Role purpose The role of the Principal Consultant is dynamic and multifaceted, entailing Practice team leadership, client retention and growth of the organisation. This role is also responsible for leading the successful execution of client projects in alignment with business objectives. This role requires high degrees of leadership capability, authority, responsibility, and autonomy. Principal Consultants are required to provide strategic direction and leadership within their client portfolios, creating deep, authentic partnerships with Inkling’s clients. Core area of Responsibility & Deliverables Business leadership and strategy (10% of role)
• Contribute to development of the Inkling strategy and operational management to drive business OKRs
• Connect with team and contribute to Team Days, Development Days, connection activities
• Support the implementation of Practice Group OKRs, including how these are rolled out to the individual level (in alignment to Inkling strategy and OKRs)
• Foster a culture of growth, adaptability, innovation, delivery excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Support the regular reporting of client delivery performance metrics and participate in monthly reporting to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT)
• Optimise resource allocation, considering revenue targets, client needs, team expertise, capacity and development goals
• Identify and mitigate potential project risks, escalating critical issues to the Managing Director as needed Program and Project delivery (60% of role)
• Provide strategic consultancy advice to clients to design and deliver projects that drive desired business outcomes
• Lead the delivery of new, large scale, complex projects that have not yet been standardised at Inkling
• Lead people and projects in a matrixed environment to deliver high quality outcomes within budget
• Identify opportunities to deliver programs / projects more efficiently and support the implementation of these changes across the Client Delivery team
• Support in the upskill and coaching of the Inkling Client Delivery team on programs in best practice methods
• Lead the delivery of projects in line with best-practice approaches, Inkling processes and expected timeframes to ensure we deliver outstanding outcomes and exceed client expectations while balancing Inkling’s business needs
• Develop and oversee the development of current IP as necessary for relevant projects you are leading
• Lead project teams to establish a strong and trusted relationships with all client stakeholders Building new Practice IP (10% of role)
• Leading the evolution of our established offerings, develop emerging offerings, design brand new offerings and retire or pause offerings, in line with Inkling's strategic direction and commercial acumen
• Leading the development of thought leadership to keep us on the forefront of innovation in our areas of expertise, and to maximise the value of Inkling’s IP
• Ensure new products are templated in line with Inkling standards and best practice
• Ensure products are refreshed and updated in line with best practice and evidence-based research and is aligned to our strategy
• Ideate new solutions and services and evolve existing solutions and services based on client-initiated opportunities, insights and feedback from Client Solutions and Client Delivery, competitor research, industry trends and thought leadership research Business Development (20% of role) Execute on the Client Delivery OKRs related to client management, including:




• Achieve an annual sales target (a combination of mostly retaining existing clients, and some new business)
• Co-lead the Client Success squad to drive revenue growth and achieve sales targets within the Leadership Practice
• Provide guidance, coaching, and support to ensure the success of Practice Group team members with a responsibility for Client Management
• Identify business opportunities, cultivate client relationships, and participate in key sales activities, including discovery meetings, pitch presentations and contract closures
• Proactively identifying opportunities for additional value creation and upselling to existing clients, driving customer retention and revenue growth
• Promote Inkling’s thought leadership through leading client events / roundtables/keynote speaking opportunities and online presence
• Provide expertise and insights on project scoping, feasibility, and delivery timelines to support solutioning conversations with clients
• Look for opportunities to grow clients, including across areas of expertise and bring in relevant Practice Group team members to support this
• Look for and lead new opportunities to win work with new clients, especially where retention targets might not be met Develop myself and others (people leader) (5% of role)
• Ensure timely feedback is provided to all people you lead and work with across the business
• Ensure a consistent and adequate level of capability to deliver products in your practice group, including overseeing upskilling of the team as needed Admin (5% of role)
• Regular completion of timesheets to support functional reporting
• Individual workflow planning
• Balcony time About You
• You are strategic, solutions-focused and a creative problem-solver
• You are an excellent leader of people and business outcomes and are always looking for the win, win win to balance business, client and team needs
• You build trusted, long-term relationships with clients, beyond partnering with clients on project delivery work. You care about understanding what’s important to our clients and delivering to their expectations.
• You are organised and enjoy the process of creating a plan of action and executing against it with a sense of urgency, and an ability to work quickly under pressure to get results.
• You are a fast learner
- quick to pick up new platforms and technologies Qualifications/experience
• Essential: 10+ year’s experience in development and delivery of leadership, talent and culture programs in a corporate environment
• Essential: Experience in leading a team and business outcomes in a consulting environment
• Essential: Proven track record in client management and client retention in revenue
• Essential: Someone with experience in business management and/or commercial acumen
• Preferred: Someone who is passionate about the business we are in (D&I;, leadership, professional wellbeing)
• Preferred: Someone who is passionate about business management and leadership
• Preferred: Tertiary qualification in Pschology or equivalent Other essential criteria




• Quiet and safe home working space with reliable and secure internet connection to enable remote working.
• Willingness and ability to commute to and work from Sydney or Melbourne city office minimum 1-2 days per fortnight. Culture add We are high performing business with a courageous culture. All team members make decisions in line with our values and behaviours. Growth
- Be brave: We believe you need to lean into discomfort to grow and evolve.
• We provide ongoing feedback to colleagues on strengths and opportunities for improvement
• We commit to regular 1:1s
• We conduct Chat and Grow conversations twice a year
• We welcome and ask for 360 feedback formally and informally
• We take individual PD that clearly demonstrates growth and supports Inkling’s strategy
•

We offer
in-house coaching to our team from our coaches
• We run weekly learning sessions
• We take initiative and help Inkling grow in line with our strategy
• We have courageous conversations
• We operate from a growth mindset during times of uncertainty, change and difficulty Authenticity
- Be Real: We believe in taking off the armour to build trust and meaningful connection with others.
• We say what needs to be said, when it needs to be said
• We call each other out when we are not being authentic
• We are open and curious about opinions that are different from our own
• We contribute our ideas and opinions and seek them from others
• We welcome healthy conflict but never intimidate or talk others down for their views
• We address any concerns about ethics and integrity promptly and with professionalism
• We will not tolerate back channelling or talking about others in a non-constructive way
• We will not tolerate dishonesty or lack of integrity and it will be discussed and addressed immediately
• We ask for help when we need it Connection
- Be Open: We believe in being present, curious, and open to establish deep connections with yourself and others.
• We make the effort to connect with our colleagues and clients to see how they are doing (including outside of work-related issues)
• We take responsibility for our own self-care so we can be the best version of ourselves for others
• We are curious, constructive and caring in our communication
•

We offer
a quarterly team connection fund to support deep and genuine connection
• We come together as a group once a month to connect with each other and the business priorities
• We encourage our colleagues
• We show care for each other
• We do not tolerate passive aggressive communication, shaming or blaming others
• We take responsibility for knowing and communicating our own needs and acknowledge resentment is borne out of not speaking our truth Ownership
- Be Accountable: We believe in taking ownership for our own learning, energy, and actions.
• We honour our individual commitments to our colleagues, our clients and to Inkling
• We use our own (and others’) time thoughtfully and respectfully
• We take responsibility for our individual actions, decisions and deliverables and our own mistakes
• We hold each other accountable to agreed commitments, standards and behaviours
• We take responsibility for our individual energy that we bring to work
• We behave in respectful and honourable ways towards our colleagues and clients
• We respect Inkling’s time and resources
• We regularly report our priorities and how we are tracking
• We are clear on our strategy, plan and individual priorities and ask when we are not sure

📌 Principal Consultant (Sydney)
🏢 Inkling Group
📍 Sydney