Change and Communication Director (HYBRID TO WORCESTER, MA)

Hanover Insurance Group•Worcester, MA

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Change and Communication Director is accountable for the organizational readiness strategy and vision for key areas including change management and communications. Strategies are developed and aligned with HTG senior leadership and executed through stakeholders and resources. The role develops and implements change management strategies, best practices, and plans to maximize employee adoption of changes involving processes, technology, and people. Working with the CIO, HTG Senior Leadership Team, and HR partners, the Director develops change planning and communications to enhance awareness, readiness, and employee ownership during organizational evolution. The role also partners with Talent Acquisition, HR, and Corporate Communications to strengthen awareness of The Hanover’s value proposition and support talent attraction, engagement, and retention. The Director sets direction for the team, leads executive communications and organizational change strategy, and coordinates readiness, stakeholder engagement, and adoption activities across HTG initiatives. The position maintains an integrated people, communication, and change roadmap; coaches executives and leaders in sponsorship and change leadership; and supports the development of a change management mindset. It also provides direct or matrixed oversight of team members, develops employee performance, and models Hanover values and leadership capabilities.

Requirements

7–10+ years of direct experience leading readiness and change efforts.
Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent work experience.
Proven experience leading change and communication efforts of varied complexity and scale.
Experience with change management processes and methodologies, including developing strategies to shift mindsets and behaviors and achieve results.
Thought leadership and the ability to partner, influence, and drive impactful outcomes.
Management capabilities including coaching, guiding, empowering, setting clear expectations and vision, and holding others accountable.
Exceptional communication and consulting skills, with the ability to influence and negotiate vertically and horizontally in a hybrid or blended work environment to obtain or leverage resources.
Ability to articulate enterprise strategies and priorities.
Ability to connect and integrate related work, missions, and strategies.
Critical thinking and strong problem-solving skills.
Ability to collaborate and co-create impactful outcomes in support of HTG and talent objectives.

Nice To Haves

Change Management certification or designation.

Responsibilities

Set direction and vision for the team executing HTG change and communication strategies and plans.
Lead executive communications strategy and content development for the CIO and HTG Senior Leadership Team, including Board and Partner Group materials, town halls, leader communications, talking points, and leadership messaging.
Develop and update annual change and communications strategies connecting initiatives with metrics and success measures and creating opportunities to obtain employee input.
Collaborate with Corporate Communications to co-create materials and messaging that integrate HTG with the broader Hanover enterprise where appropriate.
Lead HTG organizational change and communications strategy in partnership with the HTG HR team, including readiness planning, stakeholder engagement, executive communications, and adoption activities.
Partner with the HTG Implementation Management team to align technology implementation change strategies, monitor cumulative change impacts, and enable adoption of HTG priorities and transformation.
Maintain an integrated people, communication, and change roadmap identifying dependencies, risks, change impacts, and readiness requirements across HTG initiatives.
Coach executive sponsors and leaders in communication planning, sponsorship, stakeholder engagement, and readiness strategies.
Develop creative solutions that help HTG employees and leaders adopt new ways of working.
Support a change management mindset that promotes employee readiness and engagement.
Develop, document, and lead readiness activities and processes with cross-functional support teams, focusing on impact analysis, adoption, preparedness, and execution.
Enhance employee communications, explain business goals and progress, and help evolve HTG culture in line with Hanover’s mission.
Promote collaboration and co-creation of practices and processes to achieve favorable HTG outcomes.
Help plan and manage confidential and sensitive matters, providing thought partnership to the CIO and HR Partnership.
Communicate complex issues and conflicts affecting project time, cost, scope, quality, and risk to appropriate stakeholders and management, and facilitate connections to consider mitigation plans.
Partner with HR Business Partners and HTG leaders to assess organizational impacts and develop change, communication, and adoption strategies for workforce, talent, operating model, and organizational changes.
Maintain frequent connectivity with Corporate Marketing and Communications to support collaboration, continuity, and capability sharing.
Provide direct or matrixed oversight to team members responsible for executing change and communication strategies and plans.
Create an environment that fosters teamwork, values diversity, and supports and respects internal and external stakeholders.
Encourage an open and transparent culture and model Hanover values and leadership capabilities.
Coach and develop employees, set expectations, evaluate performance, and hold people accountable.
Serve as a role model for high performance, engagement, and commitment; work and lead effectively under pressure.
Lead or substantively participate in initiatives supporting HTG strategies and financial goals.