Consultant, Program & Change Enablement

Are you passionate about being part of a team at a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales that delivers extraordinary care to help individuals and businesses prepare for and protect their future? If so, then Nationwide Financial could be the place for you! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers and partners are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

We’re hiring a program & change management consultant to help leaders and teams get ready for important changes across Nationwide Financial. You’ll sit close to the work, helping people understand what’s changing, why it matters and how to move forward with confidence.

You’ll spend your time on real, people-centered solutions—the kind that cut across teams, affect how work gets done and need clear, practical support to land well. Our team delivers a standard set of services based on Prosci's change management framework and ADKAR individual change model, and we personalize those tools so they make sense for each business area.

What you’ll do

Lead change management & communications

• Plan and run change management activities for key NF Shared Portfolio initiatives using our NF Shared Portfolio Change Enablement Playbook.
• Create clear, audience-focused change communications, leader talking points, FAQs and other materials that help people know what to do.
• Design straightforward training and job aids (guides, checklists, reference materials) so associates can apply new processes and tools in their day-to-day work.
• Track readiness and adoption, surface risks and adjust plans based on feedback from business partners.

Partner with leaders & stakeholders

• Work directly with sponsors, product owners, delivery leads, and people leaders as a trusted advisor on how to prepare teams for change.
• Spot and address issues that slow down adoption, like unclear roles, competing priorities, gaps in communication or change fatigue.
• Help leaders tell a consistent, honest story about the change and model the behaviors they’re asking of others.

Strengthen how we deliver change

• Contribute to the ongoing evolution of our change management playbook, tools and templates, keeping them practical and easy to use.
• Help shape the ways we talk about and track adoption, connecting OCM outcomes to measurable business results.
• Share simple practices and coaching with program and business teams so they can own their roles in change.

About you

You’ll be a strong fit if you:

• Have experience in change management, communications or another role where you help people understand and adopt change.
• Are comfortable writing and editing plain-language content (emails, talking points, guides) for different audiences.
• Enjoy working in complex, cross-team environments and can build trust quickly with leaders and associates.
• Lean toward influencing and preparing people, not just tracking tasks and timelines (program/project experience is a plus, but not your only lens).
• Communicate clearly, ask good questions and turn what you hear into simple strategies, plans and recommendations.
• Are practical and pragmatic—you've used proven change management frameworks and then tailored them to what a specific team or business needs.

This position will be hired on a SuccessFlex basis.

The hired associate must reside within 35 miles of the following location(s):

Columbus: One Nationwide Plaza, Columbus OH, 43215

Work schedule: 2 days in office, 3 days remote.

This role does not qualify for employer-sponsored work authorization. Nationwide does not participate in the Stem OPT Extension program.

Internal Note: Compensation Grade G3

Job Description Summary

Are you a change agent who is process focused and detail oriented? Do you thrive in a busy, engaging work environment? If so, we want to know more about you!

As a Consultant, you'll lead design, planning and implementation of change strategies. This work includes implementation of program management, business readiness, and business release management capability projects to increase engagement, performance, and capacity for change. You’ll be responsible for multiple simultaneous medium and large-scale projects across channels, businesses and functions.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:  

• Manages program management and change management activities in alignment with Nationwide’s change strategy, methods, tools and program plans. Creates project plans, implementation strategy and consults with business and program leaders to ensure plans meet business need.  Drives implementation of change enablement plans for successful completion of assigned projects.

• Assists in building program and change enablement methods, frameworks, tools and learning modules to evolve the enterprise change portfolio management capability into well-managed Business Releases, or improve the delivery of strategic programs, or increase operations capacity for change, engagement and performance.

• Consults with program leaders and executives from assigned program or business units to identify and addresses critical gaps that if not removed or reduced may prevent the sustainable adoption of change or the benefits realization of strategic investments including decision-making, risk and issue escalation, role clarity, change communication, business readiness, and other enabling competencies.

• Partners with program leaders to identify opportunities to strengthen sponsorship and key constituent support to drive the change work with the assigned program or business unit. This includes focus on building capacity for change within the program or business unit.

• Proactively supports and participates in program and change enablement Community of Practice networks to encourage capability uplift and proliferation of program and change competency and community. This includes identification and implementation of common development needs across program and change leaders.  Networks include individuals and groups inside and outside of the organization who can provide quick advice or solutions; influence internal and external leaders, and share program and change enabling methods, tools and expertise. 

• Responsible for developing in program and business unit leaders working knowledge and pragmatic application of program and change management methods and tools to deliver program results and business unit objectives.

• Contributes to the integration of change management strategies within broader business model to build growth and profitability.

• Contributes to the development of department and project budgets.

• Assists and coaches the internal staff; provides functional advice or training to less experienced team members; facilitates planning activities.

May perform other responsibilities as assigned.  

Reporting Relationships:  Reports to Director or Officer.

Typical Skills and Experiences: 

Education:  Undergraduate studies in business, applied management, or related field. Related graduate work (Organizational Development, Organizational Performance Improvement, MBA) preferred. 

License/Certification/Designation:  Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Performance Technologist (CPT), or similar certification a plus.

Experience:  Ten years of business experience with five years of experience in program and organizational change management, preferably in an Insurance or Financial services environment, delivering strategic programs and/or building organizational capability at the work group level. Two years management experience is preferred.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills:  Knowledge of strategic planning, program/project management, organizational development, and process management. Ability to consult with program leaders and lead program teams including developing plans, objectives and resource requirements within budgetary limitations. Negotiation and group facilitation skills; ability to evaluate and apply problem-solving methodology including needs assessment, data acquisition and root cause analysis, and interpretive/strategic planning analysis; verbal and written communication skills for contact with all levels of company person