Business Manager

YSC is the world’s premier provider of leadership strategy services. Leadership strategy is the intentional design of the individual leadership styles, the team dynamics and interactions, and the workplace culture that are most likely to enable successful achievement of an organization’s desired future state. We help organizations understand if they have the leadership they need for success, and we work with them to get there.

YSC is an eclectic group of professionals grounded in the rigor of the behavioural sciences and practical realities of commercial and organizational demands. Our consultants help organizations connect the dots between business strategy and leadership. We create a consistent experience for individuals and organizations globally, but with careful attention to the needs of the local markets and cultures where they operate.

• We are more than 225 employees in 20 offices across 15 countries around the world.
• Our consultants have varied professional backgrounds and hold advanced degrees and industry credentials in psychology, organizational behaviour, management, adult learning and leadership, and related fields.

In the 30 years YSC has been practicing in the leadership development space, we have partnered with more than 50% of the FTSE 100, and nearly 20% of the global Fortune 500 to help those leaders achieve their future business strategies. Our services include:

• CEO succession planning and board development.
• Executive assessment and development for individual leaders.
• High-performing team development.
• Inclusive leadership and diversity services.
• Services for private equity firms and portfolio companies (pre-deal, due diligence, post-deal integration and firmed-focus capability transfer).

YSC’s approach to project management has been honed over years of planning and executing holistic, award winning, delegate experiences. We ensure we are ahead of the game, ready to initiate activity in real-time, at the right-time, and from the vantage point of being involved in the end-to-end consulting process. The Business Manager is integral to this approach.

A Business Manager is an experienced client and project manager who heads up a small operations team that support a varied portfolio of clients. This is an office-based role, where there is a geographical office (YSC’s standard working from home policy applies). The Business Manager must ensure that all client projects are cohesive and seamless. They are a role model for best practice; demonstrating to their team exceptional process, communications, problem solving, self-management and relationship building.

A Business Manager will always be working to strategically develop their client portfolio, ensure excellent client experience, accurately forecast and contribute to contract negotiations. This will include some or all of the following:

Client portfolio management:

• Awareness of, and contribution to, the strategic approach of the client portfolio, working in partnership with consultants to make consultative and commercial decisions.
• Managing own portfolio of clients effectively and autonomously. Accountable for the effective running of the whole client portfolio, running larger accounts and being the point of escalation for smaller accounts.
• Monthly and quarterly Management Information reporting.
• Accountable for accurate forecasting of financials for the team portfolio and updating the Global FD and Resource Manager on any changes.
• Accountable for the team’s accuracy of client-related financial processes, invoices and POs.
• Resourcing and allocating projects across the team, liaising with the Resource Manager and Client Team Lead as appropriate.
• Defining, shaping and role-modelling appropriate client rhythm and best practice, given the client’s context and needs.

Client account management:

• Working closely with Client Directors and other operational members of the team to lead the management of client relationships
• Having an extensive knowledge of all own clients’ activities that YSC is engaged with (past and present) and an understanding of what YSC could do to support the client with their needs.
• Operational lead for client projects – ensuring best practice project management is adhered to throughout delivery.
• Working closely with the BD team to coordinate, develop and create client proposals, ensuring appropriate pricing and logistics are detailed in line with project scope.
• Facilitating client meetings (internal and external), leading on appropriate items.
• Attending client pitches, leading on relevant items.
• Accountable in the management of data security for clients within portfolio.
• Contract reviews and negotiations including proactively working with procurement to expedite the process.

Team management:

• Line management responsibilities within the operations team (where applicable), ensuring their effective performance against all expectations of their role.
• Championing team members across the wider business in support of their ongoing development and growth.
• Accountable for effective operational resourcing within team.
• A part of the recruitment team responsible for recruiting and onboarding new members of their Operations team.

Administrative support:

•  Compliance with storage and retention policies, including version control and destruction of data.
• Ad hoc support as required (e.g. reception/switchboard cover, liaising with third parties/contractors, etc).

Candidates for this role must show excellence in these areas:

• Communication skills: This role will require extensive liaison with senior-level clients and the internal team at YSC. The candidate must therefore be able to demonstrate confidence, credibility and flexibility in managing all of their stakeholders. Excellent written and oral communication is required.
• Organisation and planning: High levels of organisation, prioritisation and planning skills in managing multiple work streams across multiple time zones and geographies; excellent diary management.
• Relationships with clients: Outstanding ‘public face’ of YSC through exemplary dealings with clients e.g. excellent phone manner, professional approach, timely responses, builds relationships, warm, relaxed style.
• Technical skills: Proficient in Windows packages, particularly Excel and Outlook, in order to manage large scale projects efficiently and easily. Tech-savvy and comfortable learning new systems.
• Data analytics: Collating and interpreting data from multiple sources in order to feed into the strategy for the team’s portfolio and individual clients within it. The candidate should be comfortable manipulating data in excel and be able to identify key trends for reporting purposes.
  Attention to detail: Accuracy, particularly with data processing, contracts information, project planning etc. Excellent standards of document presentation and accuracy in written and verbal communication with clients and internally.
• Resilience: Maintains confidence and optimism in the face of ambiguity; meets pressing deadlines; works well under pressure; has capacity to cope with volume.
• Motivation: Interest, curiosity and motivation towards our work and clients and a desire for personal and professional development; receptive to feedback; demonstrates conscientiousness, reliability and proactivity; open to new ideas and change; self-starter. Proactivity and initiative to drive forward improvements in standards of service provided.
• Flexibility and adaptability: An energetic and positive-minded approach is essential. As well as the ability to contribute new ideas and approaches and grasp new methodologies.
• Relationships with team: Enthusiasm, curiosity and helpfulness to others through a collaborative approach; calmness under pressure; an ability to meet pressing deadlines. Role-modelling exemplary standards and best practice. Able to handle difficult conversations including disciplinaries if required, as well as being able to build rapport within the team and foster good working relationships across the business.

Essential

• Minimum three years’ previous experience in client facing project management.
• Management of large-scale projects.
• Commercial experience such as finance processes and contracting.

Desired

• Global project experience.
• Line or team management experience.