Business Manager, Consulting Practice

The Business Manager, Consulting Practice will play a pivotal role in driving business growth, managing client relationships and leading our team of consultants.

Business Manager, Consulting Practice

ODYSSEY CONSULTinc is a leading organisational development (OD) consultancy, with a 35-year track record of providing innovative OD and HR solutions and delivering exceptional results to clients. We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Business Manager to lead our consulting practice.

Job Overview:

The Business Manager, Consulting Practice will play a pivotal role in driving business growth, managing client relationships and leading our team of consultants. This position encompasses a wide range of responsibilities and requires a strategic thinker with strong leadership, relationship and project management skills, OD and HR experience, and a proven track record in business development.

Responsibilities:

Business Generation:

1. Develop and execute strategies to generate business, in collaboration with the leadership team.
2. Build and maintain a robust pipeline of prospective clients and opportunities through targeted outreach, upselling and cross-selling, networking events, and industry partnerships.
3. Collaborate with internal teams to ensure successful execution of business expansion initiatives, including marketing, operations and finance.
4. Conduct ongoing market research and monitoring to identify emerging trends and technologies, best practices and potential growth opportunities.
5. Establish and maintain an active database of clients, opportunities, projects, resources and decisions.

Client Management:

1. Act as the primary point of contact for clients, ensuring high levels of client satisfaction and retention.
2. Engage with clients to understand their needs and develop tailored consultancy solutions.
3. Build and maintain strong relationships with clients and stakeholders, through regular communication and engagement.
4. Provide regular updates and progress reports to clients on projects.
5. Proactively anticipate and address client concerns, escalating issues as needed to ensure timely resolution.

Prospecting and Proposal Development:

1. Evaluate proposal requests, lead the decision-making/response process and coordinate proposal development.
2. Collaborate with the consulting team, internal teams and other resources to prepare compelling proposals and presentations tailored to client requirements.
3. Prepare cost estimates, pricing strategies and identify resource needs.
4. Collaborate with internal teams to develop and update proposal templates, tools, and best practices to streamline the proposal development process.
5. Solicit and review client feedback on submissions to improve proposals.

Consulting Team Management:

1. Provide guidance and support to the team of consultants (full-time and associate), fostering a culture of teamwork, collaboration, and knowledge sharing within the consulting practice.
2. Define consulting team goals and objectives, key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics, monitor team performance and identify areas for improvement.
3. Lead the prospecting, recruitment and onboarding of consultants, subject matter-experts and professional staff to support projects.
4. Collaborate with the Operations and Innovation team to develop and implement a comprehensive onboarding programme for new consultants.
5. Develop performance metrics and evaluation frameworks to assess the impact of consulting interventions on client organisations and provide recommendations for improvement based on evaluation findings.

Contract Management:

1. Oversee the contracting process from initiation to closure.
2. Negotiate terms and conditions of contracts with clients.
3. Collaborate with legal counsel and relevant stakeholders to ensure contracts clearly outline terms, conditions, deliverables, and obligations, to protect the interests of the organisation.
4. Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
5. Conduct post-contract reviews to identify successes, challenges and areas for improvement.

Project Management:

1. Oversee multiple consultancy projects concurrently, ensuring successful execution.
2. Work closely with consultants to ensure the successful delivery of consulting engagements, including adherence to timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
3. Allocate resources and monitor project progress, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in / exposure to business consulting or a related field, with a focus on business development, client relationship management and project management.
• Strong understanding of organisational development and HR principles, methodologies, and best practices.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities, with a proven track record of successfully generating new business, effectively managing teams and driving results within the professional services industry.

Skills & Attributes:

• Strong organisational, time management and relationship-building skills
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to engage with diverse audiences.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to analyse market trends, identify growth opportunities, and develop actionable plans.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, project management tools and other relevant software applications.
• Knowledge of procurement methods and procedures in the public and private sector.

Application deadline: 18 June 2024

We thank all applicants for their interest and will contact those shortlisted.