Manager of Strategic Initiatives and Research

Who We Are
ghSMART is a leadership advisory firm dedicated to creating value for CEOs, boards, and investors. We partner with our clients to solve their most critical business decisions, becoming their trusted advisor on their most important people and talent priorities. As the first call for some of the world's most influential executives, we offer a data driven perspective on their leadership and talent strategy. Our team is made up of over 175 extraordinary individuals who become trusted advisors to these leaders, helping amplify their positive impact on the world. We advise on the art and science of building winning leadership teams, doing meaningful work every day. We hire the very best talent, and our team has the freedom to work where they choose.
Overview
Our work and methodology are deeply rooted in research and data, enabling us to advise clients on making better leadership decisions. As the Manager of Strategic Initiatives and Research, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the firm’s strategic direction, providing functional expertise and advanced analytical capabilities in the area of leadership and talent development. This role requires a blend of thought leadership, high-level advisory skills, and hands-on execution to drive the firm’s research agenda, knowledge assets, and go-to-market strategy.
You will partner closely with consultants, practice area leaders, and the Operating Team to define and prioritize the firm’s agenda around solutions, tools, and research. Your work will focus on identifying innovative, analytical approaches to solving client needs and delivering expert advisory support to key internal stakeholders. This position reports to the Director of Strategic Initiatives and will be instrumental in enabling the firm’s long-term growth strategy.

What You’ll Do

• Intellectual Property: Original Research, Tools, and Analytics:
• Define and lead the strategic research agenda for the firm by analyzing client needs, internal capabilities, market trends, and estimated return on these initiatives
• Drive the creation of tools and solutions, such as surveys, indices, and other data-driven offerings, that align with and augment the firm’s go-to-market strategy
• Build and lead a center of excellence around ghSMART’s intellectual property, owning the ideation, development, and dissemination of new and existing assets while fostering communities of practice to generate and share ideas and solutions
• Collaborate closely with the product team, serving as a translator between stakeholder needs and product capabilities to ensure solutions are impactful and actionable
• Contribute to thought leadership through articles, reports, and white papers, reinforcing ghSMART’s position at the forefront of leadership advisory
• Practice Area and Knowledge Management:
• Act as a senior content expert and thought partner to practice area leaders, helping to shape and implement content, strategy, and innovation
• Facilitate cross-team collaboration and knowledge-sharing efforts, driving the integration of best practices and insights across the firm
• Contribute to the Knowledge Hub, ensuring it is a cutting-edge platform for housing frameworks, tools, methodologies, and client-ready materials
• Business Development:
• Serve as a creative and strategic thought partner to consultants and partners, helping to shape bespoke RFPs, proposals, and go-to-market strategies
• Develop a library of case studies and customized business development decks, ensuring materials are aligned with ghSMART’s value proposition and client needs
• Contribute to proposals, providing innovative and data-driven research and insights to support client acquisition and expansion
• Leverage data-driven insights to refine business development processes and go-to-market strategies
• Strategic Initiatives:
• Partner with the Operating Team to execute key firm priorities, focusing on go-to-market strategy, customer experience, and operational efficiency
• Lead complex, firm-wide initiatives and programs that enhance client impact and growth, bringing strategic vision, operational rigor, and project management expertise
• Act as a subject matter expert to firm leaders on high priority projects

Required Skills and Experiences

• Education: 
• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in business, organizational development, data analytics, or a related field strongly preferred, with high academic achievement
• Experience:
• 4+ years of consulting experience at a top-tier strategy consulting firm with exposure to talent and HR topics; candidates with consulting experience are preferred
• In lieu of consulting experience, 10+ years of industry experience in similar focus are