NATS is the UK’s leading air navigation service provider, handling over 2.4 million flights each year. We provide air traffic control services from two control centres and at airports around the UK. We also provide a wide range of commercial products and solutions internationally. Our people are at the heart of our purpose to advance aviation and keep the skies safe.
Closing Date: 29/10/2026
Please include a cover letter with your application.
Job Purpose/Overview
The Strategic Change Manager is responsible for delivering change management activities for complex, critical or multiple programmes or projects facilitating people readiness, transition and successful adoption for impacted business areas.
This role acts as the subject matter expert advising change leaders, programme and project teams on how to manage the people side of change minimising resistance, identifying and mitigating risks, and reducing the probability of adoption related delay to benefits realisation.
The Strategic Change manager applies NATS’s approach to change management whilst adapting to the unique conditions of each change initiative’s delivery, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the progress of the change and providing actionable feedback to stakeholders.
Other Duties Include
- Change Needs Analysis: Work closely with change leaders, projects and programme colleagues to diagnose the need for change management support, assessing the complexity, urgency and scope of requirement of change initiatives.
- Change Management Planning & Delivery: Define the change management work package and deliverables, estimating resources and managing any delivery constraints. Develop and implement change management plans for ensuring clear accountabilities and that the plan is aligned with the project / programme delivery plan and the benefits realisation plan.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Facilitate the identification and management of stakeholders. Ensure their participation in the project/change initiative’s stakeholder engagement plan; offer recommendations that address their needs and concerns and ultimately build commitment.
- Change Communication: Work closely with communications, benefits and requirements colleagues to develop the overarching change narrative and communications plan to keep stakeholders suitably informed reducing resistance and fostering collaboration.
- Change Impact Assessment Work with technical subject matter experts, business analysts and training colleagues to identify the impact of change, develop and implement effective mitigations and development activities to support smooth transition and adoption.
- Training: Work with specialist training colleagues to prepare employees for the change reducing delay to full adoption, business performance and benefits.
- Risk Management: Identify people related risks and appropriate mitigations for the programme and/or projects. Participate in risk reviews and provide regular updates to the project / programme manager ensuring appropriate reporting mechanisms are in place.
- Business Readiness: Manage the assessment of people readiness against an agreed set of criteria. Report on the people readiness status to the project manager, project readiness boards and the sponsor making recommendations which will prepare the business/operation to successfully implement and sustain change.
- Evaluation & Continuous Improvement: Continually assess the quality of change management across projects identifying and addressing areas for improvement which may arise as a result of formal assurance or informal review. Lead continuous improvement activity as needed to support the development of change maturity. Keep up to date with professional developments and apply this knowledge to improve the effectiveness of change management delivery and the maturation of organisational capability.
- Capability Development: Guide leaders, teams and less experienced colleagues in strengthening their change capabilities and build resilience through training, mentoring, facilitation and coaching.
- Post Implementation: Contribute to Post Implementation Reviews evaluating the success of change initiatives, capturing lessons learned and ensuring appropriate handover of change management responsibilities for reinforcing the change and ensuring lasting benefits to impacted areas.
- Functional Leadership Cover: Provide support to, and when required, deputise in full or part for the Senior Strategic Change Manager.
Essential Skills and Experience
- Considerable experience as a Business Change Manager, or similar role
- Strong understanding and applied skill in using change management methodologies, tools and techniques.
- Certification in Change Management (e.g. APMG, PCI or Prosci)
- Excellent understanding of project and programme management.
- Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build effective relationships at all levels of the organisation, in person and remotely.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex information in a clear and concise manner to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and mitigate risks and issues.
- Advanced skills in facilitation, workshop design, and delivery
- Strong emotional intelligence, excellent coaching skills and self-awareness.
- Experience of working in regulated and unionised environments would be advantageous.
- Proactive, results and outcome driven; able to work effectively under pressure individually and as part of a team.
- Good management and leadership skills, with the ability to lead and motivate without direct line management authority.
- Passionate and patient in developing talent and capability
- Customer / end user focused
Autonomy
- Operate within a broad context set by the Senior Strategic Change Manager.
- Complexity: Navigate organisational change impacting technology, process and people.
- Works closely with: change sponsors and leaders, colleagues in portfolio, programme and project management, requirements and benefits management, assurance, communications, training, change hub managers, operational and technical colleagues and business benefit owners. Additionally, external partners and suppliers (e.g. consultants, software suppliers and integrators).
Additional Vacancy Information
We have adopted agile working to provide greater flexibility and increased choice over working arrangements, with the opportunity for this role to work in our modern office facilities as well as remotely. We also welcome discussions on flexible and part-time working arrangements. Find out more here.
If you share our passion to advance aviation and keep the skies safe – we would like to hear from you whatever your age, sex, race, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, visible or invisible disability. Individuals that bring different perspectives, skills, life experiences and backgrounds help us be at the forefront of our industry.
Please note: All staff at NATS are subject to UK Security Vetting and Clearance (SC) and must maintain valid clearance throughout employment. We are unable to progress applications where an applicant does not meet eligibility requirements for clearance. For further guidance, please click here – Security Clearance – NATS.
