Business Performance Transformation – Senior Consultant (Programme Management) - London
£55 to £65k basic + benefits
About us
Challenge Consulting was founded in 1998 with the aim of establishing a consulting business with an independence of style, thinking and approach. We have worked with a wide range of clients within both public and private sectors. Current and past clients include: Lloyd’s Banking Group, HBOS, ING Lease (UK), R&SA Insurance, Ufi /learndirect, and the London Borough of Hillingdon. Recent assignments have included the:
• definition of customer value propositions
• design and implementation of target business models
• architecture and management of post–merger integration change programmes
• design and management of efficiency / performance improvement exercises
While performance improvement is a key focus of almost all assignments, Challenge is not simply a cost cutting and process focused consultancy – real, lasting business performance improvement is more complex than that. For a small firm, we always punch above our weight, generally working at main board level or at least, in the largest organisations, at divisional or operational board level. It seems increasingly that we go in after one of the big firms has messed up (or at least not fixed the problem) and we help our clients to sort things out and demonstratively improve the business.
Challenge consultants have critical curiosity, combined with an easy and confident style; they:
- work on the front line and take real accountability for their role in transforming their clients’ businesses
- combine tried and tested methods and tools with an overall approach to change that is tailored to the specific client’s needs
- apply common sense and first hand business experience
- challenge themselves, their clients and the status quo
- above all, deliver results
Challenge does not work to a traditional big firm 'hierarchical' model of consulting. Projects usually involve teams of two to five consultants, with a mix of backgrounds and experience - any of whom could lead the project if needed – working with client teams of varying sizes and compositions.
About you
As a Senior Consultant you are likely to have between 4 and 10 years consulting/programme management experience, possibly slightly less with other relevant experience outside of consulting
You are a ‘natural’ Programme Manager. You don’t subscribe to some of the traditional beliefs: You believe you must strive to understand the content and that taking accountability is not somehow optional. You know many people have ‘Programme Manager’ on their CV or in their job titles, but that only a few of them know what it’s really about. Being part of a typical ‘PMO’ is not for you.
You thrive in situations where you can apply your skills and experience to something you’ve never done before in an environment you’ve never experienced.
You have worked with structured methods and can quickly assimilate new ones, but you’ve also developed your own tools and ways of working. Your experience is strong and varied, and you’ve worked at all levels in numerous sectors. You know how programmes work, and relish the challenge of fixing ones that don’t.
Your credibility is boosted by the fact you have operated on the ground, in the heat of the action. You are unflappable, but not complacent; you know how bad it feels when things go wrong. Getting your hands dirty is ‘business as usual’ and you will take on any task required to secure the right result. You understand the detail of complex performance improvement programmes and you are comfortable challenging assumptions and using your instincts
You really want to work in an environment where you are required and empowered to work at all levels to fix the things you normally have to ‘’live with’’. You can work seamlessly alongside colleagues with a wide range of consulting skills and you want to work where your experience and skills will increase exponentially, where your input and contribution will be valued and put to use (and to the test!) from the outset.
Salary Package
The salary package for this Senior Consultant role will be in the region of £55k to £65k basic, depending on experience, plus company and individual performance-related bonuses and a benefits package which includes healthcare insurance and a 5% employer pension contribution.
Location
Challenge’s offices are located in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, close to J20 of the M25. Most of a Managing Consultant’s time will be spent on client sites, predominantly across the UK but with the possibility of some projects in mainland Europe.
Contact
For more information about Challenge Consulting, please visit our website www.challenge-consulting.co.uk
To apply by email to this position, please send your CV and covering letter to Bill Forsyth (managing the recruitment process on behalf of Challenge Consulting Ltd) at:
wbf@bill-forsyth.com
