Senior Principal & Project Leader, Management Consulting (Secret Clearance Required)

Description

The Clearing is a management consulting firm that helps leaders identify underlying causes of organizational obstacles, resolve highly complex challenges, prioritize the fewest, most important initiatives to tackle regardless of conflicting needs, and make informed decisions in the context of an agreed-upon mission, vision, and strategy. We help create peak-performance organizations through strategy, organizational development, leadership training, and change management. Our experienced consultants bring a powerful blend of analytic and creative skills from diverse fields, including change management, finance, engineering, communications, education, policy, design, and corporate leadership. 

Position Description

The Clearing is seeking a Project Leader at the Senior Principal Consultant level to manage and support a client engagement/project within the Department of War. Qualified candidates must have a DoD Secret-level U.S. security clearance (or one that’s been active within the past two years) and be willing to work on-site at the client location in Alexandria, VA, approximately three times a week.

Senior Principals support project teams by providing mentorship and guidance and advising teams on navigating complex political and organizational dynamics. They mentor, train, and develop junior team members, contributing to a culture of learning that drives individual and organizational growth and performance. Senior Principals own overall accountability for multiple projects or a larger account, including designing and implementing account strategies, profitable growth, overarching delivery quality, client experience and satisfaction, and team effectiveness.

Senior Principals leverage their network to develop new leads, lead net new business growth, and are key contributors to the company’s financial growth. Senior Principals are leaders within the company and are expected to contribute to the positive experience of peers and staff. Senior Principals regularly identify and qualify leads and coach others in the end-to-end business development cycle. They participate in marketing and networking efforts to share TC’s value proposition and build brand awareness. Senior Principals are skilled in navigating contracts and/or the federal procurement process and help others identify and evaluate contract options and preferences.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and manage a complex, medium-to-large-sized project.
• Set and manage client expectations; take ownership of project outcomes, align work with client goals, offer strategic guidance, and build trust-based client relationships.
• Oversee project financials, ensuring project financial targets are met or exceeded; guide team members managing task-level budgets to support company profitability.
• Develop and manage short- and long-term project plans that align with client needs, account sustainment, and paths for multi-year account growth in support of annual and long-term strategic goals 
• Produce high-quality, client-facing deliverables, applying attention to detail, strong written communication, and project quality standards; provide content review and feedback using past experiences, expertise, and understanding of client environment to guide teammates. 
• Facilitate moderate- to high-complexity client meetings, effectively guiding discussions to achieve desired client and project outcomes.
• Navigate challenging team or client dynamics, driving teams toward high performance by managing risk, adapting to change, and making critical course corrections.
• Provide clear team direction and accountability, establishing performance standards, supporting goal setting, and actively managing team performance.
• Lead high-impact proposals, serving as lead writer or proposal manager while mentoring junior staff in capture strategy and proposal development.
• Drive market visibility, producing external-facing thought leadership (e.g., blogs, one-pagers) and engaging in strategic industry events.
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships to foster mutual growth and expansion for all involved parties, reaching new markets, expanding customer bases, and/or diversifying product/service offerings
• Lead and support business growth efforts, generating and closing new business opportunities while managing the full capture, proposal, and contracting lifecycle.
• Advance The Clearing’s methodologies and solutions, continuously improving offerings and developing scalable, high-demand solution packages across delivery, marketing, and sales.
• Mentor, train, and develop staff on our consulting methodology and project work
• Lead the development and delivery of Learning & Development or training sessions to sharpen current skills, build new skills, and close skill gaps across consulting teams

Compensation

The projected salary range for this position is between $131,000 and $190,000 annually. Actual compensation and starting salaries are determined by various factors, including the candidate's education, experience, knowledge, skills, certifications, clearance level, and internal equity. Once at The Clearing, movement through pay bands is based on performance. Base annual salary is just one component of The Clearing’s total compensation philosophy and approach. Employees are eligible to participate in The Clearing's robust benefits programs, including our incentive compensation (bonus) programs. Please refer to our Careers Page online for a complete list of benefits.

Requirements

• Active DoD Secret Clearance (or active within the past two years)
• Bachelor’s degree 
• 12+ years of professional work experience
  • 10+ years managing large-scale consulting projects and change management initiatives and/or client relationships
  • 5+ years managing people/teams
• Proven track record of capturing and managing net new leads or growing business with current clients
• Proficiency in change strategy, strategic planning, organizational design, leadership development, and/or IT transformation
• Strong group facilitation skills with the ability to achieve desired outcomes when there are high-stakes and high-complexity
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with demonstrated attention to detail, organization, and time management
• Exceptional communication skills, including strong business writing and verbal communication
• Flexible, adaptive mindset with the ability to thrive in fast-paced, high-stakes, and often ambiguous client environments.
• Must be legally eligible to work in the United States, now and in the future, without the need for company (The Clearing) visa sponsorship now or in the future 
• Ability to work onsite in Alexandria, Virginia approximately three times a week
• Desired skills, experiences, and certifications: 
  • Change management, strategic planning, program management, and/or organizational design experience
  • Strategic communications
  • PMP and/or Change Management certification (ex.: Prosci)

Physical and Mental Requirements

While performing duties of this job, an employee may be required to perform any, or all of the following: attend meetings in and out of the office, travel (sometimes extensively); occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand; communicate effectively (both orally and in writing); ability to effectively use computers and other electronic and standard office equipment; and occasionally exerting up to 10 pounds to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Work is primarily sedentary and involves sitting for several hours at a time. Occasionally, walking, climbing stairs, and standing occur in this role. Additionally, this job requires certain mental demands, including the ability to exercise judgment, withstand moderate stress, and maintain attention to detail. The Clearing is committed to partnering with all candidates and employees to ensure reasonable accommodations are made to meet these requirements. 

EEO

The Clearing is an Equal Opportunity Employer.