Job Description:
Our not-for-profit clients operate in increasingly complex environments where mission priorities, stakeholder expectations, workforce challenges, financial sustainability, technology and operational demands intersect. They rely on trusted advisors who understand both the distinctive dynamics of mission-driven organizations and the disciplines required to translate strategy into sustainable organizational performance.
Baker Tilly's Strategy, People & Operations professionals help organizations define where they need to go and build the organizational capabilities needed to get there. We advise executive teams and boards on organizational strategy and transformation, bringing together considerations spanning organizational effectiveness, operating models, people and change, financial and operational performance, governance, process improvement, technology enablement and implementation.
As a Consulting Principal in Baker Tilly's Strategy, People & Operations practice, you will serve as a senior, market-facing leader within Baker Tilly's not-for-profit advisory practice. You will develop trusted executive relationships, originate and expand client opportunities, and lead complex advisory engagements that help mission-driven organizations strengthen performance, sustainability and impact.
The Principal will bring broad-based consulting expertise, with depth in one or more areas of Strategy, People & Operations and the ability to integrate specialists and capabilities from across Baker Tilly. You will also play a leadership role in expanding Baker Tilly's not-for-profit consulting capabilities, developing relevant solutions, growing key client relationships, mentoring high-performing professionals and strengthening the firm's position in the market.
Responsibilities
Client and Market Leadership
• Develop and maintain trusted relationships with not-for-profit CEOs, CFOs, COOs, CHROs, other senior executives and, where appropriate, boards.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leaders navigating complex organizational, operational, people, financial and transformation challenges.
• Develop a portfolio of executive relationships and key accounts, identifying opportunities to expand Baker Tilly's impact across the client organization.
• Develop and execute market and account strategies that expand Baker Tilly's advisory presence within the not-for-profit sector.
• Identify, originate, qualify and advance new consulting opportunities through existing relationships, prospective clients, industry networks and collaboration across the firm.
• Lead strategic pursuits, solution development, proposals, presentations and executive conversations for significant consulting opportunities.
• Partner with industry, geographic, service line, marketing and other firm leaders to bring integrated Baker Tilly solutions to clients and the marketplace.
• Build market visibility through industry relationships, executive forums, conferences, publications, presentations and other thought-leadership activities.
• Maintain an informed perspective on emerging not-for-profit sector trends and translate market insight into relevant advisory solutions and new service opportunities.
Strategy, People & Operations Advisory
• Shape and lead complex advisory engagements spanning organizational strategy, people, operations and transformation from assessment and strategy through implementation.
• Advise executive teams on strategic planning and execution, organizational priorities, growth and sustainability, program and service portfolios, resource allocation, governance and performance.
• Design and evaluate organizational and operating models, including organizational structures, roles and responsibilities, decision rights, functional alignment, staffing and capacity considerations, and opportunities to strengthen organizational effectiveness.
• Advise organizations on leadership alignment, workforce capabilities, organizational culture, employee experience, succession considerations and readiness for change as components of broader organizational transformation.
• Guide organizational and operational assessments that evaluate the interaction of people, processes, systems, organizational structure, financial resources and performance.
• Advise clients on operational and functional transformation, including process improvement, performance improvement, cost and resource management, scalability, service delivery and technology enablement.
• Help leadership teams strengthen financial sustainability and align resources, investments and organizational capacity with strategic and mission priorities.
• Shape future-state visions, transformation road maps, implementation approaches, performance measures and governance structures that enable recommendations to translate into sustainable results.
• Guide organizations through significant change by building leadership alignment, engaging key stakeholders, addressing implementation barriers and maintaining momentum.
• Apply leading practices thoughtfully within the context of not-for-profit missions, governance structures, stakeholder environments, funding models and resource realities.
Not-for-Profit Sector Leadership
• Apply a sophisticated understanding of the strategic and operating environment facing not-for-profit and mission-driven organizations to help clients balance mission impact with organizational capacity, financial sustainability, operational effectiveness and responsible stewardship of resources.
• Navigate complex stakeholder environments involving boards, executives, employees, members, donors, funders, volunteers, communities and other constituencies.
• Build relationships across the not-for-profit community and contribute to Baker Tilly's reputation as a trusted advisor to the sector.
Engagement and Practice Leadership
• Provide executive oversight for significant Strategy, People & Operations engagements and maintain accountability for quality, client experience, financial performance, risk management and intended outcomes.
• Shape engagement strategies, methodologies and multidisciplinary teams appropriate to the client's objectives and circumstances.
• Maintain strong executive communication and proactively address emerging risks, changes in scope, stakeholder concerns and implementation barriers.
• Ensure recommendations are practical, actionable and responsive to the organization's mission, capabilities and operating environment.
• Draw upon specialists and capabilities from across Baker Tilly to deliver integrated solutions to complex client challenges.
• Contribute to the strategy, growth and continued development of Baker Tilly's not-for-profit Strategy, People & Operations capabilities.
• Recruit, mentor, coach and develop consulting professionals and foster a collaborative, entrepreneurial and high-performing team environment.
• Develop methodologies, frameworks, tools, intellectual capital and market-facing content that strengthen the practice and support sustainable growth.
• Model strong stewardship by balancing commercial and client outcomes with the long-term development of people, relationships and firm capabilities.
Qualifications
Successful candidates will have:
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; an advanced degree is preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive professional experience, including substantial experience in management consulting, professional services or a comparable advisory environment.
• Meaningful experience working with or advising not-for-profit and mission-driven organizations.
• Experience building, scaling or leading a consulting capability, practice or market offering is preferred.
• Demonstrated success developing trusted relationships with senior executives and advising leadership teams on complex organizational issues.
• Proven experience identifying, originating and expanding consulting opportunities and client relationships.
• Broad experience across multiple areas of organizational strategy, organizational effectiveness, operating models, transformation, financial and operational improvement, people and change, or related disciplines, with demonstrated depth in one or more areas.
• Ability to understand organizations holistically and connect strategy with organizational structure, people, processes, technology, financial resources and execution.
• Experience leading complex, multidisciplinary consulting engagements and teams from strategy and assessment through implementation.
• Strong business and financial acumen, including the ability to evaluate organizational performance, resource allocation, sustainability, engagement economics and investment tradeoffs.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to practice growth through market development, solution development, thought leadership, team development or related practice-building activities.
• Strong executive presence and exceptional written, verbal, presentation, facilitation and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop professionals and collaborate effectively across organizational and functional boundaries.
• An entrepreneurial and growth-oriented mindset combined with sound judgment, intellectual curiosity, integrity and a commitment to meaningful client outcomes.
• Ability to travel to client sites, firm meetings and industry events as needed.
