Principal Change Manager

Principal Change Manager at Autodesk

At Autodesk, we empower innovators to make anything—and that same mindset drives how we evolve internally. As Autodesk accelerates enterprise growth, our go-to-market (GTM) organization is undergoing significant, multi-year transformation. We are seeking a Principal Change Manager to independently lead complex, enterprise-level change efforts that enable our Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success teams to operate effectively at scale.

This role operates at a Principal level, owning end-to-end change strategy for high-impact GTM transformation workstreams with broad organizational reach. You will define change approaches, integrate efforts across programs, and act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders—ensuring people readiness, sustained adoption, and business outcomes across a global organization of 7,000+ GTM employees.

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Change Management (U.S.-based), this role partners closely with Business Process Excellence and Enablement as part of Autodesk’s horizontal transformation teams. Success in this role requires deep expertise, sound judgment, and the ability to lead through influence rather than authority. This role can be located anywhere in the US. Preferably near an Autodesk office.

Responsibilities

• Own and set the change strategy for large, complex GTM transformation initiatives, aligning people, process, and behavior change to enterprise objectives.
• Operate as the accountable lead for change outcomes, independently driving strategy, execution, and course correction with minimal oversight.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior and executive leaders, providing clear assessments of readiness, adoption risk, sequencing, and change trade-offs.
• Integrate change across multiple programs and initiatives, ensuring a cohesive and intentional experience for impacted stakeholders.
• Partner with cross-functional leaders (Program Management, Enablement, Business Process Excellence, Operations) to embed change into operating rhythms and business processes.
• Lead enterprise-level change impact and readiness assessments, translating insights into prioritized, actionable strategies.
• Anticipate resistance and systemic risks, proactively designing mitigation strategies suited to complex, ambiguous environments.
• Develop executive-level narratives, materials, and recommendations that inform decision-making and accelerate alignment and adoption.
• Use data and analytics to measure effectiveness, track adoption, and continuously refine change strategies.
• Provide global change leadership, ensuring regional alignment while thoughtfully incorporating cultural and market considerations.
• Scale impact beyond direct ownership by coaching leaders, sharing best practices, and contributing to Autodesk’s broader change capability and agility.

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience leading organizational change in large, complex enterprises; consulting or advisory experience strongly preferred.
• Deep expertise in recognized change management methodologies (e.g., Prosci/ADKAR, Kotter), applied pragmatically to deliver results.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or transforming GTM organizations (Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, Revenue Operations).
• Proven ability to operate independently at an enterprise level, making sound strategic decisions in ambiguous and evolving contexts.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence, challenge, and align senior leaders.
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills for executive and enterprise audiences.
• Ability to translate complex transformations into clear, actionable guidance that drives behavior change.
• Track record of managing multiple, high-stakes initiatives with competing priorities.
• Bachelor’s degree required, advanced degree in Organizational Development, Business, or related field preferred.
• Alignment with Autodesk’s Culture Code values.

The Ideal Candidate

• Is recognized as a change management expert and trusted thought partner.
• Has led enterprise-scale, customer-facing or commercial transformations end-to-end.
• Thrives in ambiguity and is effective at creating clarity, structure, and momentum.
• Is highly collaborative while maintaining strong ownership and accountability.
• Balances strategic thinking with disciplined execution and follow-through.

About Autodesk

Welcome to Autodesk! Amazing things are created every day with our software – from the greenest buildings and cleanest cars to the smartest factories and biggest hit movies. We help innovators turn their ideas into reality, transforming not only how things are made, but what can be made.

We take great pride in our culture here at Autodesk – it’s at the core of everything we do. Our culture guides the way we work and treat each other, informs how we connect with customers and partners, and defines how we show up in the world.

When you’re an Autodesker, you can do meaningful work that helps build a better world designed and made for all. Ready to shape the world and your future? Join us!

Benefits

From health and financial benefits to time away and everyday wellness, we give Autodeskers the best, so they can do their best work. Learn more about our benefits in the U.S. by visiting https://benefits.autodesk.com/

Salary Transparency

Salary is one part of Autodesk’s competitive compensation package. For U.S.-based roles, we expect a starting base salary between $124,000 and $221,430. Offers are based on the candidate’s experience and geographic location, and may exceed this range. In addition to base salaries, our compensation package may include annual cash bonuses, commissions for sales roles, stock grants, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Equal Employment Opportunity

At Autodesk, we're building a diverse workplace and an inclusive culture to give more people the chance to imagine, design, and make a better world. Autodesk is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic. We also consider for employment all qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

Diversity & Belonging

We take pride in cultivating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. Learn more here: https://www.autodesk.com/company/diversity-and-belonging

Key skills/competency

• Organizational Change Leadership
• GTM Transformation
• Change Management Methodologies
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Executive Communication
• Strategic Decision Making
• Data-driven Adoption
• Risk Mitigation Planning
• Global Program Integration
• Prosci ADKAR Framework