High Reliability & Operational Transformation Consultant

Huron; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Innosight is a global strategy consulting firm focused on helping leading organizations design and create the future. We work with Global 1000 clients to tackle growth opportunities and build innovation capabilities, delivering measurable performance improvements through High Reliability and Human Performance engagements.

The role of High Reliability & Operational Transformation Consultant combines strategy, operations, and hands-on implementation, working with executives and client teams to

Qualifications

• Bachelor1 degree required; MBA, advanced degree, or relevant advanced military training preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in operational excellence, military operations, manufacturing, industrial operations, engineering, consulting, or related field.
• Experience leading or supporting operational improvement, culture transformation, organizational change, performance improvement, or operational excellence initiatives.
• Experience working in a complex, highly regulated, high-risk, or high-consequence operating environment.
• Strong analytical, structured problem-solving, and critical-thinking capabilities.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to build credibility and work effectively with frontline personnel, operational leaders, and senior executives.
• Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, dynamic, and team-oriented client environments.

Responsibilities

• Manage High Reliability and Operational Transformation engagements.
• Diagnose challenges, identify root causes, and implement practical solutions.
• Collaborate with executives and client teams to deliver measurable business impact.
• Lead or support organizational culture transformation and performance improvement initiatives.
• Design and implement Integrated Management Systems and operating models.
• Translate insights into actionable recommendations and implementation plans.

Education

Bachelor1 degree

Job description

Innosight is a global strategy consulting firm focused on helping leading organizations design and create the future. We work with them to develop growth strategies, build innovation capabilities, and accelerate new growth initiatives. As a member of the Innosight team, you’ll have the opportunity to work with leaders at Global 1000 companies to tackle some of the most interesting challenges in business.

• We are the leading practitioners of disruptive innovation, building on the work of our co-founder, Harvard Business School professor Clay Christensen.
• Because we focus on growth strategy and innovation, we bring unique expertise and authority to the challenges our clients face: Where is our next big opportunity, and what is our strategy to get there? How do we build an organization that is innovative and future focused? How do we disrupt ourselves before others do?
• Our values – including humility, collaboration, transparency, and intellectual curiosity – guide our work with clients, with each other, and our commitment to enabling innovation in organizations.
• Our work environment emphasizes the exchange of ideas, continuous learning, and collaboration. And our smaller team structure offers exposure to senior-level executives early in your consulting career.

We are seeking a High Reliability & Operational Transformation Consultant to join Innosight and help deliver High Reliability and Human Performance engagements that enable organizations to improve execution, reduce operational risk, strengthen culture, and build resilient operating systems in increasingly complex environments. The Consultant will also contribute to a broader range of strategy, operations, organizational transformation, and performance improvement engagements.

Our work draws on principles from High Reliability Organizations (HROs), Human and Organizational Performance (H&OP), Operational Excellence, and Complexity Management. We help clients across manufacturing, oil and gas, energy, chemicals, utilities, defense, transportation, and industrial services operate more safely, reliably, and effectively while improving business performance. Organizations that successfully navigate complexity are better positioned to execute strategy, manage risk, and sustain superior operational results.

This role combines strategy, operations, organizational transformation, and hands‑on implementation. Consultants work directly with executives, operational leaders, frontline supervisors, and client teams to diagnose challenges, identify root causes, and implement practical solutions that create measurable business impact.

What You’ll Do

Improve Reliability, Safety, and Performance

• Assess operational performance, organizational culture, and management systems.
• Evaluate reliability, safety, quality, and execution risks across complex operations.
• Support High Reliability Organization transformations.
• Apply Human and Organizational Performance principles to improve resilience and reduce the likelihood and impact of failures.
• Facilitate operational and cultural diagnostics, workshops, interviews, and site assessments.
• Conduct root‑cause analyses and identify systemic barriers to sustained performance.

Execute Organizational Transformation

• Help clients understand and address complexity that impedes operational effectiveness.
• Support the design and implementation of Integrated Management Systems.
• Strengthen leadership effectiveness, accountability, decision‑making, and organizational alignment.
• Support operating model redesign and execution excellence initiatives.
• Conduct culture assessments and support programs that enable sustainable behavioral change.
• Partner with client teams to design, implement, and sustain practical improvements.

Deliver Measurable Business Results

• Identify opportunities to reduce operational risk and improve reliability.
• Improve asset utilization, maintenance effectiveness, and operational discipline.
• Strengthen organizational learning and continuous improvement capabilities.
• Improve workforce engagement, coordination, and communication.
• Support business transformation, operational excellence, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Translate operational findings into practical recommendations and implementation plans.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA, advanced degree, or relevant advanced military training preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in operational excellence, military operations, manufacturing, industrial operations, engineering, consulting, or a related field.
• Experience leading or supporting operational improvement, culture transformation, organizational change, performance improvement, or operational excellence initiatives.
• Experience working in a complex, highly regulated, high‑risk, or high‑consequence operating environment.
• Strong analytical, structured problem‑solving, and critical-thinking capabilities.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to build credibility and work effectively with frontline personnel, operational leaders, and senior executives.
• Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, dynamic, and team‑oriented client environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in military leadership, nuclear or aviation operations, manufacturing, industrial operations, reliability, maintenance, engineering, or another complex, high‑consequence operating environment.

Relevant Professional Experience May Include

• Military leadership experience in technically complex, high‑risk, or high‑consequence operating environments, including the U.S. Navy Nuclear Program, submarine or surface warfare, naval aviation, Special Operations, Army or Marine Corps combat arms, logistics, engineering, maintenance, or other operational communities.
• Manufacturing, refining, petrochemicals, energy, utilities, mining, transportation, or other industrial operations
• Plant management, operations management, maintenance, reliability, production, process engineering, or operational excellence
• Consulting focused on operational transformation, performance improvement, culture change, organizational effectiveness, or execution excellence

Travel and Home Location

• Travel requirements vary by project, but candidates must be willing to travel weekly as needed up to 80% (Monday - Thursday)
• Candidates may live anywhere in the contiguous 48 states near a major airport

The estimated base salary for this job is $120,000 - $170,000 for the Associate level and $165,000 - $200,000 for the Senior Associate level. The determined level and actual salary paid to an individual will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to specific skills or certifications, years of experience, market changes, and required travel. This job is also eligible to participate in Huron’s annual incentive compensation program, which reflects Huron’s pay for performance philosophy. Inclusive of annual incentive compensation opportunity, the total estimated compensation range for this job is $144,000 - $204,00 for Associate and $206,250 - $250,000 for Senior Associate. The job is also eligible to participate in Huron’s benefit plans which include medical, dental and vision coverage and other wellness programs.

Position Level

Senior Associate

Country

United States of America