Change Lead | OCM Lead - Target Operating Model & Hypercare

Job Title: Change Lead | OCM Lead - Target Operating Model & Hypercare
Location: Columbus, OH (Open to non-local candidates with periodic travel)
Work Model: Hybrid for local candidates (3 days onsite); periodic travel for non-local candidates
Rate: $100/hour
Contract Length: June 22, 2026 - April 30, 2027
Extension: Strong possibility of extension
Employment Type: W-2 Only
Work Authorization: U.S. Citizens Only | No visa sponsorship available

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Change Lead to support a utility client's target operating model workstream and broader hypercare efforts following implementation of organizational and operational changes. This role will focus on leading the organizational change work required to prepare leaders and employees for transition, support adoption of new ways of working, and reinforce the business through the post-deployment period.

This individual will not be responsible for designing the target operating model itself, but rather for shaping and executing the change strategy, impact planning, stakeholder support, communications, training coordination, readiness activities, and post-go-live support needed to help the organization transition successfully.

The ideal candidate brings strong organizational change management experience in complex environments, with the ability to support workforce transition, role changes, skill shifts, and operating model adoption in a thoughtful and structured way. This role requires someone who can work closely with leaders, HR, project teams, and business stakeholders to help ensure change is implemented clearly, effectively, and with the right level of support for impacted teams.

Key Responsibilities

Organizational Change Management Leadership

• Lead organizational change management efforts supporting a target operating model workstream and related post-deployment hypercare activities.
• Develop and execute practical change strategies aligned to the business transformation and implementation timeline.
• Translate business changes into structured change plans that support stakeholder readiness, adoption, reinforcement, and business continuity.
• Assess where change support is needed most and prioritize efforts based on impact, urgency, and business need.
• Ensure change activities are aligned with implementation milestones, leadership expectations, and operational realities.

Change Impact & Workforce Transition Support

• Conduct change impact assessments to identify how roles, responsibilities, workflows, and skill requirements are shifting.
• Support planning related to role transitions, organizational impacts, and employee readiness needs.
• Partner with leadership and HR to help shape thoughtful transition approaches for impacted teams.
• Identify implications for retained roles, new role expectations, capability gaps, and support requirements.
• Help define sequencing, communication needs, and support structures that enable changes to be rolled out as clearly and smoothly as possible.

Stakeholder Engagement & Leadership Support

• Partner with business leaders, project teams, and functional stakeholders to align on change priorities, risks, and support strategies.
• Coach leaders and people managers on their role in communicating change, supporting teams, and reinforcing new behaviors.
• Build trust and alignment across impacted stakeholder groups, including leaders navigating sensitive organizational changes.
• Facilitate stakeholder discussions, working sessions, and decision-making conversations related to readiness, transition, and adoption.
• Help leaders communicate with clarity and empathy during periods of change.

Communications, Training & Readiness

• Develop and execute communication plans that prepare employees and stakeholders for upcoming changes.
• Create or coordinate development of communication materials such as talking points, FAQs, stakeholder updates, presentations, and readiness messages.
• Assess training needs resulting from role, process, or operating model changes.
• Partner with business teams, training leads, or SMEs to support training design and delivery, including online learning, on-the-job support, and reinforcement materials.
• Drive readiness activities that help ensure employees and leaders understand what is changing, when it is changing, and what support is available.

Hypercare & Post-Deployment Support

• Support the organization through post-go-live hypercare by monitoring adoption, gathering feedback, and identifying areas requiring additional support.
• Help address transition issues, role clarity gaps, and adoption barriers following deployment.
• Partner with leaders and stakeholders to reinforce new processes, structures, and expectations after implementation.
• Track readiness, adoption, and change-related risks and escalate concerns when appropriate.
• Recommend reinforcement actions, communications, or training interventions based on early post-launch feedback.

Planning, Governance & Reporting

• Create and maintain core OCM deliverables such as stakeholder analyses, impact assessments, communication plans, training support plans, readiness trackers, and adoption action plans.
• Provide regular updates to project leadership and stakeholders on change progress, risks, dependencies, and support needs.
• Align change activities with program governance, implementation planning, and business timelines.
• Ensure deliverables are practical, organized, and actionable.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Meet with project leaders, business stakeholders, and functional partners to assess change impacts and readiness needs.
• Conduct stakeholder interviews and working sessions to understand role, process, and organizational impacts.
• Develop communications, leadership materials, readiness content, and transition support plans.
• Coordinate with HR, training, and business teams to support role transitions and capability-building needs.
• Facilitate sessions related to stakeholder alignment, readiness, training, and post-go-live support.
• Monitor hypercare feedback and identify where additional change support or reinforcement is needed.
• Prepare status updates, risk summaries, and executive-ready materials.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in organizational change management , transformation support, or related change leadership roles.
• Proven experience supporting organizational design , operating model , role transition , or business transformation initiatives.
• Strong experience with change impact assessments , stakeholder engagement , communications planning , training coordination , and readiness support .
• Experience supporting organizations through deployment and post-go-live hypercare periods.
• Ability to work closely with leaders and HR on sensitive organizational or role-related changes.
• Experience developing practical support plans for role transitions, skill shifts, and new ways of working.
• Strong facilitation, executive communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate effectively in complex, cross-functional environments with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to create clear, structured, business-focused deliverables.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in the utilities industry strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting target operating model , operating model transformation , or organizational redesign initiatives preferred.
• Experience supporting workforce transition, role redesign, or capability-building efforts is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with training delivery approaches including instructor-led, virtual, online, and on-the-job support models.
• Experience working in highly regulated, operationally complex environments is a plus.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Human Resources, Organizational Development, Communications, Psychology, Education , or a related field required.
• Master's degree in a related field is a plus.

Certifications

• Prosci Change Management Certification strongly preferred.
• Additional certifications in organizational change, project management, learning and development, or agile methodologies are a plus.

Core Competencies

• Organizational Change Management
• Change Strategy & Execution
• Target Operating Model Support
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leadership Coaching
• Change Impact Assessment
• Workforce Transition Planning
• Communications Planning
• Training & Enablement
• Readiness & Adoption
• Hypercare Support
• Facilitation & Executive Communication

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a thoughtful, structured, and execution-oriented change leader who knows how to support organizations through meaningful operational and role-related change. They are comfortable working alongside leadership and HR on sensitive transition matters, building practical support plans, and helping teams adopt new roles, skills, and expectations in a way that is well-sequenced and sustainable. Utility experience is strongly preferred, particularly in environments where organizational change must be managed carefully and with strong stakeholder alignment.