Consultancy Manager

Role Overview

This position operates at the intersection of academic expertise and external client needs, helping a university grow its consultancy portfolio while maintaining rigorous delivery standards. The Consultancy Manager is responsible for the full arc of each engagement—from spotting and pitching on new opportunities, to planning and executing projects, to monitoring budgets and reporting results to institutional leadership. The role matters because it directly contributes to the university’s revenue, external reputation, and ability to turn internal knowledge into practical, high-value solutions for clients.

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively identify potential consultancy opportunities by engaging both internal academic departments and external organisations, industries, and public-sector clients.
• Draft, prepare, and submit expressions of interest, proposals, and quotations in response to RFPs, RFQs, and other tendering processes.
• Plan and manage the execution of consultancy projects, defining scope, timelines, deliverables, and quality benchmarks while keeping projects on schedule and within budget.
• Serve as the main point of contact for clients throughout the project lifecycle, addressing concerns, managing expectations, and ensuring overall client satisfaction.
• Create and oversee project budgets, track financial performance, and take corrective action to protect project viability and institutional profitability.
• Produce regular status and performance reports for university stakeholders, highlighting progress, risks, and results achieved.
• Review risk and compliance outcomes, recommending concrete process improvements to strengthen future project delivery and institutional governance.
• Foster relationships with internal subject-matter experts to encourage collaboration, capture new leads, and ensure the right expertise is deployed on each engagement.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A Master’s degree in business, management, or a related field is required.
• At least 4–6 years of professional work experience, including a minimum of 1–3 years in a supervisory or team-leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience managing projects from origination to completion, with the ability to balance timelines, budgets, and stakeholder expectations.
• Strong proposal and tender writing skills, including familiarity with EOIs, RFPs, RFQs, and similar procurement mechanisms.
• Sound financial acumen, including budget development, expenditure tracking, and financial reporting.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with comfort working across internal academic teams and external client organisations.
• Understanding of quality assurance, risk management, and compliance principles as they apply to professional consulting or university contexts.
• Ability to work independently, prioritise competing demands, and drive multiple consultancy projects simultaneously.