Business Consultant in Guildford, Surrey

The Business Consultant role in Actica provides you with the opportunity to support a wide range of UK Public Sector, Defence, National Security and private sector organisations. Your help will enable them to deliver their digital transformation objectives and plan effectively for the future, secure benefits from digital programme and project delivery and maximise their return on investments in technology and facilities.

Our position as a client-side advisor means that this role requires significant stakeholder engagement, dealing directly with the client, including in resolving day-to-day issues involved in assignment delivery and developing follow-on opportunities. Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills are essential.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Working either individually or as part of a larger Actica team, you will undertake consultancy assignments that could include:
• Delivering business cases for digital investments in accordance with the HMT green book five case model, developing investment appraisals and supporting the client in gaining the necessary approvals;
• Developing strategies for future delivery of digital services to meet the client’s business needs, in accordance with their wider business strategies;
• Supporting large digital, data and technology procurements, including developing procurement documentation and evaluation strategies and evaluating bids;
• Directly managing the delivery of projects and programmes, including development of project schedules, managing risks and dependencies, designing and delivering governance arrangements and providing project and programme management information to senior stakeholders;
• Producing User and Service Requirements Documentation;
• Providing client-side assurance that proposed technical and service management solutions to business problems are fit for purpose;
• Delivering business change / transformation products, including stakeholder engagement management plans; benefits realisation plans and communication plans and products;
• Sharing client domain, technical, security, PPM or wider knowledge to ensure that our clients benefit from your own, and Actica’s, background expertise.

Your level of experience will determine the amount of responsibility given to you, as a result the role may require you to lead assignments and be responsible for supervising direct reports whilst ensuring the overall success of the engagement.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Experience of digital transformation within the UK Public Sector is essential. The fast-changing nature of the digital, data and technology environment together with the need to resource multiple, ad-hoc assignments also requires the individual to be intellectually agile, proactive and self-motivated – with the ability to apply a structured approach to often unfamiliar subject matter. This is a client facing role. Excellent listening and communication skills are also essential.

Experience in the application of at least two of the following:

• Delivery in line with the GDS Service Manual;
• Programme and Project Management methods: such as MSP, PRINCE2, APMP, Scaled Agile Framework, Scrum, Kanban;
• Service Management best practice, including ITIL;
• Development and delivery of business cases or investment appraisals in line with public sector best practice (such as HMT green book), including formal qualifications in Better Business Cases.
• Development of tender documentation (such as evaluation criteria or technical schedules) for public sector procurements.

The nature of our business means that a wide and varied background is preferable and the capability to adapt quickly to change is always required.

Additional Requirements:

• Must be eligible and willing to obtain UK Government Security Clearance.

Key Attributes for Success:

• Ability to engage effectively with stakeholders, including resolving issues and identifying new opportunities.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Adaptability to a fast-paced, ever-changing environment.

Working Arrangements:

Hybrid working model, with an office base in Guildford, Surrey and access to our other offices in London, Swindon and Cheltenham. Typical working week might involve 2-3 days working at clients’ premises or other locations and the remainder at home or at one of our offices. Some projects may require up to 5 days per week on-site with colleagues. The practicalities of some project work means that individuals may need to stay away from home during the working week. Team-based project environment with opportunities to participate in internal initiatives.

Career Development

A Mentor will be on hand to provide support and guidance throughout your journey with Actica. You will also work with a Performance and Development Manager, often outside of your project line of control, who will conduct regular reviews based on project feedback to set career objectives and identify training courses which are both relevant to your current project work, and aligned with your planned career progression.

Our Commitment to Diversity

Actica aims to nurture a diverse workforce through inclusive working practices, promoting equality in our recruitment activities, and by employing candidates on the basis of merit. Discrimination against individuals on the grounds of protected characteristics is not permitted and we take steps to ensure that our staff are made aware of their legal responsibilities when making hiring decisions.

We offer a competitive suite of benefits.

About Actica Consulting

Actica Consulting is a leading Digital Transformation and Cyber Security consultancy focused on the UK Public Sector. Our teams have a long track record of delivering technology-focused consultancy in a variety of complex environments. Our projects often run over multiple years and contribute to clients’ mission-critical objectives and key strategic initiatives. We’re proud of our long-term client relationships and excellent track record of delivery; as a result, we’re trusted to work on some of the UK Government’s most important and sensitive projects.

We operate in the following market sectors: Defence, Central Government, National Security, Policing and Public Safety, Utilities, and Transport.

Our expertise covers: Organisational Improvement, Delivering Complex Programmes, Digital Engineering, Cyber Security, and AI, Analytics and Data.