Strategic Consultant - Core Evaluations

Engage fi, LLC; Tampa (FL); Remote; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in financial consulting is seeking a Strategic Consultant to provide expert guidance to clients in selecting and negotiating banking solutions. The role involves relationship management, project oversight, and vendor negotiation. Ideal candidates will have extensive industry experience and strong communication skills, contributing to a collaborative and innovative work environment.

Benefits

Competitive pay

Unlimited time off

401k matching

Medical, dental, and vision health plans

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in banking or related vendor industry.
• Experience in vendor selection technology projects.

Responsibilities

• Builds and maintains strong relationships with clients.
• Oversees complex client projects ensuring success.
• Negotiates suitable pricing and contract terms.

Skills

Communication

Problem Solving

Critical Thinking

Time Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business administration

Tools

Microsoft Office

Smartsheet

Job description

Description

As an Engage Fi employee, you can expect:

• To work with an amazing and collaborative team
• To create and innovate in your role and see the impact you make on the business and client experience
• To be a part of an award-winning team – Inc. 500 (2018), Inc. 5000 (2019, 2021, 2022, 2024), Tampa Bay Business Journal Fast 50 (2021, 2023, 2024), Great Place to Work (2023, 2024)
• All employees to cultivate and encourage new ideas and thrive on a fun and productive work environment
• To join a highly engaged workforce that supports personal and professional growth, empowerment, and lives by servant leadership

What we provide:

• Competitive pay, incentive programs, 401k matching
• Unlimited time off plus 11 paid holidays
• Medical, dental, and vision health plans with FSA or HSA options
• Opportunities to volunteer and give back to the communities we serve
• Paid remote work expenses
• Career development, trainings, continuous learning, and employee recognition
• Team engagement events and activities
• Culture of growth and continuous improvement
• A great place to work!

About Us:

Engage fi was founded on the principle of putting ourselves in our clients’ shoes to understand their needs, their business objectives, and their definition of success. What sets us apart from other options is our focus on the client, and a little bit more: more transparency, more innovation, more savings, more incentives, more fun, more collaboration. We take pride in our people, process, and tools guaranteeing that your experience with engage fi will surpass your expectations. Our emphasis on the education, efficiency, and effectiveness needed to drive the growth of our industry will align to the needs of the consumer and your internal team. Our collective experience working for and with vendors and financial institutions in the past gives us tremendous insight into the capabilities of the vendors that our clients work with. We aim to leverage our knowledge and tools to save time, improve efficiency, and provide the pricing leverage the financial institution needs.

With over 450 years of industry experience, the team at Engage fi is a blend of consultants, educators, matchmakers, integrators, and advocates. We are laser-focused on guiding financial institutions through our proven process and enabling them to make informed, timely decisions on vendor relationships so they can change at the speed of the consumer. Engage fi has completed over 525 strategic projects for financial institutions and negotiated over $2.2 billion in savings and incentives for our clients. We have a unique approach, and our strategic projects are as unique as the clients we serve. Let’s Engage! www.engagefi.com

Position Summary:

The Strategic Consultant provides guidance, expertise, and support to Engage fi clients by engaging as a strategic partner and acting as a subject matter expert (SME) in the evaluation, selection, and negotiation of critical bank and credit union solutions, including but not limited to core banking and related systems, vendors, and solutions.

Essential Functions:

Client Relationship Management –

• Builds and maintains strong relationships with clients by uncovering and analyzing client needs, providing and recommending solutions, and guiding the process with internal key stakeholders to achieve clients’ goals and objectives.

Project Oversight –

• Oversees complex client projects and applies Engage fi and industry best practices to execute on client strategies and implement project tactics to mitigate risk and ensure success.
• Works with the project team and other EFI team members as needed to develop, customize, and maintain key project artifacts, such as RFPs and project timelines.
• Maintains scope, schedule, and budget of projects, ensuring work is completed according the to the plan/statement of work (SOW).
• Facilitates project workshops, vendor sessions, and other critical project events and communications, chairs project meetings, and provides SME guidance to ensure project tasks are completed in a suitable and timely manner and risks, gaps, and issues are appropriately tracked, addressed, and escalated.

Vendor Relationship Management and Knowledge –

• Develops and sustains relationships with key strategic vendors, studies and evaluates financial industry market trends, participates in solution demos, and remains abreast of vendor changes, key competitors, and key system updates and overall functionality in order to effectively and appropriately apply knowledge and insight to client projects.
• Represents client’s and Engage fi’s best interests in all vendor interactions.

Contract Review and Negotiation –

• Evaluates client’s current invoices and existing contracts to capture relevant business terms, dates, and pricing. Requests and evaluates new vendor pricing and contract terms based on client’s strategies for vendor selection and unique business needs and presents an initial pricing and contract baseline analysis to client.
• Works with client, client’s legal representative, vendors, and EFI team members to negotiate suitable pricing and contract terms, devising strategies to increase revenue, cut costs, and promote growth for the client while also ensuring alignment with the client’s goals and objectives and monitoring the long-term effects of vendor and pricing changes.

Other Duties & Responsibilities:

• Acts as subject matter expert to assist in process review, improvement, and implementation in all areas of the company, including assisting in the ongoing development and enhancement of EFI best practice project artifacts/tools and integrating the use of technology into processes to gain efficiencies and add value for internal and external stakeholders.
• Accurately tracks and records project billing hours and budgets as directed in the appropriate technology/tool.
• Mentors and trains other Engage fi team members as assigned to assist with learning best practices and processes.

Requirements

Required Skills & Competencies:

• Strong skills in intrapersonal and professional verbal communication with the ability to take in information, listen, develop persuasive arguments, and present solutions and recommendations effectively.
• The ability to put together and deliver presentations and training to clients and effectively facilitate discussions with clients, vendors, and other key third parties.
• Excellent communication skills (written/verbal); ability to compose business correspondence that is clear and concise.
• Technical knowledge - Smartsheet, Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, ability to learn other software programs.
• Evolved problem-solving skills with a natural curiosity for solving problems and enjoys the challenge. Looks for root causes before acting.
• Advanced critical thinking skills – e.g., asks questions, looks at the broader picture, capable of conducting a what-if analysis and understanding and articulating all options and consequences, does not settle for the easy answer.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities; strong time-management skills.
• Self-motivated and capable of organizing and prioritizing work to achieve required results and takes personal pride in doing things right and delivering a quality work product.
• Team player; leverages available resources to get the job done; able to work in a highly collaborative environment with empathy and consideration for the viewpoints of all parties.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field or related experience
• 10+ years of experience in the credit union, banking, payments, or related vendor industry with preference for previous leadership positions, project oversight/management proficiency, and core banking conversion familiarity
• Deep industry knowledge of core banking and related vendors, solutions, tools, and processes
• Experience in successfully completing vendor selection technology projects involving both product and custom solutions
• Strong knowledge about vendor technology contracts, general contract business terms, and vendor proposal pricing analysis and comparisons
• Demonstrated ability to manage external, third-party vendors and clients/customers, including their employees, consultants, and designated subcontractors
• Facilitation of creative problem-solving sessions with all levels of leadership teams across different line of business disciplines
• Ability to present complex solutions to senior leadership teams
• Exposure to contract negotiations and vendor management
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite of Products, Smartsheet, and CRM platforms

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Position Type/Expected hours of Work:

Full Time/ 40 hours per week

Location:

• Remote
• 30% Travel required

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Activities, duties, or responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.

EEO Statement:

Engage fi provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.