Smithbucklin is an employee-owned professional services company with over 600 team members and more than 75 years of success serving the association market. We are looking for a Head of Consulting to join our Chicago or Washington, D.C. office. The Head of Consulting is responsible for leading Smithbucklin’s consulting practice, which provides strategic planning and other specialized advisory services to internal and external clients.
At Smithbucklin, we embody a culture driven by optimism, ambition, expertise, and thoughtfulness, where every team member is empowered to exceed expectations and deliver exceptional results for our clients. Join us in shaping the future of association management, where our values serve as the cornerstone of our success.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• 10+ years of experience in the association industry
• 5+ years of experience in a senior leadership role
• 5+ years in a strategic planning role
• Experience with different types of associations: trade, professional, healthcare, chapters, SIGs, etc.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE

• Active Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation
• Experience in the professional services industry
• Consulting experience for association industry

THIS ROLE MIGHT BE A GREAT FIT IF…

• You are an association guru
• You believe that associations are a key enabler in today’s business world
• You love facilitating groups to uncover new and innovative approaches
• You are a broad thinker and future-focused
• You thrive on strategic thinking
• You approach your work with a “consultant-like” mentality

IN THIS ROLE, YOU CAN EXPECT TO…

The Head of Consulting is responsible for leading and developing Smithbucklin’s consulting practice. This includes four main areas of responsibility: (1) delivery of consulting services, (2) practice development, (3) business development, and (4) internal consulting support. The Head of Consulting is assisted by a shared support resource, marketing support, and technology support.

Delivery of Consulting Services

• Manage a team of internal and external resources to deliver consulting services, which currently includes:
• Strategic Planning (majority of services)
• Governance
• Growth Planning
• Membership Analysis & Research
• Action Planning
• DEI Assessment & Planning (Thriving Community Development)
• Executive coaching
• Identify and secure suitable talent for each engagement. Maintain a roster of internal & external team members with skills and availability. Play a significant role yourself in engagement design, data collection, content delivery, and session facilitation.
• Oversee all preparation, logistics, and delivery considerations
• Monitor performance and collect feedback
• Overall accountability for quality and client satisfaction with consulting services

Practice Development

• Update, refine, and improve existing content & assets
• Create new practice areas and assets based on market demand
• Stay abreast of the latest developments in association consulting services and the management consulting world in general, including competitors, new models and approaches, and latest trends.

Business Development

• Internal (i.e. association management clients)
• Maintain a multi-year calendar of services provided by client and conduct proactive outreach for follow-up, refresh, or new services (e.g. strategic planning should occur every 3-5 years)
• Actively network in the Executive Director community to promote understanding of capabilities
• External (i.e. non-Smithbucklin clients)
• Network in the association industry to develop prospects
• Develop strategic positioning of consulting services as part of the broad Smithbucklin value proposition
• Participate in new business pitches
• Coordinate with 360 Live Media (Smithbucklin’s event strategy agency) on positioning of consulting services and potential joint projects
• Accountability for achieving annual sales target
• Develop and publish thought leadership (articles, speaking engagements, research) to raise awareness and perception of Smithbucklin’s consulting services.
• Work with finance team on pricing, contracting, and budgeting/forecasting

Internal Consulting Support

• Provide support for internal “consulting-type” efforts for association management clients (typically led by the Smithbucklin Executive Director) that do not warrant a full-blown consulting project.
• Consult on approach and process
• Identify tools, templates, and facilitation services that would be helpful
• Assist with facilitation or delivery of work
• In collaboration with association management leadership, develop guidelines for when consulting services require incremental fees to internal clients, vs. what should be included as part of Smithbucklin’s standard association management services.