Onsite Business Consultant — Operations, Business Development, & Financial Performance

Cogent Analytics; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Cogent Analytics seeks a Business Operations Consultant/Project Director to work directly with owner-led businesses, driving improvements in operations, financial controls, and profitability. The role is hands-on and on-site, with a 100% travel requirement, functioning as the owner’s boots-on-the-ground co-CEO.

Responsibilities include leading client engagements end-to-end, coaching leadership teams, and delivering measurable outcomes across financial and operational domains.

Qualifications

• Five years of consulting experience with a proven track record delivering value for clients.
• Ability to travel onsite with clients (100% travel).
• Excellent communication in English, both written and verbal.

Responsibilities

• Lead the client relationship from engagement through measurable outcomes, ensuring operational and financial improvement.
• Drive financial performance and guide organizational change.
• Coach ownership and employees to adopt new ways of thinking, operating, and leading.
• Manage the full lifecycle of the consulting engagement, including scoping, delivery, and follow-up.

Job description

Business Operations Consultant/Project Director

Position Overview

Work directly with privately held, owner-led businesses to materially improve operational performance, financial controls, and long-term profitability.

What sets Cogent Analytics apart is also the defining expectation of this role: we are a client‑centric, hands‑on consulting firm, and our Project Directors operate as the owner’s boots‑on‑the‑ground co‑CEO. For that reason, this role requires 100% domestic travel.

Important Fit Note

: If your background centers on project coordination, Agile/Scrum facilitation, workflow boards, timeline management, or status reporting, this role will not align with your experience.

Role Summary

Business Consultant Project Directors work directly alongside business owners and leadership teams to install the operational, financial, organizational, and accountability systems required to run effectively and scale sustainably. Just as critical, they coach owners and stakeholders at every level to adopt new ways of thinking, operating, and leading, ensuring changes are understood, embraced, and sustained.

This is hands‑on, on‑site transformation work that demands a roll‑up‑your‑sleeves mindset and active leadership, not project oversight.

The Business Consultant leads the client relationship from initial engagement through measurable outcomes, ensuring operational and financial improvement. Key responsibilities include driving financial performance, guiding organizational change, coaching ownership and employees, and managing the full lifecycle of the consulting engagement.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Deliver quantifiable and sustainable value for clients that is reflected through the income statement, balance sheet, cash flow, and quality of life. This is achieved through the successful development, implementation, training, and evaluation of solutions to client challenges.

Oversee the identification and communication of work to be completed on behalf of the client. Responsible for clear and concise communication with the assigned Assistant Director or Sr. Project Director.

Other Requirements

Ability to travel onsite with clients (100% travel requirement).

Authorized to work in the United States.

Minimum of five years of consulting experience with a proven track record of delivering value for clients.

Administrative duties completed in a timely and accurate manner.

Ability to communicate in English, both written and verbal.

Valid state‑issued driver’s license and current auto insurance.

Advanced computer skills (Microsoft Suite, financial software, dashboards, CRM’s, and PM software)

Proven fiduciary responsibility, successfully managing a budget of 10M+, preferred.

Prior business ownership preferred.

Competencies Required

• Problem Solving – Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; develops alternative solutions; uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Change Management – Communicates changes effectively and builds broad consensus; monitors transition and evaluates results.
• Leadership – Exhibits confidence in self and others; inspires and motivates others to perform well; accepts feedback from others
• Judgement – Displays willingness to make decisions; supports and explains reasoning for decisions. Gains trust of peers and leadership through sound decision‑making.
• Results Driven – Serious about committing and getting to results. Exemplifies this ability through sound decision‑making, backed by logic, understanding contingency planning, with an attitude toward appropriate prioritization and effort.
• People Oriented – Possess a high EQ and are readily able to connect and build relationships with clients, their staff, and Cogent team members.
• Conflict Management – Empathetic and able to see all perspectives; graciously communicates differing points of view to build understanding; finds agreeable, forward‑looking, and policy‑aligned solutions to resolve conflicts others would see as irreconcilable.

CULTURAL EXPECTATIONS

Given the unique nature of the company and our strong focus on integrity and values, these cultural components of how we operate will be expected:

Cogent Analytics strives to always put our clients first, choosing to do what is in their best interest even if that choice may not be the easy or popular path.

Cogent Analytics maintains the highest professional standards and pledges to operate with integrity and honesty in all that we endeavor to do.

We believe in a collaborative environment between the administrative staff, Leadership (AD and MD), and Project Directors.

We understand and embrace the “Obligation to Challenge,