I am introducing a rating system for these roles, where the combination of employee feedback, leadership development, and the spread of behavioral change is the top level – Ready for Infectious Change.
I am also using ChatGPT to give you a summary of the role so you can judge what is worth your time and effort.
Thanks for networking and growing our field. – Paul
Featured Roles
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- 🔥 Ready for Infectious Change
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research – Employee Insights & Engagement Lead
Location: New York City (hybrid)
Compensation: $125K–$145K
Why This Role Stands Out
Owns the full employee listening strategy (surveys, pulse, lifecycle)
Translates feedback into organization-wide action
Drives cross-functional execution, not just recommendations
Direct exposure to senior leadership decisions
What to Pay Attention To
Designing and evolving how feedback is gathered and used
Turning insights into clear, actionable priorities
Leading follow-through and action planning across teams
Measuring what works—and adjusting over time
This is rare: one role connecting
feedback → insight → action → impact
Where to Look More Closely
Risk of becoming a reporting engine instead of a change engine
“Engagement programs” could drift toward events vs. behavior shifts
👉 The structure is there—the impact depends on how far you push it.
How to Position Yourself
Show how you:
Help leaders change how they operate, not just respond to surveys
Build systems where new behaviors actually stick and spread
Application
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4401645199/ - Director, Talent Management — University of Calgary
📍 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
🔗 https://careers.ucalgary.ca/jobs/17635633-director-talent-management-people-and-culture
The Role at a Glance
The University of Calgary is hiring a Director of Talent Management within its People & Culture function—a senior role responsible for integrating leadership development, employee engagement, and succession planning across the institution.
This is not a program management role. It’s a system-level leadership position shaping how talent and leadership translate into performance.
Why This Role Made First Moves
Connects employee feedback to leadership action
Integrates engagement, development, and succession into one system
Operates at the executive and governance level
Requires influence across a complex, decentralized environment
Most organizations talk about alignment. This role is accountable for building it.
First Moves Rating
READY FOR INFECTIOUS CHANGE (High Confidence)
Watch-outs:
Consensus-driven environment may slow execution
Risk of defaulting to programmatic leadership development
Positioning Insight
Don’t position yourself as someone who runs programs.
Position yourself as someone who builds systems where behavior change actually happens—and spreads. - Distribution Transformation — Change Enablement (Citizens)
📍 Hybrid — Rhode Island, USA
🔗 https://jobs.citizensbank.com/job/-/-/288/93795146880
The Role at a Glance
Citizens Financial Group is hiring for a Distribution Transformation — Change Enablement role focused on driving adoption across its branch and distribution network.
This role sits at the intersection of strategy execution and frontline behavior change.
Why This Role Made First Moves
Focus on change enablement, not just planning
Tied directly to frontline execution
Embedded in a transformation agenda
Requires translating strategy into practical, adoptable actions
This is where most transformations either take hold—or disappear.
First Moves Rating
READY FOR INFECTIOUS CHANGE (Moderate–High Confidence)
Watch-outs:
May lean toward comms + training vs. behavior change
Risk of becoming a support function
No explicit signal of feedback-driven adaptation
Positioning Insight
“I don’t just support change—I make sure it actually shows up in how people work.”
🟡 Not Yet Ready for Infectious Change - Thrive – Senior People Business Partner
Location: Woburn, MA (hybrid)
Why This Role Stands Out
Direct influence on leaders’ decisions and team structure
Focus on engagement, development, and organizational effectiveness
Uses data to guide leadership actions
Opportunity to shape culture during growth
What to Pay Attention To
Acting as a strategic advisor to leaders
Supporting organizational design and team effectiveness
Applying data-informed insights to decisions
Where to Look More Closely
Anchored in a traditional HRBP model
May lean toward supporting change vs. shaping how it happens
Limited ownership of feedback systems or transformation outcomes
👉 You’ll likely need to expand the role beyond its default scope.
How to Position Yourself
Focus on how you:
Turn insights into specific behavior shifts
Help teams operate differently—not just align on plans
Application
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4377298608/ - Black & Veatch – Sr. OCM Consultant (Leadership & Organization Effectiveness)
Location: Multiple (Denver, Chicago, Gaithersburg preferred)
Why This Role Stands Out
Leads enterprise transformation and change initiatives
Focus on adoption, readiness, and stakeholder alignment
Uses data and behavioral science
Strong exposure to executive stakeholders
What to Pay Attention To
Leading change from assessment through implementation
Building stakeholder alignment and change networks
Designing solutions to improve organizational performance
Where to Look More Closely
Likely grounded in structured change models (e.g., ADKAR-style planning)
Emphasis on plans (communication, training) vs. behavior systems
Influence depends on client context, not role ownership
👉 You’ll be in the room—but not always shaping how change actually works.
How to Position Yourself
Differentiate by showing how you:
Move beyond plans into how behavior actually changes on the ground
Help leaders redesign real work patterns, not just messaging
Application
https://www.linkedin.com/safety/go/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcareers.bv.com%2Fjob%2FDenver-Sr_-OCM-Consultant-%2528LOE-Leadership-and-Organization-Effectiveness%2529-CO-80002%2F1372105733%2F&urlhash=mIXR&isSdui=true&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_nlsearch_srp_jobs%3BvEX%2FNpxgQgiYBFCZZrRkuA%3D%3D - EZRA – Solutions Lead
Location: New York City (hybrid)
Compensation: $100K–$130K
Why This Role Stands Out
Explicit focus on behavioral change backed by science
Designs client solutions tied to business outcomes
Strong role in discovery, strategy, and engagement design
Connects coaching with measurable impact
What to Pay Attention To
Leading client discovery and solution design
Designing engagement strategies across organizations
Measuring ROI and effectiveness of interventions
Where to Look More Closely
Anchored in coaching as the primary lever
May limit broader organizational system change
Influence shaped by product and delivery model
👉 You’re designing change—but within a defined box.
How to Position Yourself
Stand out by showing how you:
Extend beyond coaching into how systems reinforce new behaviors
Connect individual growth to organization-wide impact
Application
https://www.linkedin.com/safety/go/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjobs.jobvite.com%2Fezra%2Fjob%2Fo7enzfw1&urlhash=hTdi&isSdui=true&lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_nlsearch_srp_jobs%3BvEX%2FNpxgQgiYBFCZZrRkuA%3D%3D
⚠️ Proceed with Caution - AppLab Systems, Inc – Organizational Development Consultant
Location: Remote (U.S., federal client)
Type: Contract
Why This Role Stands Out
Connects organizational development to business performance
Mentions coaching, assessments, and behavioral science
Exposure to enterprise-scale environments
What to Pay Attention To
Focus on sales effectiveness and performance outcomes
Blend of consulting, HR, and business development
Where to Look More Closely
Comes through a staffing firm (scope may vary widely)
Risk of being task-based vs. owning outcomes
Government context may limit speed and influence
👉 This could be meaningful—or fragmented work.
How to Position Yourself
Before pursuing, clarify:
Will you own outcomes, or deliver pieces?
Are you shaping how change happens, or supporting someone else’s plan?
Application
https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4401991366/
Insights
More on the Rating Logic
🔥 Ready for Infectious Change
A role must clearly combine:
1. Employee Listening
- Owns or shapes how feedback is gathered (surveys, pulse, lifecycle, qualitative)
- Interprets data into insight (not just reporting)
2. Organizational Change
- Owns or drives execution of change
- Influences how leaders and teams actually operate differently
3. Signals of Real Behavior Change Design
(doesn’t need all, but should show several)
- Cross-functional influence without authority
- Focus on adoption, not just communication
- Iteration, measurement, and adjustment over time
- Leader behavior, team norms, or system changes
- Evidence of how change spreads, not just how it’s announced
👉 If all three are present → Ready
🟡 Not Yet Ready for Infectious Change
These roles have part of the equation, but not the full system:
- Strong listening but weak on execution
- Strong change management but disconnected from feedback
- Heavy on programs (L&D, engagement, HRBP) without ownership of behavior change
- Influence is indirect or optional, not required
👉 These are often good roles—but incomplete systems
⚠️ Proceed with Caution
Risk of being a cog, not a driver
Vague scope or staffing-driven roles
Transactional work (assessments, reporting, admin)
Little visibility into real influence or outcomes
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