About the position
My client based in Cape Town is currently looking for a HR Change Manager to join them on an independent contract basis
Cape town based / Independent contract
Role Purpose
The Change Manager is responsible for leading and embedding people-focused change initiatives within the HR function of a financial services or insurance organisation. The role ensures effective adoption of HR operating model changes, HR systems implementations, and regulatory-driven people initiatives, while managing change impacts across a highly regulated, risk-aware environment.
Key Responsibilities
Change Strategy & Planning
- Develop and execute change management strategies aligned to HR transformation programmes within an insurance or financial services context
- Conduct detailed change impact assessments considering regulatory, governance, risk, and compliance requirements
- Align change activities with programme, project, and risk management frameworks
- Define success metrics to measure change adoption and business readiness
Stakeholder Engagement & Governance
- Identify and manage stakeholders across HR, business units, risk, compliance, and executive leadership
- Support HR and business leaders in fulfilling their sponsorship and accountability roles
- Engage with employee representatives and unions where applicable
- Ensure change initiatives comply with organisational governance, risk, and control standards
Communication & Employee Engagement
- Design and deliver structured communication plans aligned to regulatory and conduct risk considerations
- Develop clear, consistent messaging for leaders, managers, and employees
- Coordinate communications across multiple channels, ensuring auditability and traceability where required
- Prepare leaders and managers for change conversations in sensitive environments
Training, Enablement & Capability Uplift
- Partner with HR, Learning & Development, and Compliance teams to identify training impacts
- Support development and rollout of role-based training and enablement materials
- Ensure employees and managers are competent and confident in adopting new HR processes, systems, and controls
Change Readiness, Risk & Reinforcement
- Assess organisational readiness and identify change-related risks and resistance
- Implement mitigation strategies to address adoption, conduct, and operational risks
- Track adoption metrics and report on change effectiveness
- Reinforce change through coaching, performance alignment, and leadership engagement
Key Deliverables
- Change management strategy and integrated change plan
- Change impact, readiness, and risk assessments
- Stakeholder engagement and communication artefacts
- Training and enablement support documentation
- Adoption, readiness, and benefits realisation reports
Key Stakeholders
- HR Leadership and Centres of Excellence
- Business Unit Leaders and Line Managers
- Risk, Compliance, and Governance functions
- IT and HR Systems teams
- Employees and Employee Representatives
Required Skills & Competencies
Technical & Industry Skills
- Proven experience managing change within financial services or insurance environments
- Strong understanding of HR processes, employee lifecycle, and people risk
- Experience supporting HR systems implementations (e.g. Core HR, payroll, performance, learning platforms)
- Familiarity with regulatory frameworks impacting HR (e.g. conduct risk, governance, audit requirements)
- Knowledge of structured change methodologies (Prosci / ADKAR, Kotter, Agile Change)
Behavioural Competencies
- Strong influencing and stakeholder management skills at senior levels
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- High emotional intelligence and discretion
- Ability to balance pace of change with risk and compliance requirements
- Resilient, adaptable, and outcomes-driven
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Organisational Psychology, Business, or related field
- Change Management certification (Prosci or equivalent) preferred
- 5-8+ years' experience in change management, preferably within insurance or financial services
- Experience working in regulated, enterprise-scale organisations
Success Measures
- High levels of adoption and compliance with new HR processes and systems
- Positive stakeholder and leadership feedback
- Minimal disruption to business-as-usual operations during HR changes
- Sustainable embedding of compliant, people-centric HR practices
If you meet these requirements and would like to apply, please send your updated cv
Desired Skills:
- Change management methodology
- Senior Stakeholder Management
- Organizational change management
- Change Project Management
Desired Work Experience:
Desired Qualification Level:
