Senior Consultant, Degreed Apprenticeship

Senior Consultant, Degreed Apprenticeship

The Senior Consultant, Degreed Apprenticeship is a key member of our growing Consulting team, reporting directly to the Vice President of Consulting. This role blends strategic advisory excellence with hands-on program innovation. The Senior Consultant is responsible for leading high-impact consulting engagements focused on designing, implementing, evaluating, and scaling modern apprenticeship programs, higher education systems, and workforce training models across the United States.

Acting as both a lead strategist and a systems innovator, this role will guide diverse clients—including educational institutions, state and local workforce boards, industry associations, and employers—to design operational models, navigate policy, and build sustainable, scalable degreed apprenticeship pathways. This person is able to bridge systems strategy and program innovation while acting as both a project lead and/ or a senior subject matter expert.

This role educates, equips, empowers, and accelerates apprenticeship practitioners through consulting, while also managing and mentoring other consulting staff to expand Career Wise's national mission.

1. Project Leadership & Delivery

• Lead and manage multiple consulting projects simultaneously from initiation to completion, ensuring deliverables meet high-quality standards, client expectations, and project timelines/budgets.
• Develop detailed project plans, grant management structures, and resource allocation strategies for assigned engagements.
• Identify potential project risks and proactively develop creative mitigation strategies to navigate complex institutional constraints.
• Develop compelling and actionable client deliverables, including strategic plans, operational implementation guides, and final reports.

2. Degreed Apprenticeship Pathway Innovation & Expertise

• Apply deep expertise in U.S. apprenticeship programs, higher education systems, K-12 pipelines, and employer talent development to architect modern pathways.
• Design and pilot innovative apprenticeship pathways in high-growth, high-demand fields (e.g., education, healthcare, tech, business, finance, and manufacturing) ensuring integrated business and staffing alignment.
• Act as a barrier-breaker by proposing creative solutions to systemic challenges like licensure, entry requirements, age restrictions, and credit-transfer alignment.
• Stay abreast of emerging trends, policy changes, funding opportunities, and research in workforce development and higher education systems.
• Contribute to the development of new consulting methodologies, tools, and intellectual capital related to Career Wise's core service areas.

3. Client Relationship Management & Business Development

• Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with clients, acting as a primary point of contact for assigned projects.
• Understand client needs, challenges, and objectives thoroughly to tailor user-centric solutions effectively.
• Proactively identify opportunities for additional support or follow-up engagements with existing clients to build, maintain, and convert an active pipeline of projects relevant to the Career Wise mission.
• Serve as a public-facing ambassador and skilled storyteller for Career Wise, representing the organization at relevant industry events, conferences, and networking functions.
• Confidently engage in public speaking with diverse audiences, from educators and policymakers to industry leaders and students.

4. Coalition Building & Collaboration

• Partner across internal Career Wise teams (such as IT, marketing, and operations) to share expertise and document learnings to strengthen the model.
• Build and orchestrate cross-sector partnerships with community organizations, industry leaders, school districts, higher education institutions, chambers, unions, and government partners.
• Align regional and local initiatives with state offices, national partners, and overarching policy frameworks.

5. Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Lead, inspire, and mentor a team of consultants and pathway experts rooted in boldness, creativity, integrity, and collaboration.
• Provide clear guidance, supervision,…