Job Description:

Business Change Lead – SAP Ariba Transformation Programme
Fixed Term Contract.

Help shape the future of Thames Water through one of our most significant transformation programmes.

Thames Water are looking for an experienced Business Change Lead on a fixed term contract until December 2027 to drive the people side of change for the implementation of SAP Ariba, a key part of Thames Water's £30m SAP ERP Cloud Apps Programme.

This role is about far more than implementing technology. It’s about enabling business transformation by helping people, processes and technology come together to create a more connected, efficient and resilient organisation.

Working across Procurement, Commercial, Finance and Corporate Services, your focus will be on ensuring the business is ready to embrace new ways of working and realise the benefits of a modern ERP platform.

As our Change Lead, you will:

• Lead and deliver the change management approach for the SAP Ariba implementation that aligns people, processes and technology
• Develop strong stakeholder engagement, communications and business readiness plans, building confidence, commitment and shared ownership across the organisation.
• Manage change impact assessments that help teams understand how new ways of working will shape roles, processes, capabilities and behaviours.
• Build a Change Champion Network that inspires collaboration, accelerates adoption and embeds sustainable change.
• Partner with functional teams to develop training strategies, engagement and adoption
• Manage reporting that supports informed decisions, reduces risk and keeps the programme moving forward.
• Support successful go live, hypercare and benefit realisation activities that help the organisation maximise value and confidently embed new ways of working for the future.

What you should bring to the role 

• Proven experience of leading business change management across large-scale transformation programmes, delivering sustainable outcomes.
• Experience supporting ERP implementations, ideally SAP Ariba, with a deep understanding of the people side of technology-enabled change.
• The ability to build trusted relationships, influence senior leaders and engage stakeholders at every level of the organisation.
• Expertise in change impact assessment, communications, training and business readiness, learning and adoption.
• Knowledge and practical application of recognised change methodologies such as Prosci, ADKAR or equivalent.
• Experience working across complex organisations, partnering effectively with business leaders, delivery teams and third-party implementation partners.
• A recognised Change Management qualification (Prosci, CCMP or equivalent).

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape one of Thames Water's most significant business transformation programmes. Working alongside senior leaders and colleagues across the business, you'll play a key role in delivering meaningful change, enabling new ways of working and creating lasting business value.

If you're passionate about bringing people on the transformation journey, building engagement and turning change into lasting success, we'd love to hear from you.

What’s in it for you?

• A starting salary of £70,000 per annum
• 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (plus bank holidays)
• Car Allowance.
• Annual Bonus.
• Private Medical Health Care.
• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets.
• Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.

Find out more about our benefits and perks (Please note different T&Cs apply if on secondment)

Who are we?
We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.