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

Cogent Analytics; Fort Wayne (IN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Cogent Analytics seeks a Business Operations Consultant/Project Director to work on-site with owner-led businesses, improving operational performance, financial controls, and profitability. You will implement practical systems, coach leaders, and help teams sustain improvements.

This role requires 100% domestic travel and collaboration with leadership to drive measurable results. Candidates should bring strong business judgment, financial acumen, and the ability to earn trust in resource-limited

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to deliver quantifiable value through financials (income statement, cash flow).
• Experience leading client engagements and coaching owners and teams.

Responsibilities

• Deliver quantifiable and sustainable client value across financials and operations.
• Oversee work scope and communicate with project leadership to ensure timely delivery.

Skills

Problem Solving

Change Management

Leadership

Judgment

Results Driven

People Oriented

Conflict Management

Job description

Business Operations Consultant/Project Director

Position Overview

Work directly with privately held, owner-led businesses to improve operational performance, financial controls, and long-term profitability. Cogent Analytics primarily serves the following industries: contracting; manufacturing; wholesale and distribution; transportation and logistics; technology; and architecture and engineering.

Our Business Consultant Project Directors serve as the owner’s hands-on implementation partner, working on-site with leadership and employees to solve business problems and deliver measurable results. This role requires 100% domestic travel. Assignments may include improving cash flow and margins, strengthening sales processes, increasing operational efficiency, establishing financial controls, and building management accountability. You will implement practical systems, coach owners and employees, and help teams sustain improvements after the engagement ends.

Success requires sound business judgment, financial acumen, and the ability to earn trust and lead change in businesses where resources may be limited, processes informal, and owners closely involved in daily operations.

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.

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
• Judgment – 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,