Head of Forest Consulting

Fastmarkets; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Fastmarkets is seeking a Head of Forest Products Consultancy in Chicago to lead and scale its consultancy offerings in the US. This leadership role involves strategic consulting, commercial leadership, and team building while ensuring revenue growth.

The ideal candidate should have extensive experience in consulting within the forest products sector, with a deep understanding of pulp, paper, and packaging markets. They will be responsible for driving business development opportunities and delivering market-based consultancy projects.

Qualifications

• Experience in building or scaling a consulting practice in the forest products space.
• Demonstrated ability to manage consultancy projects effectively.

Responsibilities

• Act as the principal lead for all forest products consultancy.
• Manage consultancy deliverables ensuring they are robust and accurate.
• Build and develop a high-performing consultancy team.

Skills

Consulting experience in forest products

Proven business development

Strong communication skills

Project execution and management

Fluent in English

Job description

Fastmarkets is an industry-leading price-reporting agency (PRA) and information provider for global commodities, providing price data, news, analytics and events for the agriculture, forest products, metals and mining and new-generation energy markets.

Fastmarkets' data is critical for customers seeking to understand and predict dynamic, sometimes opaque markets, enabling trading and risk management. Fastmarkets is a global business with a history dating back to 1865 and is built on trust and deep market knowledge. It has more than 700 employees spread across global locations in the UK, US, China, India, Singapore, Brazil, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland and beyond.

Job Description

Fastmarkets is seeking a highly experienced and commercially driven Head of Forest Products Consultancy to lead and scale our consultancy offering from the US market. This is a senior leadership and management role responsible for building and delivering a market-leading strategic advisory business across the forest product sector, with a focus on the global pulp, paper, and packaging value chain.

The role combines hands‑on strategic consulting delivery, commercial leadership, and team building, with full accountability for revenue generation, client development, and the growth of the consultancy business line within a broader Price Reporting Agency (PRA) environment.

The successful candidate will act as the principal consultancy lead for our global business, with direct responsibility and accountability in driving sales and revenue generation in Forest product consultancy, working closely with global analysts and commercial teams to develop and deliver high‑impact client solutions.

Specifically, you will generate business development opportunities, lead and deliver all strategy and market‑based consultancy projects that include tailored market overviews and outlooks, feasibility assessments and analysis, cost benchmarking and competitiveness analysis, supply‑chain mapping, go‑to‑market and commercial due diligence advisory, packaging value chain strategy and circular economy insights, and other bespoke engagements.

Responsibilities

• Act as the principal lead for all forest products consultancy engagements across pulp, paper, and packaging markets globally
• Winning, executing, and project managing (both independently and in collaboration with our delivery teams and business partners) a range of strategic and market‑based consultancy projects in the forest products space.
• Managing consultancy deliverables (self‑sufficiently and managing others) that are robust, accurate, and well‑researched and project managing resources utilising modelling, data collection, and research interview techniques
• Position the Fastmarkets consultancy practice as a credible and leading alternative to established rival firms
• Build, lead, and develop a high‑performing US consultancy team
• Establish scalable processes, frameworks, and methodologies for consultancy delivery
• Foster a high‑performance, client‑focused consulting culture
• Lead the development of market insights, reports, and client‑facing thought leadership
• Translate complex market dynamics into actionable commercial strategies for clients
• Own and drive consultancy sales and revenue growth across North America and global accounts
• Identify, develop, and convert new consultancy opportunities with existing PRA and external clients
• Build a strong pipeline of project‑based and retainer‑based advisory engagements
• Work closely with commercial and account teams to integrate consultancy offerings into broader client relationships
• Developing and building existing customer relationships and acquiring new consultancy customers, as well as repeat/retainer business
• Forecasting and CRM reporting
• Represent the business externally at industry events, client presentations, and conferences
• Utilise professional network to surface opportunities and to source independent contractors to support the delivery of engagements.

Qualifications

We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and are committed to creating a fully inclusive workplace, where everyone feels able to participate and contribute meaningfully.

We recruit talented, dynamic people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, all united by a belief in our mission to provide the world’s leading and most trusted price reporting, events, and intelligence service for the markets we serve. We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and are committed to creating a fully inclusive workplace, where everyone feels able to participate and contribute meaningfully.

If you are open‑minded, curious, resilient, solutions‑oriented and committed to promoting equality, then read on.

Knowledge, Experience and Skills

We are looking for an individual who is highly motivated, driven, and have a passion to be part of a fast‑paced, successful team. Being a strong team player is also important as well as someone who is happy to work flexibly.

Experience and Skills Required

• A seasoned individual with consulting experience in forest product consultancy, proven business development and research
• Proven experience in a top‑tier consulting firm (e.g., McKinsey, BCG, Bain) or specialist commodities consultancy
• Demonstrated experience in building or scaling a consulting practice or business line in the forest products space
• Deep knowledge of global pulp, paper, and packaging markets and value chains
• Strong track record of leading client‑facing advisory engagements at a senior level
• Experience in complex solution selling and project execution/management involving single‑client consultancy services work
• Fluent in English, a second language preferred
• Flexibility and willingness to travel when required
• An already established client and industry contact network would be desirable
• Self‑starter and ‘hunter’ mentality with strong personal drive is essential, with the ability to thrive in a multitasking environment
• Accountable and performance‑driven
• Effective communication in person, on the phone, in writing and online
• Effective and amiable team player keen on making clients, project members, and colleagues happy while achieving ambitious objectives.

This is a rare opportunity to build and lead a global forest products consulting practice within a leading commodities intelligence organisation. The role offers significant autonomy to shape strategy, develop a high‑performing team, and drive meaningful commercial growth, while competing directly with the world’s leading consulting and specialist advisory firms.

If you’re excited about the role but your experience, skills or qualifications don’t perfectly align, we encourage you to apply anyway.

Our Values

• METRICS DRIVEN. We use insights to improve our customers’ experience and our business performance
• ACCOUNTABLE. We are accountable to ourselves and those we work with: we keep our promises and get things done
• GROWTH MINDSET. This value enables us to be nimble to the changing realities and operate with a sense of urgency
• INCLUSIVE. We are inclusive and respectful, celebrating each of us and giving everyone a deep sense of belonging with the desire to bring their best self to work every day.
• CUSTOMER CENTRIC. We are customer‑centric in all that we do
• COLLABORATIVE. We are collaborative, able to work across teams and capitalise on the diversity of intellect, perspectives, and experiences.

We are committed to ensuring all candidates feel welcomed and supported. Should your application advance and you require accommodations for the interview process, please inform us so we can make the necessary arrangements.