Job Description

What will you do?
Are you an experienced Change Management & Agile Leader looking for a fresh challenge in the leading short-term insurer in SA? This role may be Gauteng or Western Cape based.
Due to our digital transformation journey, this new senior management position will work in partnership with key stakeholders and sponsors to deliver change across the Santam Group and the Santam Intermediary and Tied agent community.
You will lead and a manage a team of Change Managers in ensuring delivery of the Santam 2025 strategic vision.
This includes leading and driving a comprehensive, sustainable capability for delivering business change across Santam (projects and enhancements) to better execute strategy and gain competitive advantage. Head Change Management & Agile Transformation center of expertise, providing best practice thinking and delivery on the implementation and adoption of key businesses initiatives.
Ensure that Business Change has the right Change Delivery capabilities, competencies and capacity to deliver change committed to in the project portfolio.
The Head of Change Management & Agile Transformation is responsible for driving and embedding a culture of agility and continuous improvement across the organization. This role will lead enterprise-wide change initiatives, ensuring seamless execution and adoption of transformational programs that align with the company's strategic objectives. The incumbent will work closely with business leaders, technology teams, and key stakeholders to enhance adaptability, efficiency, and responsiveness in a fast-evolving insurance landscape.
What will make you successful in this role?
Change Management:

• Develop and implement enterprise-wide change management strategies to support business transformation initiatives.
• Partner with senior leadership to assess change impacts, develop stakeholder engagement plans, and drive adoption.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and change resilience across the organization.
• Establish change management frameworks, methodologies, and best practices tailored to the insurance sector.
• Measure and report on change adoption, effectiveness, and business outcomes.

Agile Transformation:

• Lead the design, implementation, and scaling of Agile methodologies across business and technology teams.
• Build Agile capabilities through coaching, training, and hands-on support for teams transitioning to Agile ways of working.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation in Agile practices, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Oversee the Agile Center of Excellence, establishing best practices, governance, and performance metrics.
• Act as a thought leader and advocate for Agile principles, fostering a culture of collaboration and adaptability.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management:

• Influence and collaborate with executive leadership, ensuring alignment on transformation priorities.
• Manage a team of change and Agile professionals, providing leadership, coaching, and professional development.
• Engage with business units, IT, and external partners to drive strategic initiatives.
• Ensure strong communication and alignment across teams to enhance cross-functional collaboration.

Performance & Continuous Improvement:

• Define and track KPIs to measure the success of change initiatives and Agile adoption.
• Identify and address challenges or resistance to change, developing strategies to mitigate risks.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory requirements that impact transformation efforts.
• Establish effective and up to date change methodology, change practice, tools and standards are in place, driving a collaborative and productive approach to change management.
• Lead the change team in planning and developing scope, deliverables, required resources, work plan, budget, and timing for new initiatives.
• Ensure all change initiatives adhere to the Santam and Sanlam Group Risk and Financial Policies.
• Ensure all business change projects adhere to the company's methodology.
• Work with the exec stakeholders & programme managers to ensure the change work is adequately resourced, budgeted and scheduled.
• Present regular updates to the Santam Group EXCO and the associated Business Unit Exco's
• Effective management of Business Change budget and charges to clients (Actual costs against budget; Client Satisfaction survey; Comparison of prices (resource rates) against the market)

Qualification

• Bachelor's degree in business, Technology, Organizational Psychology, or a related field
• 8+ years of experience in change management, Agile transformation, or business transformation, preferably in the insurance or financial services industry.
• Strong knowledge of Agile methodologies (Scrum, SAFe, Kanban, Lean) and change management frameworks (Prosci, ADKAR, Kotter's Change Model).
• Proven experience leading large-scale change initiatives and Agile transformations.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Experience in developing and implementing change and Agile governance frameworks.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and coaching skills

Knowledge and Experience

• Proven track record for having worked effectively with large scale change in organisations (8 or more years) - specifically in large scale programmes and projects
• Sound experience in strategic management of organisational change (including the taking of a lead role in implementing change management initiatives)
• Extensive demonstrable experience and successful track record of leading, continuous improvement and innovation in a large and/or complex organisation
• Senior level leadership and management experience in an organisation of comparable scope and complexity, with strong contributions to strategic organisational development and change
• Exceptional commercial acumen and understanding
• Experience in working with systems thinking
• Experience of working in an organisation going through fast paced, transformational change
• Experience in facilitating multi-disciplinary teams in complex environments
• Experience in Financial Services advantageous
• Business Consulting background
• Cutting edge Change Management methodology knowledge
• Project management experience
• Consulting experience preferable in large-scale organisations
• Stakeholder management experience

Skills

• Design/Conceptualisation skills; creativity and new thinking
• Ability to draw inferences and connect concepts, analytical thinking
• Influencing skills
• Negotiation skills
• Strong co-ordination, prioritisation, organisational and planning skills
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and networking skills across all levels
• High stress tolerance
• Strong quality and client service orientation
• Dealing with confidentiality
• Report writing skills
• Ability to 'think-out-of-the-box' / lateral thinking
• High initiative/self-starter/proactive and anticipate requirements
• Professionalism, excellent judgement, use of discretion and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to work and make decisions independently
• Computer literate (Excel, Word and PowerPoint)

Core Competencies
Cultivates innovation - Contributing strategically
Customer focus - Contributing strategically
Drives results - Contributing strategically
Collaborates - Contributing strategically
Being resilient - Contributing strategically
About The Company
Santam is the market leader in the general insurance industry in Southern Africa. As a large, diversified, and expanding company, we are committed to transformation and growth. While our headquarters are in South Africa, we are rapidly extending our presence into emerging markets across Africa and Asia.
With a client base of over 1 million policyholders, Santam serves individuals, commercial enterprises, specialist business owners, and institutions-including 80 of the Top 100 companies listed on the JSE. Our commitment to Insurance, Good and Proper goes beyond just providing cover-we offer peace of mind, ensuring our clients can focus on living in the moment, not worrying about the unexpected. Because at Santam, we believe the freedom to seize every day is worth protecting.
People drive our business, and we are committed to attracting the best talent, whether for permanent roles or short-term opportunities.
Santam is committed to diversity, inclusion, and belonging. As an equal opportunity employer, we encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, including persons with disabilities. We are dedicated to neuro-inclusivity and fostering a workplace where everyone can thrive.
Take the next step in your career-apply now and be part of a company that's shaping the future of insurance. This is Freedom!