Strategic Advisory Services Associate Director

Job description

The Team

KPMG's Infrastructure and Government Strategic Advisory Services team is looking for the right candidate for their London-based team. The team needs a diversity of talented individuals who have a passion for identifying, creating and delivering innovative solutions for public and private sector clients.

Our team works with government, arms length bodies and industry on the biggest, most complex and pressing strategic, operating model and programme implementation issues. We are currently working in sectors including Transport, Utilities, Environmental management and justice and security.

We get involved in many fascinating projects including developing new strategies for the implementation of government policy, designing operating models that underpin the delivery of critical public services, and helping to structure the relationships between government and industry. Our team is passionate and dedicated to the public benefits of our work for example in supporting local economic improvements and the realisation of the levelling up agenda, or in the delivery of major infrastructure providing benefits for decades to come. Typically the advice we provide can be categorised as:

• Policy, Regulatory, Strategy & Design (including Trend analysis and “Futures” scenario development, Futures Impact Assessments, and Policy development)
• Operating Model design and implementation
• Strategy and Service Design (including strategy development, Market analysis, commercialisation of government assets/companies); and
• Procurement and Commercial Strategy (including Market development & evaluation, and advising on the procurement and management of complex supplier relationships)

It is an exciting time to join the team, the work is varied, often high-profile and rewarding. We are working on some fascinating public issues including: Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) implications for the public sector and its partners; the future structure of the rail sector, the implications from the rise of electric and autonomous vehicles, and how to deliver some of the largest most complex infrastructure programmes in the UK.

The Role

To be an effective Associate Director, applicants will be expected to:

Lead engagements

• Have responsibility for managing a number of (potentially concurrent) engagements and teams. Lead the design and delivery of engagements (e.g. complex storyboarding, issue identification and overall problem-solving)
• Be comfortable handling ambiguity and changing client demands
• Complete and take responsibility for KPMG’s ‘Engagement Management’ procedures (e.g. managing scope within budget and timetable) 

Developing our people

• Lead diverse teams to bring a variety of perspectives and insights to clients and share experience across the team
• Inspire, motivate, coach and develop project team members and give constructive upwards feedback
• Performance manage junior colleagues, coaching and supporting their career development
• As part of the leadership team, contribute to the development of our team culture and ways of working

Building our business and proposition

• Build deep client relationships and be seen as the ‘go to’ person and a trusted adviser by senior executives
• Working as part of the leadership team to build and maintain a pipeline of business development opportunities which align with the team business plan
• Proactively develop thought leadership at both a strategic and industry level

The Person

Applicants will need to display the following:

• Experience of working with government and / or infrastructure clients and having a strong understanding of the issues facing the public sector
• Experience of leading complex strategy and/or operating model projects, in relevant sectors, with multi-disciplinary teams in a consulting or corporate environment (a strategy house, big 4 firm or central strategy / corporate development team of a large company / government)
• Comfortable building client relationships, identifying potential client engagements and sell-on opportunities
• Experience of leading and developing high performing and inclusive teams (e.g. taking a collaborative and transparent team approach, readily sharing knowledge with the team, working through silos and being respectful of others’ views and opinions) 
• Evidence of structured problem-solving and analytical capabilities
• Ability to evaluate complex challenges and deliver insightful recommendations that can be practically executed
• Ability to adapt quickly in changing circumstances, be an active learner and build innovative solutions 
• Strong numerical capabilities combined with sound commercial acumen
• Excellent English written and oral communication skills

We are happy to consider flexible working arrangements.