Your start at ZEISS Medical Technology.
ZEISS Medical Technology is shaping the future of healthcare – through precision, digital innovation, and a shared mission to improve the quality of life of patients.
To support an ongoing large post-merger-integration, we are looking for a hands-on (Senior) Change & Culture Manager who will play a key role in enabling cultural integration, guiding teams through change, and supporting the successful implementation of new structures and ways of working.
As (Senior) Change & Culture Manager at ZEISS Medical Technology, you will contribute to one of the most important transformation programs in the company's history. You will work across functions and geographies to shape our future culture, coach teams through change, and support leaders in bringing new operating models to life.
In this role, you will work closely with senior stakeholders, transformation leaders, and functional workstreams across Supply Chain, Sales, R&D, Operations, IT, HR, Communications and many more. The role starts as a temporary assignment for the first year (within the post-merger integration program) but has the potential to evolve into a long-term, strategic role within the broader ZEISS Medical Technology organization.
Your responsibilities
* Design and implement impactful change initiatives aligned with the strategic direction of ZEISS Medical Technology.
* Act as a sparring partner for transformation and implementation leads and functional workstreams, supporting the operational rollout of new structures, interfaces, processes and responsibilities.
* Guide teams and leaders through transformation by facilitating interactive sessions that foster clarity, alignment, and engagement.
* Support team formation and development journeys – helping newly formed or reorganized teams become high-performing through tailored coaching and development formats.
* Design and deliver change interventions and capability-building formats to strengthen cultural alignment and organizational readiness.
* Collaborate closely with colleagues from HR, People & Organizational Development, and Communications to ensure alignment, supporting change communication deliverables.
* Work with senior leaders to secure buy-in, embed change in daily practice, and reinforce desired behaviors.
* Monitor progress, gather feedback, measure change impact and iterate approaches based on stakeholder needs and organizational dynamics.
* 5–8 years of experience in change management, cultural transformation, or organizational development within complex, matrixed organizations or consulting.
* Experience supporting large-scale transformations such as post-merger integrations or reorganizations.
* Proven ability to coach leaders and teams through change – including team formation, role definition, and high-performance enablement.
* Strong understanding of people-centered change methodologies (e.g. but not limited to Prosci, ADKAR, Kotter, etc.); plus if you are ProSci certified.
* Strong facilitation and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage diverse stakeholder groups.
* Confident communicator in both verbal and written formats – fluent in German and English.
* Excellent organizational sensitivity and ability to navigate across cultures and functions.
* Structured and strategic thinker with a hands-on, collaborative working style.
* Based in or willing to travel regularly to Munich, Jena, Berlin, or Oberkochen (hybrid work setup possible) and minimum once per quarter to the Netherlands.
* Availability of 60–100%, ideally full-time, during the first year of the program.
What we offer
* A high-impact role at the heart of one of the most significant transformation efforts at ZEISS.
* Cross-functional exposure and strategic visibility across the global ZEISS Medical Technology organization.
* A collaborative, forward-thinking team environment that encourages co-creation and innovation.
* The opportunity to shape not only the integration project but the long-term culture and working model of the Medical Technology business.
Your ZEISS Recruiting Team:
Galina Elsenhans