Sr Change Management Specialist

Primary Responsibilities/Functions

• 80% - Strategic Change Execution
• End-to-End Planning: Oversee complex transition plans, managing scope, timelines, and resource allocations for multi-year technical projects.
• Impact and Readiness Assessment: Conduct granular change impact assessments to analyze how new workflows will alter daily routines.
• Deliverable Design: Create high-quality change management deliverables, including Change Impact Repositories, Resistance Management Plans, and Transformation Roadmaps.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Act as a critical liaison between executive sponsors, headquarters teams, vendors, and store working groups to align objectives with Les Schwab culture and brand.
• Training and Development: Identify training needs and develop modern, digital learning, webinars, and video tutorials based on adult learning principles.
• Governance and Feedback: Facilitate Test and Learn sessions, collect user feedback, and make data-driven recommendations to Governance Groups to refine rollout strategies.
• Monitoring and KPI Tracking: Define and monitor KPIs beyond “training completion,” focusing on adoption rates, proficiency, and time-to-adoption.
• 15% - Strategic Support and Partnership
• Project Management Partnerships: Build productive partnerships with Project Managers to integrate transition tasks into master project work plans.
• Saturation Management: Act as a guardian of human capacity by identifying “change fatigue” and working with leadership to prioritize initiatives.
• Sponsor Coaching: Prepare “Sponsor Roadmaps” and talking points to ensure executive leaders are active and visible throughout the transformation.
• 5% - Risk Mitigation and Reporting
• Issue Tracking: Proactively identify and report issues related to usability, adoption, and regulatory compliance.
• Problem Solving: Analyze the root causes of resistance or service disruptions and collaborate on rapid mitigation strategies.

Minimum Education & Skills Required

• Required Educational/Experience Requirements: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required; 3+ years experience creating change management deliverables for successful program adoption; 2+ years experience creating training and communication deliverables; 2+ years project management; experience with Prosci ADKAR Model required.
• Required Technical Skills/Knowledge: Experience and knowledge of change management principles, methodologies and tools; strong familiarity with project management methodologies, tools and best practices that are specific to the planning and implementation of change management deliverables; ability to establish and maintain strong, collaborative, relationships; ability to work effectively at all levels of the organization; active listening skills with the ability to clearly articulate messages to a variety of audiences, presentation and facilitation skills; versatile writing and editing skills; experience creating learning according to adult learning principles; ability to influence others and move toward a common vision or goal; organized with a natural inclination for planning strategy and tactics; ability to articulate the “why” behind change to move diverse audiences toward a common goal; experience in data cleansing, requirement gathering, and measuring financial impact (ROI) of change.
• General Knowledge and Abilities: Proven ability to build trust and navigate informal networks at all levels of the organization; capacity for responsiveness in a high-volume, fast-paced environment with shifting priorities; exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to deliverable quality; excellent verbal and written communications skills are a must, including the ability to gather and clarify requirements, present solutions and convey value, manage expectations and deliver in a timely manner; proven ability to work and participate effectively within a high performing team; capacity for agility and responsiveness in adjusting to unexpected changes and shifting priorities; ability to thrive in a high-volume, fast-paced environment, comfortable working with ambiguity and collaborating with others to gain alignment.