Change Specialist

Change Specialist

Information Technology Services | Palmerston North Two-year Fixed Term Position | 37.50 hours per week

Help our people successfully adopt new and improved technology services.

Massey University is looking for an experienced Change Specialist to support the delivery of people-centred change and communications across a range of technology-enabled initiatives.

About the role

As part of the Digital Enablement practice within Information Technology Services, you will help the University adopt and make effective use of new and improved digital capabilities.

Working closely with project teams, leaders and stakeholders across the University, you will plan and deliver practical change management, stakeholder engagement and communications activities. Your focus will be on helping people understand what is changing, preparing them for new ways of working and supporting the successful adoption of technology-enabled change.

As Change Specialist, you will lead complex change and communications activities while also providing guidance and oversight for less complex activities delivered by others. You will assess the scale and impact of change, develop fit-for-purpose approaches and adapt activities in response to stakeholder feedback and emerging needs.

The salary band for this position is NZ$83,818 - $117,788 (2026) based on skills and experience.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Developing and delivering practical change management and communications plans
• Conducting change impact and organisational readiness assessments
• Building effective relationships with project sponsors and key stakeholders
• Planning and delivering stakeholder engagement and communications activities
• Identifying change risks, adoption challenges and appropriate responses
• Gathering feedback and assessing the effectiveness of change activities
• Providing specialist change advice and guidance to project teams and stakeholders
• Developing clear, audience-centred content across a range of formats and channels
• Supporting the effective adoption of change methods, tools and agreed practices
• Contributing to the ongoing improvement of change and communications practices within ITS

These responsibilities reflect the role's focus on organisational change management, stakeholder relationship management, specialist advice, methods and tools, and content authoring.

About you

You will be a confident and pragmatic change practitioner who can work effectively across multiple initiatives, stakeholder groups and organisational contexts.

You will bring strong relationship management, communication and facilitation skills, together with the judgement to tailor your approach to the scale, complexity and impact of each change. You will be comfortable working with a good level of autonomy, navigating complex issues and translating change into clear and practical actions for others.

To succeed in this role, you will have:

• At least four years' experience in an IT or IT-related role, including experience delivering change and communications management across a variety of contexts
• Experience developing and implementing practical change management and communications plans
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills
• Experience assessing change impacts and organisational readiness
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex information to technical and non-technical audiences
• The ability to work autonomously, exercise sound judgement and manage complex assignments
• Experience contributing to the improvement of change and communications practices
• A tertiary qualification in an IT or business management discipline, or equivalent extensive industry experience
• An industry-recognised certification in change and communications management at senior practitioner level.

Experience delivering change within higher education, government or another large and complex organisation would be advantageous.

Why Massey?

Massey University is committed to being a Te Tiriti-led university and to creating an environment grounded in respect, trust, collaboration and care. Our people work across disciplines and locations to support world-class research, teaching and learning while responding to the changing needs of the University and the communities we serve.

This is an opportunity to contribute to a variety of technology-enabled initiatives and help shape how change and communications are delivered across ITS. You will join the Digital Enablement practice, working alongside specialists in change management, stakeholder engagement, communications, training and business improvement.

In addition to a competitive salary, Massey also offers:

• Up to 6.75% employer contribution to the UniSaver Superannuation Scheme for eligible employees
• Five university holidays per year in addition to your annual leave
• Subsidised Southern Cross Healthcare plan for you and your family
• Special staff rates for campus gym membership
• Staff purchasing privileges and discounts at many commercial and retail businesses across New Zealand
• Access to on-campus childcare facilities for dependants of staff at our Manawatū campus

Ready to make an impact?

If you are passionate about helping people navigate technology-enabled change and enjoy translating complexity into practical, people-centred solutions, we would welcome your application.

Applications close: Monday 16 November 2026, 11.00pm.

Desired Skills and Experience

Change Management Stakeholder Engagement Change Communications Organisational Readiness Impact Assessment Relationship Management Communication Planning Facilitation Risk Management User Adoption Business Change Digital Transformation