management systems, and digital/social media platforms — sufficient to personally produce communications and knowledge materials (or to effectively direct staff who do), ensuring outputs are polished, accessible, and fit for their intended channel and audience
• Knowledge of all aspects of communications and change management, including strategic planning for various media and stakeholder engagement channels, and the most effective approaches for supporting adoption of change
• Solid skills and ability to create, develop, and implement comprehensive long- and short-term change management and communications plans, including the ability to apply a structured change management methodology to sequence stakeholder engagement, communication, and training
• Knowledge of the organization, its achievements, mission, vision, goals, policies, practices, infrastructure, and a strong knowledge of current affairs, and issues in higher education and/or information technology
• Knowledge, skills, and ability to conduct stakeholder analysis and change impact assessments to identify affected groups, likely resistance, and readiness gaps, and develop plans to address them
• Knowledge, skills, and ability to help design and/or deliver training and instructional content that builds stakeholders' knowledge and ability to adopt new systems, processes, and/or tools
• Knowledge, skills, and ability to track and interpret adoption and utilization data or stakeholder feedback to measure change effectiveness and recommend course corrections
• Demonstrated ability to influence others and build and sustain productive working relationships with stakeholders across an organization, including those outside one's immediate reporting line
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to assess a situation, identify relevant factors, and recommend a course of action within established practices
• Ability to translate technical or complex information into clear, plain-language content for non-technical audiences
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, exercising sound judgment within defined guidelines
• Applicants must have current work authorization when accepting a UCR staff position
• Experience using Google Workspace products (i.e., Gmail, Drive, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms, etc.)
• Experience working in higher education and/or information technology
• Knowledge of Prosci ADKAR change management methodology
• Familiarity with UC policies related to communications, accessibility (WCAG), and records retention

Qualifications

Must Haves

• Bachelor's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training
• Minimum of 4-7 years of related experience
• Knowledge, skills, and ability to advise and consult with management and change sponsors to ensure delivery of the desired message to target and/or broad audiences, and to support sponsors in effectively fulfilling their role in leading change
• Knowledge of institutional protocols and channels for communication internally and externally
• Solid written, verbal, interpersonal communication, active listening, and political acumen skills, including the proven ability to build trust and influence stakeholders through periods of change
• Knowledge and understanding of communication production tools and applications — including communication and collaboration platforms, design software, video production software, web content management systems, and digital/social media platforms — sufficient to personally produce communications and knowledge materials (or to effectively direct staff who do), ensuring outputs are polished, accessible, and fit for their intended channel and audience
• Knowledge of all aspects of communications and change management, including strategic planning for various media and stakeholder engagement channels, and the most effective approaches for supporting adoption of change
• Solid skills and ability to create, develop, and implement comprehensive long- and short-term change management and communications plans, including the ability to apply a structured change management methodology to sequence stakeholder engagement, communication, and training
• Knowledge of the organization, its achievements, mission, vision, goals, policies, practices, infrastructure, and a strong knowledge of current affairs, and issues in higher education and/or information technology
• Knowledge, skills, and ability to conduct stakeholder analysis and change impact assessments to identify affected groups, likely resistance, and readiness gaps, and develop plans to address them
• Knowledge, skills, and ability to help design and/or deliver training and instructional content that builds stakeholders' knowledge and ability to adopt new systems, processes, and/or tools
• Knowledge, skills, and ability to track and interpret adoption and utilization data or stakeholder feedback to measure change effectiveness and recommend course corrections
• Demonstrated ability to influence others and build and sustain productive working relationships with stakeholders across an organization, including those outside one's immediate reporting line
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to assess a situation, identify relevant factors, and recommend a course of action within established practices
• Ability to translate technical or complex information into clear, plain-language content for non-technical audiences
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, exercising sound judgment within defined guidelines
• Applicants must have current work authorization when accepting a UCR staff position

Nice to Haves

• Experience using Google Workspace products (i.e., Gmail, Drive, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms, etc.)
• Experience working in higher education and/or information technology
• Knowledge of Prosci ADKAR change management methodology
• Familiarity with UC policies related to communications, accessibility (WCAG), and records retention

Benefits

• This position is classified as predominantly remote with occasional visits to campus as needed.