Principal Business Consultant

Namely; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Cornerstone OnDemand is seeking a Principal Business Consultant to deliver high-impact consulting and implementation services, guiding customers through complex HCM SaaS engagements. You will lead discovery, design, testing, and go-live readiness while partnering with cross-functional teams to ensure on-time, high-quality outcomes.

The role demands 8+ years in consulting within HCM, with 6+ years in large-scale implementations, strong stakeholder engagement, and proven ability to drive customer

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Human Resources, Information Systems, Technology, or equivalent
• Hands-on experience with enterprise HCM SaaS implementation; Cornerstone OnDemand solutions preferred
• Working knowledge of implementation methodologies, requirements documentation, solution design, testing, data validation, administrator enablement, and go-live readiness
• Willingness to work US shifts from Hyderabad office and to travel as needed
• Professional proficiency in English and ability to work with global customers and distributed teams
• Proficiency with AI tools and productivity software such as Kantata (Mavenlink) and Asana

Responsibilities

• Lead business requirements and gap-analysis for complex HCM SaaS implementations.
• Develop functional strategies based on customer outcomes, operating models, and workflows.
• Identify gaps, risks, and process pitfalls and guide customers to optimal solutions.
• Facilitate business-process, solution-design, and configuration workshops with executives and stakeholders.
• Provide functional leadership to customers and cross-functional delivery teams.
• Own testing and validation of requirements and functional solutions.
• Define delivery strategy and project plan in partnership with the Project Manager.
• Coordinate complex workstreams, dependencies, risks, issues, and scope across engagements.
• Collaborate with internal teams to resolve post-implementation issues.
• Document lessons learned from post-go-live reviews and drive delivery improvements.
• Lead administrator training and customer enablement.
• Meet utilization and other KPIs.
• Act as a subject-matter expert across Cornerstone OnDemand solutions and HCM domains.
• Support pre-sales discovery, scoping, and effort-shaping activities.
• Lead initiatives to improve operational efficiency, consistency, and delivery quality.
• Mentor consultants and analysts through coaching and knowledge sharing.
• Oversee implementation projects with reduced dependency on Practice Managers and Directors

Skills

Communication

Problem solving

Customer leadership

Commercial awareness

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Kantata (Mavenlink)

Asana

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Principal Business Consultant is responsible for delivering high-impact consulting, advisory and implementation services to customers while defining, improving, and driving best practices across Cornerstone OnDemand solutions. The role provides functional and business leadership on complex engagements, supports pre-sales presentations and scoping, and works with cross functional teams, clients, and stakeholders to deliver business outcomes on time, within scope, and to high quality standards.

In This Role You Will

• Consulting, advisory and solution leadership Lead business requirements and gap-analysis activities for complex HCM SaaS implementations.
• Develop and recommend functional strategies based on customer business outcomes, operating models, and existing workflows.
• Apply industry and product expertise to identify gaps, risks, and process pitfalls, and guide customers toward optimal solutions.
• Facilitate business-process, solution-design, and configuration workshops, including executive and stakeholder discussions.
• Provide functional and business leadership to customers and cross-functional delivery teams.
• Own testing and validation of business requirements and functional solutions.
• Delivery, governance, and customer outcomes Partner with the Cornerstone OnDemand Project Manager in defining the optimum delivery strategy and project plan.
• Lead complex workstreams and coordinate dependencies, decisions, risks, issues, and scope across the engagement.
• Partner with internal teams to define, deliver, and resolve post-implementation issues.
• Conduct post-go-live reviews, document lessons learned, and convert insights into repeatable delivery improvements.
• Facilitate and lead administrator training and customer enablement.
• Meet utilization expectations and other individual and practice performance KPIs.
• Practice leadership and pre-sales Act as a subject-matter expert across relevant Cornerstone OnDemand solutions and HCM domains.
• Provide solution consulting, advisory and industry best-practice guidance throughout the customer lifecycle.
• Support pre-sales discovery, solution presentations, scoping, and effort-shaping activities.
• Recommend and lead internal initiatives that improve operational efficiency, consistency, and delivery quality.
• Mentor and guide consultants and analysts through coaching, knowledge sharing, and quality review.
• Oversee and guide implementation projects with reduced dependency on Practice Managers and Directors .

You've Got What It Takes

If You Have 8+ years of consulting, advisory experience in the HCM space, including 6+ years supporting medium- or large-scale implementation programs. Demonstrated experience leading complex customer-facing workstreams from discovery through validation and go-live. Deep subject-matter expertise in one or more areas such as learning management, talent management, performance, succession, compensation, recruiting, skills, or talent mobility. Strong business analysis, process design, gap analysis, problem solving, and solution advisory capabilities. Ability to communicate complex topics clearly in writing, presentations, workshops, and executive discussions. Ability to establish trusted-advisor relationships and confidently guide customer decisions using product and industry best practices. Experience managing scope, schedule, risks, issues, decisions, and cross-functional dependencies. Ability to operate with minimal supervision, lead premier or strategically important customers, and prevent issues proactively. Proven collaboration and mentoring skills, including the ability to improve the quality and timeliness of team deliverables. High level of organization and the ability to coordinate the work of others without direct reporting responsibility.

Core Competencies

• Communication and executive presence Clear, concise, professional communication; strong writing, presentation, facilitation, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Problem solving Logical root-cause analysis, insightful questioning, evidence-based recommendations, and practical resolution of complex issues.
• Customer leadership Ability to earn customer confidence, build trust, navigate ambiguity, and maintain a strong focus on measurable customer outcomes.
• Commercial and scope awareness Ability to support discovery and scoping, protect delivery boundaries, and connect recommendations to project outcomes.
• Team and practice contribution Ability to coach others, share reusable knowledge , strengthen delivery standards, and contribute in delivery and pre-sales scenarios.

Standard Pre-Requisites

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Human Resources, Information Systems, Technology, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant professional experience
• Hands-on experience with enterprise HCM SaaS implementation; experience with Cornerstone OnDemand solutions is strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of implementation methodologies, requirements documentation, solution design, testing, data validation, administrator enablement, and go-live readiness
• Willingness and ability to work US shifts from Hyderabad office, in accordance with business requirements.
• Willingness and ability to travel based on customer and project needs.
• Professional proficiency in English and the ability to work effectively with global customers and distributed teams.
• Proficiency with AI tools , Microsoft Office applications and professional-services automation tools such as Kantata (Mavenlink) Asana.

Extra Dose of Awesome

If You Have Current certifications in relevant Cornerstone OnDemand solutions. Industry certifications from TSIA, Prosci, IIBA, PMI, or a similar accredited organization. Experience with business transformation, change management, adoption strategy, governance, or value realization. Experience supporting proposals, statements of work, estimation, or solution demonstrations. Exposure to integrations, SSO, data migration, reporting, security roles, or enterprise application ecosystems. #LI-Onsite