The Manager, Consulting & Business Development will play a key role in delivering FINGO's consulting services, managing client engagements, coordinating the company's day-to-day activities, supervising junior staff, and driving business development.
The successful candidate will manage significant components of consulting assignments, engage directly with clients, analyse financial and operational information, develop evidence-based recommendations, and support clients in implementing agreed strategies and improvements.
The role also carries responsibility for identifying business opportunities, developing proposals, maintaining client relationships, coordinating internal resources, and supporting the company's growth and operational effectiveness.
We are seeking a proactive, commercially minded, analytical, and results-oriented professional who can work independently, manage multiple assignments, exercise sound judgement, and translate client needs into practical solutions.
Consulting and Advisory Services
- Manage significant components of consulting engagements from planning through delivery and follow-up.
- Conduct financial, operational, and organisational assessments to identify gaps, risks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement.
- Analyse client financial statements, budgets, management reports, accounting records, and other relevant data.
- Develop practical, evidence-based advisory recommendations to improve financial performance, operational efficiency, governance, and organisational sustainability.
- Support the design and implementation of financial management systems, policies, procedures, internal controls, and reporting frameworks.
- Contribute to the development of finance manuals, budgeting tools, financial reporting templates, donor compliance frameworks, and other consulting deliverables.
- Monitor the implementation of agreed recommendations and provide technical support to clients where required.
- Prepare high-quality reports, presentations, proposals, and other client-facing deliverables.
- Ensure that all assignments meet FINGO's quality standards, agreed timelines, and client expectations.
Client Relationship and Engagement Management
- Serve as a primary point of contact for assigned clients and maintain effective professional relationships.
- Understand client needs and translate them into clearly defined scopes of work, deliverables, and implementation plans.
- Coordinate client meetings, consultations, information requests, progress reviews, and assignment close-out activities.
- Manage client expectations, communicate progress, and address emerging issues promptly.
- Identify opportunities to expand existing engagements through additional services and follow-on assignments.
- Promote a professional, responsive, and solutions-oriented client experience.
Business Development and Proposal Management
- Identify and pursue new business opportunities among NGOs, SMEs, development organisations, and other potential clients.
- Conduct market research and identify emerging client needs, consulting opportunities, and potential partnerships.
- Develop technical and financial proposals, expressions of interest, concept notes, capability statements, and service quotations.
- Coordinate the preparation and submission of proposals in response to requests for proposals, requests for quotations, and other business opportunities.
- Develop cost estimates, work plans, implementation schedules, and proposed staffing arrangements for consulting assignments.
- Maintain a pipeline of prospective clients, opportunities, proposals, and follow-up actions.
- Support client presentations, business meetings, networking activities, and other business development initiatives.
- Track proposal outcomes and contribute to strategies for improving conversion rates and revenue generation.
- Maintain accurate records of business development activities and provide periodic pipeline and performance updates.
Company Operations and Coordination
- Coordinate FINGO's day-to-day activities to support effective delivery of consulting services and internal operations.
- Translate management priorities into work plans, deliverables, timelines, and measurable performance targets.
- Coordinate resource allocation across consulting assignments, internal projects, and business development activities.
- Monitor assignment progress, identify implementation bottlenecks, and recommend corrective actions.
- Maintain effective systems for tracking client engagements, deliverables, deadlines, proposals, and outstanding actions.
- Support the development and implementation of internal policies, procedures, operational plans, and performance management systems.
- Prepare periodic management updates on consulting delivery, business development, operational performance, and emerging risks.
- Ensure that internal activities are properly coordinated and that management decisions are followed through to completion.
Team Leadership and Staff Supervision
- Supervise junior consultants, interns, and other assigned personnel.
- Allocate tasks, establish expectations, monitor performance, and ensure timely completion of assignments.
- Review staff outputs and provide constructive feedback to maintain technical accuracy and professional quality.
- Provide coaching, guidance, and on-the-job learning opportunities to junior team members.
- Coordinate team meetings, work planning, progress reviews, and performance feedback.
- Promote accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and professional conduct.
- Identify staff capacity gaps and recommend appropriate training and development interventions.
- Escalate significant performance, delivery, or conduct issues to management.
Financial Management and Administrative Oversight
- Support the preparation and monitoring of FINGO's operational budget, work plans, and business performance reports.
- Monitor project budgets, assignment costs, resource utilisation, and delivery timelines.
- Support timely preparation of client invoices, tracking of receivables, and follow-up on outstanding payments.
- Monitor the financial performance of consulting engagements and flag cost overruns or margin pressures.
- Support procurement, vendor coordination, administrative planning, and other operational activities as assigned.
- Ensure appropriate documentation and recordkeeping for consulting engagements and internal operations.
- Recommend measures to improve cost efficiency, productivity, and profitability.
Required Qualifications and Experience
- A bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, Management, or a related discipline.
- A relevant professional qualification, such as ACA, ACCA, CIMA, PMP, or an equivalent qualification, is required.
- At least five years of relevant professional experience in consulting, financial management, business advisory, project management, operations, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience managing client assignments, analysing data, preparing reports, and developing practical recommendations.
- Experience supervising junior staff or coordinating teams.
- Demonstrated experience preparing technical and financial proposals, business plans, or consultancy bids.
- Experience working with NGOs, SMEs, development organisations, or professional services firms will be an advantage.
Required Skills and Competencies
The ideal candidate should demonstrate:
- Analytical and problem-solving skills: Ability to interpret financial and operational information and identify practical solutions.
- Consulting and advisory skills: Ability to assess client needs, develop recommendations, and support implementation.
- Business development capability: Ability to identify opportunities, prepare compelling proposals, and contribute to revenue growth.
- Project management skills: Ability to manage multiple assignments, competing priorities, deadlines, and deliverables.
- Client management skills: Strong communication, relationship management, negotiation, and presentation skills.
- Leadership and supervision: Ability to coordinate teams, review work, provide feedback, and hold colleagues accountable.
- Commercial awareness: Understanding of project costing, resource utilisation, profitability, and the financial implications of consulting decisions.
- Digital proficiency: Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and relevant accounting, financial analysis, and project management tools.
- Written communication: Ability to prepare clear, structured, and professional reports, proposals, and client correspondence.
- Integrity and professionalism: Strong ethical standards, discretion, reliability, and commitment to quality.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Performance will be assessed against agreed targets, including:
- Percentage of assignments delivered within agreed timelines.
- Quality and accuracy of consulting reports and deliverables.
- Client satisfaction and feedback.
- Timely implementation and follow-up of agreed recommendations.
- Number and quality of qualified business opportunities identified.
- Number and value of proposals submitted.
- Proposal success or conversion rate.
- Revenue generated from new and existing clients.
- Value of the active business development pipeline.
- Timeliness and accuracy of management updates.
- Effectiveness of work planning and resource allocation.
- Timely resolution or escalation of operational issues.
- Compliance with agreed internal processes and reporting requirements.
- Timely completion and quality of work assigned to junior staff.
- Evidence of coaching, feedback, and staff development.
- Staff productivity and accountability.
Specific targets will be agreed with management and reviewed periodically.
Reporting and Working Relationships
The Manager, Consulting & Business Development will report directly to the Managing Director or another designated member of management.
The role will work closely with clients, consultants, interns, service providers, and other stakeholders to ensure effective delivery of assignments and achievement of FINGO's business objectives.
The successful candidate should be:
- Proactive and comfortable taking ownership of assignments.
- Commercially minded, with a strong interest in growing a consulting business.
- Organised, dependable, and capable of working with limited supervision.
- Confident in engaging with clients and presenting professional recommendations.
- Comfortable balancing technical consulting, operational coordination, and business development responsibilities.
- Adaptable and willing to work in a growing consulting firm where responsibilities may evolve with business needs.