Implementation Senior Consultant: Banking (19529)

Cornerstone Advisors; Arizona; On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Cornerstone Advisors in the United States seeks a Senior Implementation Consultant to lead complex banking and credit union system implementations, including core banking, digital platforms, payments, and loan origination solutions. You will oversee governance, client readiness, and delivery quality while guiding cross-functional teams and vendors.

The role requires extensive banking operations knowledge, proven project leadership, and strong business analysis and vendor management skills to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Information Systems, or a related field.
• 5–8 years of experience in financial services, consulting, or system implementations with leadership of complex workstreams.
• Experience leading implementations for banks or credit unions with direct client stakeholder interaction.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office tools and project planning/collaboration platforms.

Responsibilities

• Lead mid-sized to large, complex implementation engagements across multiple workstreams.
• Direct kickoff and governance sessions with clients and solution vendors to align scope, decisions, roles, milestones, and escalation paths.
• Design and facilitate discovery and future-state workshops to identify process improvements and business requirements.
• Develop, validate, and manage integrated project plans with tasks, dependencies, timelines, and milestones.
• Coordinate with third-party vendors on interfaces, testing, conversion, readiness, and deployment activities.

Skills

Project leadership

Stakeholder management

Problem solving

Governance & risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Information Systems, or related field

Tools

MS Project

Smartsheet

Microsoft Office

Job description

About Cornerstone Advisors

Cornerstone Advisors is a nationally recognized management and technology consulting firm serving banks, credit unions, and financial services organizations across the United States. For more than two decades, we have partnered with executive leadership teams to solve complex business challenges, optimize operations, and deliver innovative strategies that drive measurable results. Our culture is built on collaboration, integrity, innovation, and a commitment to helping both our clients and our employees succeed.

About Cornerstone Advisors

Cornerstone Advisors is a nationally recognized management and technology consulting firm serving banks, credit unions, and financial services organizations across the United States. For more than two decades, we have partnered with executive leadership teams to solve complex business challenges, optimize operations, and deliver innovative strategies that drive measurable results. Our culture is built on collaboration, integrity, innovation, and a commitment to helping both our clients and our employees succeed.

Senior Implementation Consultant

The Senior Implementation Consultant leads the successful delivery of complex system implementation engagements for banks and credit unions. This role directs implementations of core banking systems, digital platforms, payment solutions, and loan origination systems, with accountability for project governance, client readiness, and delivery quality.

The Senior Consultant applies advanced expertise in banking operations, project management, and business analysis to guide client decisions, coordinate cross‑functional teams, and resolve complex implementation challenges. This position serves as a trusted advisor to client leaders, internal project teams, and third‑party vendors while helping ensure engagements remain aligned with scope, schedule, budget, and strategic objectives.

• Lead mid‑sized to large, complex implementation engagements and provide oversight across multiple workstreams.
• Direct joint project kickoff and governance sessions with clients and solution vendors to establish alignment on scope, decision rights, roles, milestones, and escalation paths.
• Design and facilitate discovery and future‑state workshops that identify process improvements, operating impacts, dependencies, and business requirements.
• Develop, validate, and manage integrated project plans, including tasks, dependencies, timelines, resource needs, critical paths, and stakeholder commitments.
• Lead coordination with third‑party vendors on interfaces, integrations, testing, conversion, readiness, and deployment activities.
• Monitor engagement performance, resource utilization, budget, quality, and milestone achievement; recommend corrective actions when results vary from plan.
• Anticipate, assess, and manage complex project risks, issues, and decisions; facilitate resolution and elevate matters that require executive action.
• Maintain accountability for project scope, schedule, budget, governance, and deliverable quality while managing client expectations.
• Review and approve implementation artifacts, including requirements, test plans, training materials, conversion strategies, readiness assessments, executive reports, and decision logs.
• Lead mock conversions, cutover planning, go‑live readiness reviews, and post‑implementation stabilization activities.

Knowledge And Skills

• Advanced knowledge of core banking systems, digital banking platforms, payments, loan origination systems, or related financial technology solutions.
• Strong understanding of bank and credit union operations, including deposits, lending, payments, and back‑office processes.
• Demonstrated project leadership with the ability to manage complex workstreams, dependencies, resources, and stakeholder commitments.
• Advanced business analysis capabilities, including requirements definition, process mapping, operating model design, and impact assessment.
• Strong knowledge of vendor management, system integrations, testing, data conversion, and implementation governance.

Problem Solving/Analysis

• Evaluates complex client environments to identify operational constraints, delivery risks, root causes, and interdependencies.
• Develops practical, scalable, client‑focused solutions to address operational, system, and organizational challenges.
• Applies structured analysis and sound judgment to resolve issues across design, testing, conversion, deployment, and stabilization.
• Evaluates trade‑offs and recommends options that balance client priorities, risk, cost, timing, and implementation objectives.
• Anticipates emerging risks, establishes mitigation and contingency plans, and adjusts the implementation approach when conditions change.

Supervisory Responsibility and Autonomy

• Supervisory Responsibility: No direct reports; provides day‑to‑day project leadership, coaching, and mentorship to consultants, analysts, and client project resources.
• Autonomy: Operates with a high degree of independence in managing engagements, making delivery decisions within approved scope, and advising clients; escalates significant scope, financial, contractual, or strategic matters to leadership.
• Advanced proficiency with project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent)
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel, PowerPoint, and Word
• Proficiency with process mapping, requirements documentation, and executive reporting tools
• Strong command of implementation methodologies, including Agile, Waterfall, and Hybrid approaches
• Advanced understanding of system integrations, testing, data conversion, cutover, and go‑live readiness
• Ability to establish project governance, manage integrated plans, and communicate engagement performance to executive stakeholders

Senior Implementation Consultant

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Information Systems, or a related field
• Five (5) to (8) years of experience in financial services, consulting, or system implementations, including responsibility for leading complex workstreams or engagements
• Experience leading implementation activities for banks or credit unions and working directly with client stakeholders
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office tools and project planning or collaboration platforms

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading core banking, digital banking, payments, lending, or loan origination platform implementations
• Project management certification (PMP or equivalent) or comparable implementation leadership experience

Experience with system integrations, testing, data conversion, cutover planning, executive governance, and post‑go‑live stabilization

EEO STATEMENT

Cornerstone Advisors provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, our firm complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.