Change Manager

This is a 24‑month Fixed Term Appointment (FTA) offering an exciting opportunity to deliver meaningful change.

Do you thrive in a fast‑moving environment and enjoy making a real impact?

Are you motivated by improving services while supporting colleagues and customers?

If this sounds like you, apply now to join the Rural Payments Agency as a Change Manager on a 24-month Fixed Term Appointment , where you will play a key role in driving delivery, solving problems at pace, and championing the needs of the business and end users.

We are looking for an experienced, motivated and inspiring Change Manager who is passionate about making change happen and delivering real results.

The right candidate will have experience of supporting projects and change, have knowledge of tools, techniques and methodologies of change management used to successfully achieve business case benefits and implement change.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is an executive agency of the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). We deliver over £2 billion in payments each year to farmers, traders, and landowners across England.

We are part of the Operational Delivery Profession, with most of our colleagues providing day‑to‑day services for customers and stakeholders. Our work supports agricultural and rural communities, helping to deliver effective services and contribute to a better place to live and work.

Further information about the RPA and our work can be found at Rural Payments Agency - GOV.UK

Synergy is a large, cross‑government programme of change, aligning HR, Commercial and Finance processes and systems across four government departments. This role offers an exciting opportunity to work with colleagues across departmental boundaries and contribute to the successful delivery of a programme that will have a significant impact across Rural Payments Agency.

You will bring excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, working collaboratively with colleagues at all levels. As a confident and proactive change professional, you will apply your experience to support effective delivery in a complex, multi‑department environment.

Working closely with the Business Change Lead, you will help prepare the organisation for the impact of change, ensuring strong alignment between programme activity and business users. You will support the planning and delivery of people‑focused activities, enabling the business to implement agreed changes effectively and realise the intended benefits.

The role involves working across a varied portfolio of projects and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders across Defra and its delivery partners.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate excellent communication skills, engaging effectively with a wide range of stakeholders across RPA and the Defra Group to positively impact engagement and business performance
• Lead and engage teams in a clear, open and honest way, supporting cultural change and helping shape future organisational direction
• Prepare and deliver clear, effective written and verbal presentations to a variety of audiences, using Microsoft tools confidently
• Manage stakeholders across RPA, Defra and Arm’s Length Bodies, building strong, trusted relationships and influencing at all levels
• Undertake impact assessment analysis by reviewing proposed changes and key design decisions, assessing their impact on RPA and ensuring business needs and requirements are fully considered
• Use data and insight to identify gaps, risks and benefits associated with change
• Establish and maintain change and engagement plans, contributing to the overall project plan as required
• Identify, update and monitor business and people readiness criteria
• Provide regular reporting into the Programme, highlighting progress, risks and issues to support effective decision‑making

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