Consulting Director

George Mason University; Chantilly (VA); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

George Mason University seeks a Consulting Director in the Executive Administration Division. The role leads high‑visibility university projects, partnering with senior leaders to drive strategic planning, budget and fiscal transformation, and operational improvements.

You will supervise staff, manage multi‑million dollar programs, and present insights to leadership. Reporting to the Executive Director of UBC, you will shape engagements, mentor teams, and ensure high‑quality deliverables across

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher required.
• MBA/MPA or equivalent graduate degree preferred.
• Extensive experience in project management and change leadership.
• Experience leading cross‑functional teams and handling senior stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead large, strategic university projects from start to finish with minimal supervision.
• Supervise and mentor consulting staff and interns.
• Manage project charters, work plans, schedules, and budgets.
• Engage senior leaders to ensure alignment and executive sponsorship.
• Develop communications plans, training, and change management strategies.
• Provide data‑driven analyses and thoughtful recommendations.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Stakeholder management

Change management

Analytics

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree

MBA

MPA

Graduate degree

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Department: Executive Administration

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visasponsorship

Salary: Salary range $170,000 - $195,000, commensurate witheducation and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

University Business Consulting (UBC), part of George MasonUniversity’s Executive Administration Division, provides internalconsulting services to support innovation, operationaleffectiveness, and strategic alignment across George Mason schoolsand administrative units. UBC partners with campus leaders toenhance efficiency, strengthen organizational performance, andadvance the university’s long term strategic objectives.

About the Position:

Reporting to the Executive Director of UBC, the Consulting Directorindependently leads large projects and programs that directlysupport the goals of George Mason University (GMU) and the UBCOffice. The purpose of this Consulting Director role is to serve asthe main UBC representative for certain GMU units, lead andimplement projects focused on strategic planning implementation,budget and fiscal transformation, organizational assessments,stakeholder facilitation, implementing new initiatives, and/orconducting quantitative and qualitative analysis on businessfunctions at the university. The Consulting Director is responsiblefor running strategic and high-visibility university projects fromstart to finish with little supervision required and helping UBCleadership present a positive image of UBC to the George Masoncommunity. The Consulting Director will also supervise and mentorother consulting staff.

Responsibilities:

Staff Supervision

• Responsible for setting goals for performance and deadlines inways that comply with the university's plans and vision andcommunicate them for at least 3 direct reports;
• Organizes workflow and ensuring that employees understand theirduties or delegated tasks;
• Monitors employee productivity and providing constructivefeedback and coaching;
• Receives complaints and resolving problems;
• Maintains timekeeping and personnel records;
• Passes on information from upper management to employees andvice versa;
• Prepares and submits performance evaluations;
• Decides on rewards and promotions based on performance;
• Hires and trains new employees; ensuring adherence to legal anduniversity policies and procedures and undertaking disciplinaryactions if the need arises; and
• Responsible for overseeing the UBC internship program,including hiring, training, and assigning intern projects.

Management of Daily Activities and Overall Project Efforts

• Project Leadership
  • Leads project work directly with university senior leadersacross various departments focused on major strategic initiativesimpacting large stakeholder groups;
  • Manages UBC senior consultants, consultants, and other staff onprojects. Is responsible for overall high-quality performance inassigned UBC projects;
  • Drives the development of project work plans and goals;
  • The Director uses expertise and best practices to help assesshow alternatives will impact business processes and developscommunications plans, training, change management strategies, andresource planning amongst other tasks;
  • Leads development (mostly direct, also through supervision) ofthoughtful, detail-oriented and high-quality qualitative andquantitative analyses to include in written documents, flow chartsand/or spreadsheets;
  • Reviews, edits, and prepares documents for clients and UBCworking groups, project meetings, and leadership meetings.;
  • Consistently ensures excellent, high-quality outcomes for allprojects. Expected to consistently develop insightful, robust, andinformation driven solutions to complex problems;
  • Applies and consistently provides opportunities forimprovements on agreed-upon project management approaches to UBCprojects;
  • Develops and maintains project charters, work plans, schedules,and budgets, guiding various working teams in project management,process mapping and best practices in automation, change managementand process review;
  • Provides thought leadership and strategic insight to furthereach project with a view of the impact on theunit/department/university;
  • Takes direction from leadership on projects and alsoself-directs work streams as needed to move projects forward onplanned timelines;
  • Works successfully on multiple projects without significantoversight from leadership. Works collaboratively to meet mutualgoals when executing projects with other university departments andfacilitate cross-department cooperation and buy-in.;
  • Facilitates project working groups and/or retreats of leadersfrom across the university, which typically include faculty andstaff from schools and business units;
  • Draws on extensive professional experience and/or research ofhigher education practices to advise units on alternatives toconsider when evaluating potential changes or recommendations;
  • Takes initiative on project assignments to get the job done,while keeping leadership informed of progress and any project orstakeholder issues that may arise; and
  • Provides thorough written and verbal updates on projects toleadership, project Executive Committees, project sponsors, as wellas other leaders and stakeholders across campus as necessary.

Client Management

• Serves as the senior UBC representative with various universitydepartments and senior leaders, including VPs and Deans, across theuniversity to ensure strategic alignment of initiatives and processimprovements, serving as the project subject matter expert whenappropriate;
• Cultivates and manages overall client relationships to form anddevelop lasting andimpactful connections;
• Demonstrates UBC value through innovative project execution andprovides connections across George Mason based on UBC’s uniqueknowledge base. Effectively presents summary results to GeorgeMason senior leadership;
• Uses a variety of techniques to effectively manage a wide range of stakeholder behaviors and handle politically sensitiveissues.

Practice Development

• Strategically drives meaningful new work for the UBC practice, either through sourcing new client engagements or securing add-onwork from existing projects;
• Interfaces independently with university leaders and developscomplimentary relationships of those the UBC Executive Directorholds to help develop and expand the UBC practice; and
• Expected to advise the UBC Executive Director on potential newfunding sources/revenue streams and growth potential for the UBCpractice.

Other Related Duties

• Represents UBC's projects and the department within the Masoncommunity;
• Displays a willingness to complete other duties to support UBCleadership and the judgment to know when such duties should be delegated; and
• Proactively offers suggestions for activities UBC shouldundertake to improve processes or efficiencies that will supporttransformation across the university.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree, MBA, MPA, or other graduate degree, orequivalent combination of education and experience;
• Substantial business process improvement design andimplementation, project management, communications and changemanagement, or related experience; OR an equivalent combination ofeducation, training and experience;
• Demonstrated project management and oversight experience isrequired, including the ability to lead multifunctional projectsand teams;
• Experience managing direct reports and multidisciplinaryproject teams;
• Demonstrated experience leading or participating in businesstransformation, change management, and/or communications managementprojects or initiatives;
• Experience managing politically sensitive efforts;
• Demonstrated skills and abilities in project management,consulting, and facilitation;
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills &abilities;
• Expert-level skill in communication with the ability tocommunicate effectively with various levels of management andstaff;
• Expert-level leadership and advisory skills with the ability to maintain an appropriate level of gravitas for interactingindependently with university senior leaders;
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain project workplans, schedules, and budgets;
• Demonstrated ability to lead successful projects independentlyas well as part of a team;
• Ability to take direction from leadership on projects and alsoself-direct work streams as needed to move projects forward ontight timelines; and
• Proficiency with MS Office applications.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field;
• Prosci Change Practitioner, PMP, Lean Six Sigma, orScrumMaster;
• Experience at a university, government, or non-profitorganization;
• Extensive experience in business process redesign, projectmanagement, or related experience (typically eight or moreyears);
• Ability to develop insightful, data-driven solutions to complexorganizational challenges;
• Demonstrated quality management and oversight skills with theability to review, assess, and ensure the accuracy and quality ofproject deliverables and analyses;
• Demonstrated leadership, coaching, and staff development skillswith the ability to provide guidance, mentorship, training, andperformance support to team members; ability to establish goals andpriorities, manage workflow, delegate responsibilities, monitorperformance, and provide coaching and feedback; ability to addressemployee concerns, resolve issues effectively, and foster aproductive and accountable work environment;
• Demonstrated consulting skills with the ability to leadbenchmarking, research, analysis, and problem-solving initiativesto inform strategic decision-making;
• Expert-level relationship management skills with the ability to effectively represent project teams and engage stakeholders across the university; demonstrated ability to build productivepartnerships and collaborate effectively with schools, departments,and business units to advance institutional priorities;
• Demonstrated strategic thinking skills with the ability toproactively identify opportunities, recommend initiatives, andcontribute to organizational improvement and innovation; and
• Expert-level advisory skills with the ability to influencedecisions and interact independently with senior universityleadership while maintaining an appropriate level ofprofessionalism and gravitas.

Mason Ad Statement

George Mason University is a nationally ranked R1 researchuniversity committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperousworld. With 40,000 enrolled students, George Mason is the largestand most diverse public research university in Virginia, offeringdegree programs at the master's, doctoral, and professional level,along with certificates and credentials.

George Mason fosters an All Together Different environment forstudents, faculty, and staff, driven by our core beliefs. Webelieve in inclusivity over exclusivity; we believe in advancingour mission by being willing to take risks, not avoiding them; andwe believe our best work is possible when we apply our diversity oforigin, identity, circumstance, and thought.

Equity Statement

George Mason University is an equal opportunity/affirmative actionemployer, committed to promoting inclusion and equity in itscommunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration foremployment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexualorientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability orveteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.

Campus Safety Information

Mason’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available athttp://police.gmu.edu/annual-security-report/