Consulting Manager

sbdautomotive; Ann Arbor (MI); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K

Health care

Equity Sharing

Job summary

SBD Automotive is seeking a Consulting Manager to lead high-impact client projects in mobility technology. You will guide delivery, manage teams, and drive commercial success while collaborating with senior leadership to shape the next phase of work.

You will balance hands-on project work with coaching, client engagement, and pursuit activities, contributing to a global mobility research and consulting practice that values clarity, insight, and client impact.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering consulting or complex analytical projects in automotive, mobility, or related tech sectors.
• Strong client-facing communication and presentation skills.
• Experience leading small teams or managing project workstreams.
• Commercial mindset with ability to identify and shape new opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of complex client projects from scoping through to final presentation.
• Act as primary day-to-day client contact on engagements and ensure value delivery.
• Manage and develop consultants, coach teams, and optimize staffing/utilization.
• Contribute to domain knowledge, methods, and tools across Centers of Excellence.

Skills

Automotive/Mobility domains

Client-facing communication

Team leadership

Commercial mindset

Job description

Ready to Lead High-Impact Consulting Projects at the Forefront of Mobility-Related Technology?

SBD Automotive is a global research and consulting firm, supporting manufacturers, suppliers, and technology companies with strategy, insight, and execution across connected, electric, autonomous, and software-defined vehicles.

Our clients rely on our independent thorough research and our deep specialization that feeds differentiated insights to make informed decisions in the rapidly evolving mobility industry. We support leading manufacturers and technology players in the mobility ecosystem who are working at the cutting-edge of features and capabilities in the industry.

As a Consulting Manager, you will lead the delivery of complex client projects, manage and develop consulting teams, and play a key role in growing existing client relationships and supporting new opportunities.

This is a hands-on leadership role, combining project delivery, team management, and commercial responsibility. You will work closely with Senior Managers and BU leadership to ensure projects deliver real value to clients while also identifying and shaping the next piece of work.

A day in the life

Your day will typically balance client delivery, team leadership, and commercial activity. You might start the day reviewing progress on a live consulting engagement, working with your team to resolve a client issue or refine the final deliverable. Later, you could join a client call to present findings, discuss emerging challenges, and explore how SBD can support the next phase of work.

You may spend part of the day coaching a consultant, reviewing analysis, or helping shape a proposal for a new opportunity. You could also be supporting outreach to a target account or following up with an existing client to develop a new engagement.

No two days are identical, but the focus remains the same: delivering high-quality work, building trusted client relationships, and converting those relationships into sustainable, long-term business.

Your key responsibilities include

Client delivery

• Lead consulting projects from scoping through execution and final presentation.
• Act as the primary day-to-day contact for clients on assigned engagements.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to a high professional standard.
• Translate client needs into clear project plans, deliverables, and outcomes.
• Provide structured, actionable insights that support client decision-making.

Commercial contribution

• Grow existing client accounts by identifying and shaping follow-on opportunities.
• Take ownership of farming activities within your active client base.
• Support outreach to new clients and early-stage opportunities.
• Contribute actively to proposals, scopes, and pricing discussions.
• Help convert client conversations into funded projects.

People leadership

• Manage and develop consultants and senior consultants.
• Provide coaching, feedback, and performance support.
• Ensure effective project staffing and utilization.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance team environment.

Domain and knowledge contribution

• Contribute to SBD’s Centers of Excellence through domain expertise.
• Support the development of methodologies, tools, and best practices.
• Share knowledge across projects, teams, and regions.

About you

You are a delivery-focused consultant with strong client skills and a clear commercial mindset. You are comfortable leading projects, managing teams, and using client relationships to generate new work.

You bring:

• Experience in automotive, mobility, or related technology sectors.
• A proven track recorddelivering consulting or complex analytical projects.
• Strong client-facing communication and presentation skills.
• Experience managing small teams or leading project workstreams.
• A commercial mindset, with experience identifying or supporting new business opportunities.

Ideally, you also have:

• Experience in areas such as connected vehicles, EVs, ADAS, software-defined vehicles, digital services, or the regulatory environment that surrounds them.
• Prior experience in consulting or strategy roles.
• Experience contributing to proposals, scoping, or client account development.

About Us

We are a global automotive research and consulting organization with 29 years of trusted expertise and a proven track record of success. We support our customers and deliver confidence through clarity, insight and visionto support better and informed decisions in the fast-changing mobility market.

• Be part of our entrepreneurial environment and help to shape the future relationship between people and cars.
• Our teams operate in four business units across six locations: China, Germany, India, Japan, UK, and USA.
• Our corporate goals ofEfficiency,Accountability,AgilityandGrowthensure we stay at the top of our game and create ongoing opportunities for personal development
• Our values ofCompassion,Collaboration,Courage,CuriosityandCommitmentare part of every decision we make - we care about our people, our clients and our ability to keep learning.
• Benefits include 401K, Health Care, Performance based bonus and opportunities for Equity Sharing.
• Work from home or the office, with no set office days, though occasional attendance may be expected.

No Agencies Please.