SEM/Principal

Cedar Management Consulting International; Dubai; On-site; AED 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Cedar Management Consulting International in Dubai seeks a SEM/Principal to lead end-to-end delivery of complex engagements in financial services. You will manage client relationships, mentor teams, and ensure high-quality outputs.

This senior role emphasizes delivery excellence, structured problem solving, and collaboration with Directors. GCC/Middle East exposure and an MBA are preferred; no business development required at this stage.

Qualifications

• 8–13 years of experience in management consulting, focused on financial services.
• Strong domain knowledge across banking, insurance, asset management or capital markets.
• Proven ability to manage senior client relationships and complex stakeholder environments.
• Demonstrated leadership of consulting teams and mentoring junior staff.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; executive-ready narratives.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of consulting engagements from initiation to client presentation.
• Mentor Engagement Managers, Consultants and Interns on active projects.
• Serve as primary day-to-day client contact with senior stakeholders.
• Structure workplans, manage timelines, and address delivery risks.
• Ensure high-quality client materials: presentations, reports, frameworks.
• Translate financial services challenges into actionable recommendations.
• Contribute to internal knowledge development and methodology refinement.
• Collaborate with Directors on engagement strategy.

Skills

Delivery leadership

Financial services

Client relationships

People leadership

Stakeholder management

Executive communication

Problem solving

Independent working

Education

MBA or postgraduate qualification

Job description

Cedar is a Forbes ranked global management consulting firm with a heritage closely associated with the founders of the Balanced Scorecard. Since 1985, Cedar's teams have been assisting clients in areas of strategy, process, strategic human capital, and technology, with a strong focus on the financial services sector. Cedar's group unit, IBS Intelligence (www.ibsintelligence.com), based in the UK, has been the definitive source for research, news-analysis and advisory specialised in Financial Technology markets for over 30 years. Cedar Hill Capital is an independent FinTech venture capital fund with a sharp lens on B2B FinTech and Financial Services-infrastructure companies. The Innovation Lab in Dubai and Mumbai brings banks and suppliers together with an opportunity to access the relevant Middle East and India market opportunity.

THE ROLE

The SEM/Principal is a senior delivery leader within Cedar's financial services practice. This role is focused on the execution and day-to-day management of consulting engagements — you will own the quality and pace of client work, lead internal teams, and serve as a trusted point of contact for client stakeholders. At this stage, there is no expectation of business development responsibility; the focus is entirely on outstanding delivery.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the end-to-end delivery of consulting engagements from project initiation through to final client presentation and close-out.
• Manage and mentor Engagement Managers, Consultants, and Interns on active projects, ensuring high standards of analytical rigour and professional output.
• Serve as the primary day-to-day client contact, building trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders across financial services organisations.
• Structure workplans, manage project timelines, and proactively identify and resolve delivery risks.
• Take ownership of the quality of all client-facing materials — presentations, reports, frameworks, and data outputs.
• Translate complex financial services challenges into clear problem statements and actionable recommendations.
• Contribute to internal knowledge development, methodology refinement, and the professional development of junior team members.
• Collaborate with Directors and the broader leadership team on engagement strategy and approach.

ABOUT YOU

• 8–13 years of experience in management consulting, with a strong track record of delivering complex, multi-workstream projects within financial services.
• Deep domain knowledge across at least one of: banking (retail, corporate, or investment), insurance, asset management, capital markets, or financial regulation.
• Proven ability to manage client relationships at a senior level and navigate complex stakeholder environments.
• Strong people leadership skills — experienced in managing and developing consulting teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to distil complex analysis into compelling, executive-ready narratives.
• Highly structured thinker with sharp problem-solving instincts and the ability to operate independently.
• Experience working in or with organisations in the GCC or broader Middle East is an advantage.
• MBA or relevant postgraduate qualification preferred; strong undergraduate academic record required.

WHAT WE OFFER

• The opportunity to work on high-impact engagements with leading financial services institutions across the Middle East.
• A senior, delivery-focused role with a clear path to Director.
• A collaborative, high-performance team culture with a flat hierarchy and strong emphasis on quality.
• Competitive compensation commensurate with experience.
• Dubai-based role with regional travel as required.