Job Brief
Senior Principalsshape,leadand deliver major client engagements, playing a pivotal role in Q5’s commercial success and strategic direction. They build strong client relationships, create opportunities for growth, and role-model Q5’s values in everything they do.
1. Business & Commercial Acumen
- Exhibits a highly commercial mindset,demonstratingthe ability to see the bigger picture and shape decisions that positivelyimpactQ5.
- Manages margin and commercial risk confidently across large and complex accounts.
- Develops commercially sound approaches, understanding resource requirements across multi-stream engagements.
- Ensures account plans and commercials “do the right thing” for both Q5 and clients.
2. Gaining & Developing New Business
- Consistently grows large-scale accounts through proactive opportunity spotting and relationship building.
- Shapes client briefs into compelling strategies for new business.
- Architects complex, multi-Offering solutions that demonstrate Q5’s capability and insight.
- Acts as a trusted advisor, creating opportunities to extend,repeat,or expand work through value-adding conversations.
3. Relationship Building & Management
- Proactively nurtures senior-level relationships across multiple clients and networks.
- Seen as a highly credible,calmand authoritative partner, even in complex situations.
- Grows networks of senior stakeholders and cultivates new entry points intoorganisations.
- Role-models relationship-driven leadership, combining soft skills with deliveryexpertise.
4. Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
- Architectssolutions that draw on a wide range of Q5 methodological and Offeringexpertise.
- Analyses and synthesizes complex information at pace, simplifying concepts and defining clear recommendations.
- Handles challenging conversations confidently, offering constructivechallengeto clients and teams.
- Role-models inclusive, open critical thinking that brings others on the journey.
5. Influential Communication & Engagement
- Creates clear, compelling narratives that cut through complexity.
- Synthesizes information into digestible messages that drive action.
- Communicatesa well-reasoned point of view quickly and effectively.
- Adapts style to engage and influence diverse stakeholders with confidence and care.
6. Leading a Room
- Reads the room expertly and knows when to intervene, question or advise.
- Confidentlyfacilitatesand leads high-stakes meetings with senior clients.
- Adjusts dynamically to changing session needs whilemaintainingdirection and engagement.
- Creates open, inclusive environments and enables other Q5ers to contribute and lead.
7. Programme & Project Management
- Manages large client accounts end-to-end, ensuring delivery is on time, on budget and to a high standard.
- Delegates appropriately whilemaintainingstrong oversight of milestones,risksand quality.
- Creates delivery environments that balance performance expectations with wellbeing.
- Ensures scope, governance and delivery cadence are robust across accounts.
8. Analysis & Tooling
- Demonstrates strong analytical skills and applies both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
- Supports and challenges teams in producing robust data-driven insights.
- Enhancesproject outcomes through rigorous, structured analysis and creative thinking.
9. People Leadership
- Leads multiple teams across large engagements, supporting performance,growthand wellbeing.
- Sets clear direction and creates simplicity in ambiguity.
- Builds high-trust, values-driven cultures within project teams.
- Mentors and coaches Consultants, Senior Consultants and Principal Consultants.
10. Values & Behaviours
- ExemplifiesQ5’svalues in all relationships and decisions.
- Creates environments where others can live the values.
- Proactively gives and seeks feedback, investing in development.
- Challengesbehavioursclient or internalthat fall below expectations.
Requirements
SkillsandAttributes
- 12 + yearsrelevantprofessional experience with a significant period within management consulting ideally within the Energy, Utilities & Infrastructure sectors.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and hit the ground running in new contexts.
- Experience leading complex organisation transformation (ideally with experience in operating model and organisation design)
- Experience in strategic workforce planning and workforce modelling in large complex organisations.
- Understanding of the end-to-end employee lifecycles and ability to advise clients on the levers to pull to get better operational and commercial outcomes.
- Experience working with large, complex people data and ability to connect with external data sources.
- Good overall understanding of strategy, operating model design, businessoperationsand people analytics.
- Excellent communication skills and facilitation skills with the ability to explain complex results or concepts to non-data audiences.
- Advanced problem-solving and critical thinking skills with experience in producing high-quality, insightful outputs
- Entrepreneurial mindset to help grow Q5’s analytics practice.
- Qualifications and experience in a relevant discipline.
The sort of person we look forat Q5
Highly adaptable and flexible in thinking style– We often find ourselves working across a variety of contexts and a ‘simple’ challenge turns out to be much more complex than it first appears. You need to be able to quickly join the dots together and develop a plan to move forward. You also need to be able to adapt that plan when it is not working.
Collaborative in working style– This is one of our key differentiators.It’snot about being the smartest person in the room but instead helping to bring different stakeholders together to create a solution that works for the business.There is a “we” not “I” mindset.
Genuinely care about your clients and colleaguesand help them to succeed– When Q5 was founded it was to be more than a typical, transactional consulting firm. We are genuine partners with our clients focused on their long-term success, which means we hire people who a wired to care, be empathetic and get joy from seeing others succeed.
Can build trusted relationships and bring people on the journey– One of the things our clients say about us is that we are able to bring people together and take them on the journey. This role will require building (and sustaining) people trust and engaging key people in the business to craft the right answer.
Resilient in the face of challenges, tighttimelinesand demanding clients– We continually strive to create a positive working environment, but the reality of our work is that it is hard and therefore not for everyone. The people who succeed at Q5 can work under the pressure without losing their sense of humour or care for others.
You get your hands dirty and step-up– We have a flat structure. If you enjoy getting stuck into a client’s challenge, pushing the team forward and solving problems with others you will thrive. We pride ourselves on developing our junior team members and creating supportive environments where people can bring their true selves to work (and in turn do their best work).We'refirm believers that everyone needs to roll up their sleeves to get the job done!
Unique and offers something special– Wedon’tdo cookie-cutter or formulaic and we need people who think differently, are intensely curious about solving our clients’ problems and stand-out from the crowd.
Benefits
Finance
- 401K Plan
- Basic Life Insurance and AD&D Plans
- WageWorks Commuter Benefits
- Discretionary Performance related bonus
Health & Wellbeing
- Health Insurance (Medical, Dental and Vision)
- Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Access to Health Advocate
- Internal Wellbeing Program
