Wakefern Food Corp. is the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the United States and supports its co-operative members’ retail operations, trading under the ShopRite®, Price Rite®, The Fresh Grocer®, Dearborn Markets®, and Gourmet Garage® banners.
Employing an innovative approach to wholesale business services, Wakefern focuses on helping the independent retailer compete in a big business world. Providing the tools entrepreneurs need to stay a step ahead of the competition, Wakefern’s co-operative members benefit from the company’s extensive portfolio of services, including innovative technology, private label development, and best-in-class procurement practices.
Summary
We are seeking a dynamic Organizational Change Management Lead to manage the people side of our Transformation projects and create a change management center of excellence as part of the Business Innovation and Transformation Services (BITS) team at Wakefern Tech. The Organizational Change Management Lead will be responsible for developing and implementing change management strategies, plans and deliverables that maximize employee adoption and usage while minimizing resistance. Additionally, they will be responsible for the creation of a common change management methodology, tools, templates and training.
Key Responsibilities:
- Partner with the Director, Business Innovation and Transformation Services to build out a Center of Excellence in Change Management including methodology, templates, tools and training.
- Lead the change management workstream team for various transformational projects – Develop and implement change management strategies and plans that maximize employee adoption and usage while minimizing resistance. Manage OCM Action plans working across the Wakefern Food Corp. organization.
- Supervise OCM Specialist and manage cross-functional teams to deliver OCM Workstream deliverables across Communication, Engagement and Training.
- Create change strategies (stakeholder analysis and change impact analysis) as well as sponsor roadmap, communication, training, coaching and resistance management plans and their respective execution.
- Partner closely with large transformational project teams (such as system implementations) to integrate change management activities into the overall project plans.
- Assess the change impact by conducting impact analyses, assess change readiness, and identify key stakeholders. Ability to create process maps and documentation and analyze the people change impact.
- Support the design, development, delivery, and management of communications regarding change initiatives.
- Conduct change management training (e.g., Leading through change) and coaching to enhance management and employees’ understanding and skills necessary for change.
- Build presentations and communications with experience working in various mediums (written, presentation, video, etc.)
- Ability to work with a wide variety of people including executive leadership, management and front-line employees. Excellent communication, influencing and interpersonal skills.
- Track and analyze risks and issues related to change initiatives, and development of corresponding risk mitigation plans.
- Develop and use change metrics and measurements to assess the success of change initiatives.
- Collaborate with various departments to drive the adoption of new strategies or processes.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in business, HR, organizational development or related field.
- Change management certification (e.g., Prosci) preferred.
- 7-10 years of experience leading Organizational Change Management projects, specifically for large scale enterprise system implementations and building a center of excellence in Organizational Change Management.
- Proven experience in managing organizational change initiatives at scale and building organizational change competencies throughout an organization.
- Experience implementing change management as part of large enterprise systems projects a plus.
- Strong leadership and project management skills.
- Understanding of business process management. Training and experience in process improvement a plus.
- Good business acumen with ability to understand how change management drives business results.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work effectively with a variety of stakeholders with a strong ability to assess personalities and team dynamics. Strong emotional quotient is required.
- Strong influencing skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Grocery, Retail, CPG or Wholesale experience a plus.
- Consulting experience a plus.
Working Conditions & Physical Demands
- This position requires in person office presence 4 days a week in Edison, NJ
- This position may require travel
Competencies
- Communicate Effectively
- Drive for Results
- Embrace Change
- Develop You
- Build Relationships
- Stay Competitive