Strategic Change Manager - Waverley Court
- Location:
- 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG
- Salary:
- £56,392 - £67,457 per year
- Contract Type:
- Temporary
- Position Type:
- Full Time
- Hours:
- 36 hours per week
Strategic Change Manager (Prevention and Partnerships) - fixed term until 07/04/2028
Waverley Court (Multi-site & Hybrid)
Salary: £56,392 - £67,457
Hours: 36 per week, 52 weeks
We have a bold goal: to end poverty in Edinburgh. To get there, we need to improve the way we respond to the challenges that people face in life and prevent the experience of poverty. This isn't about traditional top-down management; it's about sensemaking.
We're looking for a visionary Strategic Change Manager to join our Change and Transformation team. You will lead a new approach that brings the Council, the third sector, and our local communities together to understand complex problems and co-create real-world solutions.
If you are a systems thinker who thrives on building bridges and turning messy data into clear action, we want to hear from you.
What you'll be doing:
As the lead for this new city-wide framework, your mission is to help us "see" the city differently. You will:
Build the Network: Establish a "Community of Practice" across our Neighbourhood Prevention Partnerships, creating the tools and methods for teams to work together effectively.
Spot the Trends: Use your curiosity to scan the horizon, identifying emerging issues and systemic gaps before they become crises.
Lead the Conversation: You'll design and host forums where senior leaders and community members can collaborate, learn, and make decisions as equals.
Test and Learn: You won't just write reports. You'll lead a small, talented team to run "safe-to-fail" experiments-testing new ways of working and scaling what actually works.
Influence Culture: Advise the Corporate Leadership Team and partner boards on how to shift our culture toward empathy, trust, and proactive change.
Who you are:
You are someone who looks at a complex problem and doesn't see a barrier, but a puzzle to be solved. You'll bring:
A Systems Mindset: You understand how different parts of a city interact. You're less interested in treating symptoms and more interested in finding root causes.
Exceptional People Skills: You can navigate different "organisational languages"-speaking as comfortably with a community volunteer as you do with a Director.
Data Intuition: You can take numbers, stories, and conversations and weave them into a compelling narrative that drives people to act.
Adaptability: You're comfortable with "emergent strategy." When the facts change, you're happy to pivot.
Leadership with Heart: You lead with empathy, creating the psychological safety needed for marginalized voices to be heard and valued.
Why join us?
This is a high-profile role with the power to affect citizen outcomes across the entire city. You will manage a dedicated team and have the autonomy to shape a brand-new practice within the Council.
This is a fantastic opportunity for a secondment to broaden your strategic experience or a fixed-term contract for someone looking to make a lasting mark on the future of Edinburgh.
We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone feels valued and able to be their best. We particularly encourage applications from women for senior roles, as well as people from minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities or neurodivergent people, care experienced people, carers and LGBT+ people across all levels of the organisation, all of whom are currently underrepresented. All applicants will be considered fairly based on skills and experience. Disabled and care-experienced applicants who meet the minimum job criteria will be guaranteed an interview.
Find out more about our commitment to equalities https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/work-us/inclusive-edinburgh/4
As part of our goal to improve organisational culture and create a great place to work together for the people of Edinburgh, we want to make sure we're recruiting the best people. We're interested not only in your skills and experience but also in your approach to work. Therefore, part of our interview process will be an assessment of how you would bring Our Behaviours of Respect, Integrity and Flexibility into your ways of working.
You can find out more on Our Behaviours web page Our Behaviours - The City of Edinburgh Council
Our salary range typically reflects the initial starting salary and annually increases until it reaches the top of the range.
Happy to talk flexible working.
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