What Does a Senior Managing Consultant Do?

A senior managing consultant works for independent clients on short-term projects or to advise them about how to improve their processes. Usually self-employed, the consultant’s duties might include overseeing the work of other consultants as well as employees of the clients. A typical senior managing consultant job could be to take responsibility for the planning, execution and management of a project in which staff members and other consultants investigate the economies of scale of an operation, identify areas for improvement and provide recommendations for implementing the solution.

Businesses frequently hire senior managing consultants to identify specific problems, recommend and implement solutions based on their field of expertise and manage the process after implementation until the problem has been resolved. The type of issues that businesses commonly allocate to consultants include e-commerce, marketing and communications, organizational development and change management during times of layoffs or restructuring. Other areas of concern for a senior managing consultant include strategic planning, project management, operational efficiencies and worker productivity.

The client might provide a senior managing consultant job description. This document outlines the tasks that the consultant is expected to perform, or the consultant might need to present a report and proposal based on his or her preliminary findings. Often, the company hiring the consultant does not have the knowledge or the resources to address the issues that it faces and prefers to hire an expert to do so.

A senior managing consultant typically charges a fixed hourly rate for his or her services. In addition, the consultant might earn a bonus for finalizing the project on time and within the budget. This bonus typically is specified in the contract that the client signs. Occasionally, a senior managing consultant will charge his client a project fee, which includes reimbursement for all expenses related to the project.

The requirements for a senior managing consultant position include a relevant degree, experience in handling consulting work for clients and specialization in a field in which he or she has experience and knowledge. A college degree in business, accounting, economics, computer science or human resource management is useful. Professional certification in his field of expertise helps to provide credibility. The senior managing consultant needs to be able to research and analyze individual situations that the client faces, write reports and conduct presentations. To perform these tasks, he or she needs analytical skills, excellent communication skills, time management skills and creativity.