Principal Consultant - all markets

The business 

We’re an AI-native, human-led business built to help clients reimagine, reinvent, and lead their markets into the AI era. We bring the imagination, intellect and market insight, execution smarts, and adaptive approach to collaboration required to help leaders deliver real change. 

We work with clients in four closely interdependent markets: central Government, including departments, agencies, and strategic, commercial suppliers; health and care, including national bodies, trusts, place-based partners, and commercial and digital suppliers; education, including national bodies, awarding organisations, and front-line institutions; and, the FTSE - principally leveraging our expertise in AI and associated capability building. 

Through A WORKS we collaborate with thought leaders, innovators, and AI-specialist developers to build products and solutions which tackle the biggest problems we see in the markets we support – setting aside the consulting commercial model to work in whatever ways best solve the problem.

For example, through Project Shybird, we recently launched a suite of tools which innovate the education value chain to bring deeply researched, high-quality qualifications and learning programmes to market at pace; create and support deeply personalised learning experiences; and close the loop with deep insight.

The role 

We're always keen to hear from colleagues who could drive growth, and client outcomes, in the markets we serve.  We're particularly interested to talk to colleagues with expertise, networks, and the ability to generate revenue in:

• Digital - from strategy and transformation, through product innovation.


• Education - including schools, TVET, apprenticeships, and higher education.


• Health and care - including national bodies, place-based partners, and Trusts.


• Central Government - supporting commissoning and delivery of major programmes.


• Strategic suppliers to Government - supporting the pursuit and mobilisation of major deals.


• Learning and development - including the definition and delivery of exec-ed level programmes.

Our cadre of principal consultants lead our go-to-market efforts in agreed markets or market segments, reporting to our growth director, Cliff Graham - and working with our comms and engagement director, Caroline Rae.  They have quantified revenue generation targets, whilst working in a collegiate manner to realise our strategic goals.

They also oversee and lead delivery of client engagements, working to our delivery director - who joins us from a senior position in Whitehall later this summer.  They're accountable for compliant, timely, commercially successful delivery of the engagements they lead, end-to-end.

Principal consultants are also leaders in our business - advising our senior management team and board on strategic and investment decisions; providing the insight and ideas we need to drive A Works' product innovation funnel; and operating as role models, mentors, and managers for more junior colleagues.

These roles include very clear growth and progression opportunities.  As we grow consulting and product revenues in each of our markets, we create more, and more senior roles in them - and fully expect that the colleagues who drive that growth will fill those roles, bringing talented colleagues up with them through the organisation.

Person specification 

High levels of ambition, energy and resilience, consistent with the firm’s plans for growth.

Experience leading the delivery of sophisticated pieces of work at pace, and to exacting standards.

Experience leading successful go-to-market efforts, including the crystallisation of revenue outcomes.

Strong communication and presentation skills, internally and externally, at all organisational levels.

Enjoyment working in an entrepreneurial, commercial, high-performance environment. 

High levels of precision and presentational pride across all your work. 

Working location 

At least two days per week in the firm’s Farringdon office.  

Package 

Basic salary of £100k - £130k. 

Up to 20% bonus based on firm and individual performance.  

Structured route to growth equity for those who demonstrate real value.

27 days’ annual leave (excl. bank holidays), rising to 30 based on performance.    

Private medical and dental insurance.   

4% pension contributions.