Manager, Service Delivery Transformation (R02131)

The Role

Drives a large-scale, multi–business unit strategy and program to modernize how work is done at the Region. Drives the strategy to rethink and redesign regional services using human-centred and equity-based principles, and help leverage digital capabilities to better meet the community's service expectations, while unlocking staff capacity for today's and tomorrow's challenges. 

Ensures the strategy and supporting program delivers sustainable business outcomes by bringing structure, clarity, and foresight to complex, interdependent initiatives. Identifies risks early, aligns objectives across stakeholders, and enables effective decision-making.

Brings the whole organization along on the service transformation journey, collaborating with others to enable culture change and the adoption of new ways of working.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Works collaboratively with leadership, transformation teams, and stakeholders to establish a shared vision and commitment for service transformation centred on improving multi-channel service experiences for residents, businesses, and visitors to Waterloo Region. Develops and presents frameworks, models, and briefing materials for senior leaders.
• Implements culture change, employee communications, and engagement strategies to increase understanding of service transformation and adoption of new ways of working. 
• Supports and leads product/platform teams from discovery to continuous improvement. Facilitates strategic workshops and conversations to align diverse stakeholder needs.
• Aligns and structures objectives to translate high-level business goals into clear, measurable objectives that guide program activities and resource allocation. 
• Develops and maintains program governance. Leads the cadence of steering committees, reporting, and cross-workstream coordination, ensuring opportunities, risks, and decisions are tracked and acted on. 
• Identifies and mitigates business risks, surface risks, and dependencies that could impact the achievement of outcomes and develop mitigation strategies. 
• Balances competing priorities; facilitates resource and budget tradeoffs across workstreams, ensuring decisions reflect both near-term needs and long-term objectives. 
• Provides decision support for the creation of clear reporting, insights, and recommendations to equip senior leadership with the context needed for informed decision-making. 
• Documents and communicates discoveries for capturing new risks, opportunities, and business implications to ensure transparency. 
• Fosters alignment by ensuring workstream deliverables and sequencing remain aligned with the broader transformation vision and business case. 
• Establishes evaluation/performance frameworks to realize value; tracks/reports results and drives improvement in goal areas communicating with different audiences (e.g., writing reports, delivering presentations to Council, and at all levels of the organization).
• Performs related duties as required. 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge and skills are normally acquired through a bachelor’s degree in a related field, plus progressively responsible experience in program or project management with large-scale transformations including digital transformation, service design, and agile delivery. 
• Strong understanding and proficiency in customer experience (CX) and user experience (UX) philosophies and methodologies. 
• Strong understanding of Reconciliation, equity, diversity and inclusion and how these concepts drive exceptional municipal service. 
• Strong business and political acumen with ability to connect operational details to strategic objectives. 
• Skill in facilitation and stakeholder engagement.
• Knowledge of human-centred design and modern data practices.
• Proven experience with program governance, risk management, and benefits realization in large, complex organizations. 
• Strong human relations and communication skills for diverse stakeholders and to inspire, advise, and coach leadership on organizational change.
• Experience balancing competing priorities across shared resources and budgets. 
• Comfort with structured tools and methodologies (e.g., RAID, RACI, charters, financial tracking).
• Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, legislation, and collective agreements and understanding of their impact on how work is performed. 
• Ability to travel within Waterloo Region. 
• Ability to support and demonstrate the Region's values.