Principal Strategy & Advisory Consultant

Version 1; Birmingham; Remote; GBP 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit sharing

Career development

Flexible/remote working

Private healthcare

Life assurance

Gym discounts

Mindfulness workshops

Employee assistance program

Annual awards

Job summary

Version 1 is seeking a Strategy & Advisory Principal to join the Transformation Design Group. You will build trusted relationships with client leaders, shape transformation and drive outcomes across advisory, pre‑sales and delivery. You’ll coach teams, shape opportunities and craft compelling market propositions.

You will work across the organisation, balancing strategic direction with practical delivery while continually evolving TDG offerings for client impact.

Qualifications

• 8+ years experience in consulting or equivalent senior advisory environment.
• Deep expertise in at least one TDG discipline such as product management, service design, user research, or analytics.
• Comfort working with senior and executive stakeholders and challenging ideas constructively.
• Ability to switch between strategy and detail and drive progress with teams.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders and act as a credible advisor.
• Shape advisory engagements and lead consultancy work packages across TDG capabilities.
• Lead proposals, bids and market propositions in collaboration with Commercial and Pre-sales.
• Apply user-centered, evidence-led approaches balancing user needs and business goals.
• Evolve propositions using market insight and emerging trends to create value.
• Collaborate with Version 1 teams to deliver joined-up client outcomes.

Skills

Strategy development

Transformation delivery

Consulting experience

TDG disciplines coaching

Executive stakeholder engagement

Job description

Company Description

Version 1 has celebrated 30 years in business and continues to be trusted by global brands to deliver technology and transformation solutions that drive customer success. Our deep expertise enables our customers to navigate the rapidly evolving technology landscape. We foster strong partnerships with global technology leaders including Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, Red Hat, OutSystems, Snowflake, ensuring that our customers are provided with the highest quality solutions and services.

Company Description

Version 1 has celebrated 30 years in business and continues to be trusted by global brands to deliver technology and transformation solutions that drive customer success. Our deep expertise enables our customers to navigate the rapidly evolving technology landscape. We foster strong partnerships with global technology leaders including Microsoft, AWS, Oracle, Red Hat, OutSystems, Snowflake, ensuring that our customers are provided with the highest quality solutions and services.

We’re an award-winning employer reflecting how our employees are at the very heart of what we do:

• UK & Ireland's premier AWS, Microsoft & Oracle partner
• 3300+ strong, €350/£300m revenue business
• 10+ years as a Great Place to Work in Ireland & UK
• Best Workplace for Women in the UK & Ireland by GPTW
• Best Workplace for Wellbeing in the UK by GPTW

We’re a core values driven company, we hire people who share our values, and we reward those who display and foster them, it’s deeply embedded within our DNA. Invest in us and we’ll invest in you!.

Job Description

We are looking for a Strategy & Advisory Principal to join Version 1’s Transformation Design Group (TDG). This is a senior consulting role for someone who can build trusted relationships with client leaders, navigate ambiguity and shape user-centred digital and business transformation that delivers meaningful outcomes.

You will work across client advisory, complex problem-solving, proposition development and consultative pre-sales. The role combines big-picture thinking with hands‑on delivery: you may be helping a leadership team define its transformation vision, unblocking a difficult programme, coaching a multidisciplinary team, or shaping the next opportunity with colleagues across Version 1.

What You Will Do

Advise and deliver for clients

• Build trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders in the public and private sectors, acting as a credible advisor and constructive critical friend.
• Bring structure and clarity to complex, ambiguous business problems, connecting strategy to practical execution.
• Shape and lead advisory engagements and consultancy work packages, drawing on the breadth of TDG capabilities and the wider Version 1 organisation.
• Apply user‑centred, evidence‑led and commercially aware approaches to transformation, balancing user needs, organisational goals and technical feasibility.
• Adapt your methods to the client context and help clients understand where emerging technologies, including AI, can create genuine value.
• Represent our thinking and experience through client conversations, case studies, professional networks, events and thought leadership.

Help grow our impact

• Identify and shape opportunities with existing and new clients, articulating Version 1’s capabilities and the outcomes they can enable.
• Lead and contribute to compelling proposals, bids and market propositions in partnership with Commercial, Pre‑sales, Delivery and capability leaders.
• Use market insight, client intelligence and emerging trends to evolve our propositions and delivery models.
• Create clear, persuasive material that brings our services, evidence and points of view to life.

Work across Version 1

• Build collaborative relationships across the organisation so that clients experience a joined‑up Version 1 team.
• Coach colleagues, share expertise and assure the quality of transformation work where your experience can make the greatest difference.
• Contribute as part of a close‑knit principal team, combining autonomy with shared ownership and support.

Qualifications

What you will bring

• Significant experience (8+ years) in consulting or an equivalent senior advisory environment, shaping and delivering transformation with a strong record of working on complex programmes and change agendas.
• Deep expertise (able to coach) in at least one TDG discipline, such as product management, service design, user research, user‑centred design, business analysis, change, analytics, plus a strong appreciation of how these disciplines connect with each other, delivery management and technology.
• Confidence working with senior and executive stakeholders, including the judgement to challenge constructively and communicate complex ideas clearly.
• The ability to move comfortably between strategy and detail, creating direction while remaining willing to work alongside teams to make progress.
• Experience shaping opportunities, proposals and communicating a clear value story.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to balance customer outcomes, delivery realities and sustainable growth.
• Excellent written, facilitation and presentation skills.

How You Work

• Curious and analytical: you ask the right questions, seek evidence and quickly make sense of unfamiliar situations.
• Collaborative and low ego: you bring people together, value different perspectives and share credit.
• Customer focused: you stay close to the real problem and prioritise outcomes over activity.
• Pragmatic and adaptable: you use the right approach for the context rather than applying a fixed playbook.
• Autonomous and accountable: you are comfortable leading at senior levels and take ownership for quality and results.
• Growth minded: you spot possibilities, develop new ideas and help others build confidence and capability.
• Honest and clear: you build trust through integrity, sound judgement and straightforward communication.

Additional Information

At Version 1, we believe in providing our employees with a comprehensive benefits package that prioritises their wellbeing, professional growth, and financial stability.

• Share in our success with our Quarterly Performance‑Related Profit Share Scheme, where employees collectively benefit from a share of our company's profits
• Strong Career Progression & mentoring coaching through our Strength in Balance & Leadership schemes with a dedicated quarterly Pathways Career Development programme
• Flexible/remote working, Version 1 is tremendously understanding of life events and people’s individual circumstances and offer flexibility to help achieve a healthy work life balance
• Financial Wellbeing initiatives including; Version 1 Pension with a 5% employee-matched contribution, Private Healthcare Cover, Life Assurance, Financial advice and an Employee Discount scheme
• Employee Wellbeing schemes including Gym Discounts, Bike to Work, Fitness classes, Mindfulness Workshops, Employee Assistance Programme and much more.
• 24 days holiday allowance plus Public Holidays, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, marriage/civil partnership leave and special leave policies
• Educational assistance, incentivised certifications, and accreditations, including AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, and Red Hat
• Reward schemes including Version 1’s Annual Excellence Awards & quarterly Star Awards.
• Environment, Social and Community First initiatives allow you to get involved in local fundraising and development opportunities as part of fostering our diversity, inclusion and belonging schemes.

And many more exciting benefits… drop us a note to find out more.

Version 1 is an equal opportunities employer

We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace where everyone feels valued and able to thrive. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and lived experiences, and we value the different perspectives people bring including those shaped by disability and neurodiversity.

We want every candidate to have a positive and accessible recruitment experience. If you need reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process, please contact [e-mail] at Version 1. We will consider all requests carefully, respectfully and confidentially.