Chair of the Change Management Workstream – Transformation Program, UMC Utrecht 

UMC Utrecht will undergo an intensive and large-scale transformation in the coming years. The organization is working on several strategic tasks in parallel, including a new organizational design, ERP implementation, strategic personnel planning, and a multi-year efficiency program. These changes require not only technical and organizational decisions, but above all a strengthening of change capacity, leadership, and (change) communication. 

The Change Management Workstream plays a central role in this. The chair of this workstream reports directly to the Chief Transformation Officer and is part of the transformation management team. In this position, the chair ensures a coherent change management approach and links this to the other workstreams and program objectives. 

Purpose of the role 

The chair develops, connects, and monitors the change management approach to the transformation. This person brings a clear vision of their own, knows how to make change management principles accessible to colleagues, and ensures that change management, leadership, and communication are used as a coherent whole to transform the organization. The role focuses on strengthening the capacity for change in the organization, both top-down and bottom-up.  

Key responsibilities  

1. Strategic positioning and programmatic embedding 

• Embedding change management within the governance of the transformation program. 
• Work closely with program management and the Chief Transformation Officer and contribute to the direction, coherence, and progress of the overall program. 
• Active participation in the transformation management team. 
• From a change management perspective, contribute to or collaborate on strategic issues such as ERP, organizational design, efficiency, and leadership development. 
• Advising the board of directors and executives with a constructive critical eye and administrative sensitivity. 

2. Developing a change management approach 

• Developing a consistent vision and approach to change management, appropriate for a complex and professional organization. 
• Connecting change communication, leadership development, and interventions into a single effective change strategy. 
• Supplementing the existing change approach with rhythm, phasing, and prioritization of interventions. 
• Use modern and digital interventions; where appropriate, integrate "together for the patient" or other methodologies. 

3. Carrying out targeted interventions 

• Implement (change) interventions at multiple levels, including the leadership team, management teams, and program components. 
• Recognizing, interpreting, and breaking patterns and dynamics. 
• Linking interventions to intended effects and measurable results. 
• Help teams develop ownership and address obstacles. 

4. Strengthening change and leadership capabilities 

• Linking leadership development to the organization's change agenda. 
• Promote support and psychological safety within teams and organizational units. 
• Working with bottom-up perspectives and initiatives, in line with the professional culture of a UMC. 
• Supporting professionals and managers to operate effectively in change. 

5. Team building and organizational development 

• Building a workflow team, providing direction, and ensuring its sustainable functioning. 
• Finding, connecting, and utilizing expertise within the organization. 
• Build internal capacity for change and working methods so that future change processes become less dependent on external parties. 
• Strengthen cross-departmental collaboration and promote integrated solutions. 

Required profile 

• Extensive experience with large-scale change processes in complex professional organizations; experience in the healthcare sector is an advantage. 
• Solid theoretical and practical foundation in change management. 
• Ability to act strategically while intervening operationally. 
• Experience with leadership development and change communication. 
• Familiar with administrative context and decision-making processes in large public organizations. 
• Strong analytical skills combined with interpersonal and communication effectiveness. 
• Able to generate enthusiasm for the change process and communicate this consistently. 
• Experience with modern interventions, digital tools, and lean where appropriate. 
• Focused on collaboration, with an open attitude and a sense of professional autonomy and culture. 
• Demonstrable experience in coaching teams, with a focus on behavior, interaction patterns, and collaboration. 

Selection process 

UMC Utrecht asks candidates to give a short presentation in which they outline how they would shape the change management dimension of the transformation, what interventions they consider necessary, how they would position the workflow, and how their approach fits in with the administrative and professional context.