Head of Business Change

Head of Business Change

Join BAE Systems and play a key leadership role within the Ad Astra Finance Modernisation programme. You will drive the enterprise-wide change strategy across a multi-year transformation. Reporting to the Programme Director, you will lead business change activity, ensuring a consistent approach to change, stakeholder engagement, business readiness, and benefits realisation across multiple business units.

Working closely with Finance, Transformation, and programme leadership teams, you will help embed new ways of working, maximise the adoption of technology-enabled solutions, and ensure the programme delivers measurable business value. This role offers the opportunity to lead a team of Business Change Managers, influence senior stakeholders across the business, and help deliver lasting improvements in how Finance supports business performance.

Core Duties:

• Lead the business change strategy and delivery approach across the Ad Astra programme.
• Manage, coach, and develop a team of 3 Business Change Managers supporting business unit deployments.
• Drive business readiness, stakeholder engagement, and adoption activities across the programme.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with senior stakeholders across Finance and the wider business.
• Ensure change activities are integrated into programme plans, governance, and delivery schedules.
• Identify, assess, and manage risks associated with business change and organisational readiness.
• Define and implement the programme benefits realisation approach, ensuring measurable outcomes are achieved.
• Monitor, track, and report on change performance, progress, and benefits delivery.
• Collaborate with programme, transformation, and business teams to ensure a consistent approach to change management.
• Promote continuous improvement and share best practice across transformation and change communities.

Essential Skills:

• Experience leading business change and organisational readiness within large-scale technology-enabled transformation programmes.
• Experience managing and developing change teams, with the ability to deliver change across complex, matrix organisations.
• Proven ability to engage, influence, and build relationships with senior stakeholders across multiple business functions.
• Experience defining, tracking, and delivering business benefits and benefits realisation frameworks.
• Knowledge of SAP solutions, including SAP BW4/HANA and SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC), with experience supporting Finance transformation programmes.

The Team:

You will join the Ad Astra programme, a business-led, technology-enabled transformation that will modernise the Finance function and support BAE Systems' ambition to build a leading finance capability within the FTSE 100. Reporting to the Programme Director and forming part of the programme leadership team, you will play a key role in shaping and delivering enterprise-wide change across a multi-year transformation. The programme is implementing SAP BW4/HANA and SAP Analytics Cloud to strengthen financial planning, forecasting, and business insight, enabling more consistent, data-driven decision-making across the organisation.

Working at BAE Systems:

Build a career with purpose and limitless possibilities. With lifelong learning and meaningful work, grow your career with confidence and be empowered to be your best. You’ll be recognised for your contribution and enjoy rewards tailored to what’s most important to you and your family, support for your financial and personal wellbeing, as well as a balanced lifestyle. Our supportive culture is a place you can feel you belong and are proud of the difference you make.

We’re committed to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and supported. We know that a diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences strengthens our teams and is vital to the work we do.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.