Director of Change Management

First for a reason:

At First Student, we are a family of 60,000 employees who take pride in safely transporting more than 5 million students and passengers to and from their destinations each day! Our family of brands include Transco, Total Transportation, Maggies Paratransit, and GVC II. Our employees are at the forefront of safety and innovation; they create and implement the most advanced training and technology the transportation industry has to offer.

The Director of Change Management (CM) will be a key member of the newly formed Transformation Office (TO), overseeing critical initiatives that drive the organization’s "best-in-class transformation." The Director of CM will also have a dotted line to the Senior Director of Talent Development to ensure a coordinated approach across the organization to change management strategic approach. The Director of CM will develop and implement a change management strategy to support transformational programs, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and facilitating smooth transitions. Key initiatives include potential PE exit, O2C transformation, and real estate reorganization, among others. This role combines strategic planning with hands-on execution to build change readiness, engage stakeholders, and drive adoption of new processes and systems. The ideal candidate will be an expert in change management methodologies, with experience delivering complex, large-scale initiatives in fast-paced environments.

Major Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a best-in-class organizational change management strategy aligned with the overall objectives of the First Student.
• Provide strategic insight and leadership to influence key decisions that affect organizational change and transformation.
• Serve as the primary change management advisor to senior leadership, ensuring that change initiatives are structured and aligned with business priorities.
• Lead the design, development, and implementation of detailed change management plans, covering communication, training, and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Identify risks and potential resistance points and develop strategies to mitigate them.
• Collaborate with project and program management teams to integrate change management activities into broader strategic initiatives.
• Act as a trusted advisor to key stakeholders across the organization, ensuring alignment and buy-in for change initiatives.
• Drive effective communication strategies, ensuring consistent, transparent, and engaging messaging across all levels of the organization.
• Facilitate change management workshops and training sessions to prepare employees and leadership for upcoming changes.
• Conduct organizational impact analyses to assess change readiness and identify potential barriers to successful change.
• Use data-driven insights to measure the effectiveness of change initiatives, reporting progress and making recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Lead cultural change efforts to support the vision for transformation and continuous improvement.
• Champion change, fostering a culture of adaptability, innovation, and growth.
• Other responsibilities as required or requested.
  
  

Minimum Education Or Certifications Required

• 4-year degree or equivalent experience
• Master’s degree, preferred
• Project Management training and designation such as PMP preferred
• Prosci Change Management Certification, preferred
  
  

Minimum Experience Or Skills Required

• Minimum 7 to 10 years’ experience in Organizational Change Management (OCM) within a large, decentralized field operations environment.
• Experience working in dynamic environments with diverse stakeholder groups, including senior leadership and end users.
• Strong understanding of change management methodologies such as ADKAR, Prosci, or similar.
• Experience working with driver workforce, unionized labor, or trucking/logistics background.
• Experience working alongside a Transformation Management Office (TMO).
• Proven ability to influence and lead across multiple levels of the organization, including C-suite level executives.
• Strong organizational and project management skills with a track record of delivering projects on time and within scope.
• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and make informed decisions to improve change management practices.
• Comfortable working in dynamic, fast-paced environments with an ability to pivot as priorities shift.
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with a proactive and solutions oriented approve to challenges.
• Seen as a team player and is supportive of group decisions and ideas.
• High degree of personal initiative and motivation.
• Collaborative style with a strong ability to establish trust, build relationships and influence others across all levels and functions of the organization.
• Ability to identify interdependencies both in and out of transformation office and work through roadblocks and conflicts.
• Strong communication skills (listening, written, verbal, presentation).
• Strong business background in financial, strategic, and organizational analysis.
  
  

This is a remote position and employees may live anywhere in the continental United States.

In the state of Washington, all technician and driving positions, including but not limited to van drivers and any other position requiring employees to drive a company-owned vehicle, are considered safety-sensitive and are therefore subject to drug and alcohol testing, including cannabis.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. First is also committed to providing a drug-free workplace. First will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, and any other fair chance law. Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance Poster is at this link or upon request https://www.phila.gov/media/20210423160847/Fair-Chance-Hiring-law-poster.pdf .