Strategic Consultant - Digital Evaluations

Role Description

The Strategic Digital Consultant provides guidance, expertise, and support to Engage fi clients by engaging as a strategic partner and acting as a subject matter expert (SME) in the evaluation, selection, and negotiation of critical bank and credit union solutions, including but not limited to digital banking, online loan origination, online account opening, and related systems, vendors, and solutions.

Essential Functions

• Client Relationship Management:
  • Builds and maintains strong relationships with clients by uncovering and analyzing client needs, providing and recommending solutions, and guiding the process with internal key stakeholders to achieve clients’ goals and objectives.
• Project Oversight:
  • Oversees complex client projects and applies Engage fi and industry best practices to execute on client strategies and implement project tactics to mitigate risk and ensure success.
  • Works with the project team and other Engage fi team members as needed to develop, customize, and maintain key project artifacts, such as RFPs and project timelines.
  • Maintains scope, schedule, and budget of projects, ensuring work is completed according to the plan/statement of work (SOW).
  • Facilitates project workshops, vendor sessions, and other critical project events and communications, chairs project meetings, and provides SME guidance to ensure project tasks are completed in a suitable and timely manner and risks, gaps, and issues are appropriately tracked, addressed, and escalated.
• Vendor Relationship Management and Knowledge:
  • Develops and sustains relationships with key strategic vendors, studies and evaluates financial industry market trends, participates in solution demos, and remains abreast of vendor changes, key competitors, and key system updates and overall functionality in order to effectively and appropriately apply knowledge and insight to client projects.
  • Represents client’s and Engage fi’s best interests in all vendor interactions.
• Contract Review and Negotiation:
  • Evaluates client’s current invoices and existing contracts to capture relevant business terms, dates, and pricing. Requests and evaluates new vendor pricing and contract terms based on client’s strategies for vendor selection and unique business.
  • Works with client, client’s legal representative, vendors, and Engage fi team members to negotiate suitable pricing and contract terms, devising strategies to increase revenue, cut costs, and promote growth for the client while also ensuring alignment with the client’s goals and objectives and monitoring the long-term effects of vendor and pricing changes.
• Other Duties & Responsibilities:
  • Acts as subject matter expert to assist in process review, improvement, and implementation in all areas of the company, including assisting in the ongoing development and enhancement of Engage fi best practice project artifacts/tools and integrating the use of technology into processes to gain efficiencies and add value for internal and external stakeholders.
  • Accurately tracks and records project billing hours and budgets as directed in the appropriate technology/tool.
  • Mentors and trains other Engage fi team members as assigned to assist with learning best practices and processes.

Qualifications

• Strong skills in intrapersonal and professional verbal communication with the ability to take in information, listen, develop persuasive arguments, and present solutions and recommendations effectively.
• The ability to put together and deliver presentations and training to clients and effectively facilitate discussions with clients, vendors, and other key third parties.
• Excellent communication skills (written/verbal); ability to compose business correspondence that is clear and concise.
• Technical knowledge - Smartsheet, Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, and the ability to learn other software programs.
• Evolved problem-solving skills with a natural curiosity for solving problems and enjoys the challenge. Looks for root causes before acting.
• Advanced critical thinking skills – e.g., asks questions, looks at the broader picture, capable of conducting a what-if analysis and understanding and articulating all options and consequences, does not settle for the easy answer.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities; strong time-management skills.
• Self-motivated and capable of organizing and prioritizing work to achieve required results and takes personal pride in doing things right and delivering a quality work product.
• Team player; leverages available resources to get the job done; able to work in a highly collaborative environment with empathy and consideration for the viewpoints of all parties.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field or related experience.
• 10+ years of experience in the credit union, banking, payments, or related vendor industry with preference for previous leadership positions, project oversight/management proficiency, and core banking conversion familiarity.
• Deep industry knowledge of core banking, credit/debit card processing, online banking insurance, bank operations, and/or lending origination vendors, solutions, tools, and processes.
• Experience in successfully completing vendor selection and/or conversion technology projects involving both product and custom solutions.
• Strong knowledge about vendor technology contracts, general contract business terms, and vendor proposal pricing analysis and comparisons.
• Demonstrated ability to manage external, third-party vendors and clients/customers, including their employees, consultants, and designated subcontractors.
• Facilitation of creative problem-solving sessions with all levels of leadership teams across different line of business disciplines.
• Ability to present complex solutions to senior leadership teams.
• Exposure to contract negotiations and vendor management with vendors in the digital domain.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite of Products, Project Management Software, and CRM platforms.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Position Type/Expected hours of Work

• Full Time/ 40 hours per week.
• Remote.
• 30% Travel required.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Activities, duties, or responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.

EEO Statement

Engage fi provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.