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THE ROLE
WittKieffer seeks an experienced leader who fosters strong relationships, leveraging a strategic vision and process driven approach to support the firm's operating model while serving as a key conduit to the overall success of the global enterprise. The Search Business Operations Consultant (SBO) will be a collaborative and process-oriented leader and is expected to advance the Search Solution’s priorities. The SBO will assist in evolving the firm's way of working to enhance performance and promote engaging work experience, while also ensuring excellence in client delivery and candidate experience.
The Search Business Operations Consultant is a pivotal role and will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of WittKieffer’s search operations. The SBO will play a coordinating role for the firm while also being responsible for analyzing current business processes, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing strategic solutions to optimize performance. The SBO's expertise will help drive operational excellence, reduce costs, and improve overall productivity.
The SBO will directly collaborate with the Search Solution Leadership Team, Enterprise Services, and Market Leaders, and will report to the Search Solution Leader.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Serve as the subject matter expert on the search process for firm.
In the interest of developing credibility with the team and in order to assist in driving efficiency and effectiveness on how search is delivered to clients, demonstrate detailed understanding of the search process as practiced across the markets, the Search Solution (by groupings of Associates, Research, ESC/As), and other areas of the firm. Serve as an escalated point of contact on questions regarding search operational processes, including the application of compliance procedures.
Develop, maintain, and analyze data on client and candidate needs, identifying new opportunities and efficiencies while balancing valid market differences and process pain points. Work with appropriate parties to prioritize areas of opportunity and make recommendations for improvement.
Serve as the primary point of contact for enterprise services for impacts to search process due to changes in technology, compliance requirements, internal business processes, and other drivers. Find the win-win solution between parties. This includes but not limited to assisting in the ongoing implementation of a new CRM ("PRISM"), ensuring inbound client and candidate requests are managed appropriately, and helping with reporting and data needs.
Proactively drive enterprise and Search Solution initiatives forward while serving as the primary project manager from start to finish. Assists in tracking action items and navigating required follow-up, as well as all necessary communication to those involved or impacted.
Helps to calendar Search Solution-related events across the fiscal year.
Maintain up to date documentation on search processes, including policy/procedure documents, and ensure access to those who practice search.
Partner with internal communications; develop routine methods to communicate updates to search processes.
In partnership with other Search Solution leaders, develop search delivery operational measurements and/or help incorporate them in day-to-day decision-making within the solution and within the markets as appropriate.
Design and maintain team-based metrics to determine areas of opportunity. This includes booking/billing credits against staffing models, resource allocation vs. anticipated revenue, appropriate support ratios, and/or other areas of opportunity based upon comparable organizations and in line with WittKieffer's strategic priorities.
Help leaders understand the "cost to serve" and recommend capacity and project staffing decisions as a part of the overall Search Solution strategy that balance delivering high quality work at a reasonable margin.
Review consistent themes in client and candidate CX data, prioritize based on impact, and develop solutions to improve outcomes and assist in finding ways to celebrate exceptional service scores.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Education and Experience:
A master's degree of business administration or related field is highly preferred; a bachelor's degree required, with a preferred concentration in management, operations, administration, or another related field.
Experience in re-engineering work processes and leading initiatives from start to finish.
Experience providing internal client support.
Demonstrated success in implementing and facilitating small and large-scale improvements and changes in complex and diverse environments.
Experience in supporting and contributing to the implementation of technologies to advance business priorities and projects.
Previous use of both quantitative and qualitative data inputs to understand current state and make recommendations for future state.
Experience working across all levels of the organization from the front-line to the C-suite is preferred.
Skills and Strengths:
Strategic and visionary mindset.
Strong leadership and motivational skills and ability to develop leadership qualities in others.
Excellent project management skills with an ability to prioritize and drive projects to completion.
Excellent oral and written communication skills are required.
Must have strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated poise, tact, and diplomacy.
Must be able to handle sensitive and confidential information.
Must have good organizational skills as well as analytical and interpretive skills.
Must have the ability to work in a team environment.
Must be flexible, resilient, and able to keep focus in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment.
Exceptional customer service skills: experience in professional services firm is preferred.
Proven ability to learn and navigate new software tools and applications; proficient with Microsoft 365
A "can-do" attitude and willingness to perform a wide variety of tasks required to meet the daily demands of the business.
CRITICAL COMPETENCIES
Possess Solution Creation and Innovative Capabilities
The leader creates new and better ways for the firm to be successful by:
Curating, sharing, implementing, and measuring new and useful ideas across the Search Solution.
Soliciting input from others to develop and implement creative ideas.
Actively exploring multiple alternatives and approaches to overcome obstacles and find solutions to continuous improvement.
Lead with an Enterprise Perspective
The leader demonstrates a perspective that encompasses the enterprise as a whole by:
Learning and/or demonstrating growing knowledge of different markets and solutions and shared service functions, including the goals, metrics, incentives, interconnectivity, and deliverables of these other areas.
Representing the perspective of the firm and solution as their own.
Working to increase understanding and alignment in the face of challenges and skepticism.
Focus Others on the Client
The leader will focus the organization on discovering and meeting the clients' expressed and un-served needs with the highest level of quality service through:
Focusing people on understanding clients' current needs.
Adding value, personally or through others, by addressing the areas that matter most to the client.
Being a "player coach” that models client centricity.
Supporting changes to client best practices, systems, and processes as new and innovative ideas and ways of working are identified, tested, and implemented.
Empower with Accountability
The leader enables and holds themselves, team, and others accountable by:
Directing the team while enabling others to act with purpose and holding them accountable.
Defining criteria for success and works with the team, collectively and individually, to achieve success.
Setting the general direction and the limits in which others can operate.
Elevating team members, as appropriate, to new opportunities to increase visibility and individual growth.
Impact and Influence
The leader utilizes multiple influence strategies to:
Create trusted individual partnerships with key stakeholders and leaders across the organization.
Gain alignment of best-in-class client and candidate service with leaders to ensure thoughtful execution.
Adapts communication style, messages, and/or presentation to the audience.
Instill Trust
The leader is a role model for honesty, integrity, and authenticity by:
Gaining the confidence and trust of others.
Displaying consistency between words and actions.
Being honest and direct in dealing with people.
Honoring agreements and commitments.
Acting in the best interests of others and the organization
Consistently being truthful and appropriately transparent, and fostering a sense of trust in the organization and its leadership.
Collaborates and Build an Environment of Collaboration
The leader will build partnerships and work collaboratively by:
Proactively soliciting input from others and acting on insights gained.
Continually broadening and considering who can best support a client, project, or challenge.
Sharing information with others so there are no surprises and involving others as appropriate to accomplish shared goals and objectives.
Encouraging unity and involving others in making decisions.
Witt/Kieffer Inc. ("Witt/Kieffer") provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. WittKieffer will recruit, employ, train, promote and compensate our employees without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, citizenship, gender, pregnancy, military status, age, marital status, sexual orientation, sexual identify, disability or any other personal characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law. WittKieffer will endeavor to make reasonable accommodation, as required by law, for qualified individuals with known disabilities or religious practices unless doing so would result in an undue hardship on the operation of our business.
