Senior Consultant Deputy Principal, Innovation and Consultancy Services

Senior Consultant Deputy Principal, Innovation and Consultancy Services

Thank you for your interest in the position of Senior Consultant, Innovation and Consultancy Services (ICS). ICS is the primary source of internal consultancy to Executive departments and their public bodies. We provide independent advice, insights and service improvement to help support the public sector to deliver better outcomes for our people. We operate on a hard-charging, full cost recovery basis and work out of the Department of Finance (DoF), although we operate independently from the department in the work we do.

Senior Consultants play a key role within ICS, managing the delivery of a variety of consulting activity across multiple projects for a wide range of public sector clients. The work you will be involved in is therefore hugely varied and interesting, spanning across the ICS service offer. The role requires someone who can work on key public sector challenges and bring ideas, insights and delivery to a diverse programme of work.

The ability to thrive within a fast-paced commercial client environment is vital. This is an exciting opportunity to support the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) as it embarks on a major programme of transformation and improvement. You will have the scope to get involved in a diverse range of strategically important areas and have a real impact on public services.

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates. I hope that this pack meets your information needs and encourages you to apply.

• To effectively project manage the successful delivery of a portfolio of client consultancy projects within agreed Terms of Reference, timescales and on budget.
• To proactively drive forward projects and manage teams and relationships with clients, providing quality assurance that outputs are produced to a high ‘client-ready’ standard.
• To diagnose client problems and take the lead on defining project scope and developing project proposals for potential clients that match their requirements.
• To contribute to the delivery of projects as part of a team, based on the need for relevant knowledge, expertise and skills as required. To undertake staff management responsibilities as required.
• To lead on and contribute to corporate development activities.

• Applicants must, by the closing date for applications, be able to demonstrate that they have the following:
• A minimum of 2 years relevant experience of effectively managing consultancy projects for clients within a management consultancy, research, service improvement, or business improvement environment.
• Relevant experience should include evidence in line with the key responsibilities outlined earlier in this CIB. Clients is defined as an organisation outside your own direct business area.
• AT LEAST a minimum of 2 years’ experience of developing and maintaining positive, collaborative relationships and demonstrable experience of effective engagement with a diverse range of internal and/or external stakeholders to support the successful delivery of organisational objectives.
• AT LEAST a minimum of 2 years in total, direct experience in any 2 of the following service areas. Please refer to the ICS Services Brochure for further information on each of these service areas.
• AT LEAST a minimum of 2 years’ direct experience of operating in an income‑generating consultancy environment.
• Income‑generating consultancy environment is defined as providing services to clients on a paid basis, where staff are expected to actively deliver chargeable work that generates revenue for the organisation.
• In addition, applicants should be aware that after an eligibility sift, should it be necessary to shortlist candidates to go forward to the next stage of selection, the following shortlisting criteria will be used:
  The Panel will carry out an objective evaluation of the depth and breadth of the information provided by candidates in response to eligibility criterion 1.

Location:

Clare House, 303 Airport Road West, Belfast, BT3 9ED
. NICS Application form only, Final date to receive applications Friday 6th March 2026 at 12 noon. Applications from Protestants, young people (people under the age of 35), people with a disability and people from minority ethnic communities are particularly welcomed for this post. The Northern Ireland Civil Service is an Equal Opportunities Employer. All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit.

Visit the recruitment service website  (Please quote reference number: IRC
321167)