Senior Principal - Energy, Utilities & Infrastructure

About the role

Senior Principals shape, lead and deliver major client engagements, playing a pivotal role in Q5’s commercial success and strategic direction. They build strong client relationships, create opportunities for growth, and role‑model Q5’s values in everything they do.

Responsibilities

• Business & Commercial Acumen: Exhibit a highly commercial mindset, manage margin and commercial risk across large and complex accounts, develop commercially sound approaches, and ensure account plans and commercials benefit both Q5 and clients.
• Gaining & Developing New Business: Consistently grow large‑scale accounts through proactive opportunity spotting, shape client briefs into compelling strategies, architect complex multi‑offering solutions, and act as a trusted advisor to extend or expand work.
• Relationship Building & Management: Proactively nurture senior‑level relationships across multiple clients, grow networks of senior stakeholders, and role‑model relationship‑driven leadership.
• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Architect solutions using Q5 methodology and offerings, analyse and synthesize complex information quickly, and provide constructive challenge to clients and teams.
• Influential Communication & Engagement: Create clear, compelling narratives, synthesize information into digestible messages, adapt communication style to diverse stakeholders, and drive action.
• Leading a Room: Read rooms expertly, facilitate and lead high‑stakes meetings with senior clients, adjust dynamically to session needs, and create inclusive environments that enable others to contribute.
• Programme & Project Management: Manage large client accounts end‑to‑end, ensure delivery on time, on budget and to high standards, oversee milestones, risks and quality, and maintain robust scope, governance and cadence.
• Analysis & Tooling: Demonstrate strong analytical skills, apply qualitative and quantitative approaches, support teams in producing robust data‑driven insights, and enhance outcomes through rigorous analysis.
• People Leadership: Lead multiple teams across large engagements, set clear direction, build high‑trust, values‑driven cultures, and mentor consultants at various levels.
• Values & Behaviours: Exemplify Q5’s values, create environments where others can live the values, give and seek feedback, and challenge behaviours that fall below expectations.

Requirements

• 12+ years of relevant professional experience, with significant time in management consulting, preferably within Energy, Utilities & Infrastructure sectors.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and hit the ground running in new contexts.
• Experience leading complex organisational transformation, including operating model and organisation design.
• Experience in strategic workforce planning and workforce modelling for large, complex organisations.
• Understanding of end‑to‑end employee lifecycles and ability to advise on operational and commercial outcomes.
• Experience working with large, complex people data and integrating external data sources.
• Strong grasp of strategy, operating model design, business operations and people analytics.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to explain complex concepts to non‑data audiences.
• Advanced problem‑solving and critical‑thinking skills, producing high‑quality, insightful outputs.
• Entrepreneurial mindset to help grow Q5’s analytics practice.

Qualifications

• Relevant degree in a discipline aligned with consulting, analytics, or related fields.

Ideal candidate profile

• Highly adaptable and flexible thinking style; able to join the dots quickly and adjust plans as needed.
• Collaborative working style with a “we” mindset, bringing diverse stakeholders together for solutions.
• Genuine care for clients and colleagues, focused on long‑term success and empathetic partnership.
• Ability to build trusted relationships and guide people on the journey toward solutions.
• Resilient under tight timelines and demanding clients, maintaining humour and care.
• Willingness to get hands‑dirty, step up in a flat structure, and mentor junior team members.
• Curious, non‑cookie‑cutter thinker who stands out and solves complex client problems.

Benefits

• Finance 401K Plan
• Basic Life Insurance and AD&D Plans
• WageWorks Commuter Benefits
• Discretionary performance‑related bonus
• Health & Wellbeing: Medical, Dental and Vision insurance
• Short‑ and Long‑Term Disability Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Access to Health Advocate
• Internal Wellbeing Program

Location: Houston