Ever wondered what it's like to work at one of Greater Manchester's leading tech employers?
Olivia is a Business Change Manager at the Home Office.
We spoke to her to find out more about this role, her experience at the Home Office and what an average day looks like.
Name: Olivia
Company: Home Office
Job Title: Business Change Manager
How did you get into your current role?
My journey to becoming a Business Change Manager at the Home Office has taken me up and down the country and a few years of gaining the relevant experience to get to where I am now.
After completing my degree in Business Law, I moved down to London to start a role at the Home Office as a caseworker. It was during my time within this role that I developed a passion for Continuous Improvement. After a few years I made my way back up north to my home city of Manchester and worked in various other operational roles whilst continuing to pursue my passion projects on top of my day job (all part of enhancing my skills and experience!). These projects included Communications Working Groups, where I would be responsible for leading, structuring, and hosting these sessions, creating the presentation slides, and determining the topics to be discussed and the format of the sessions. My time spent participating on the working groups cemented my ever-growing passion for organisational change.
I eventually realised there was a job that ticked all my ‘career boxes’, and this was that of a Business Change Manager. I worked in various shorter-term placements to build the skillset required to get this role.… eventually an opportunity arose at the Home Office, and I seized it, drawn by the chance to contribute to significant national projects and enhance public services through innovative technology.
What do you enjoy most about working at The Home Office?
What I find most fulfilling about working at the Home Office is the societal impact of our efforts. We're not just implementing technological solutions; we're improving the efficiency and effectiveness of services that thousands if not millions of people rely on daily.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Each day differs although there are a couple of constants, one being that each morning starts with a productive daily stand up. This gives everyone working on projects / delivery the chance to get the answers to any burning questions they may have. It also helps in keeping everyone within the team informed and up-to-date with the progress of delivery. Throughout the week, I'm often in meetings with stakeholders discussing projects. Every Friday I produce an extensive list of actions for the following week which I update and add to daily as my tasks progress.
What excites you the most about the work?
As a Business Change Manager, I really enjoy collaborating with stakeholders at all levels across the organisation, observing changes first-hand and seeing how my efforts and input have a positive impact on the projects I’m working on. The fast-paced tech environment is also constantly evolving which ensures there is always something new for me to learn, making the job both challenging and exciting.
Have you learned anything new since you started?
My skillset and knowledge are continuously expanding and developing. I have learned how to build strong working relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders as well as gaining an understanding of how each role within a project is interconnected.
Additionally, the size of the department I work in ensures a wide range of diverse career opportunities are available. There is also a huge focus on Learning and Development which I have been able to benefit from. I have completed internationally recognised qualifications which have helped me improve my skillset in Business Change and Project Management
