Senior Strategic Advisor

Position Summary

The SPMO Senior Strategic Advisor will independently use and apply wide‑ranging management consulting experience and proficiency to lead and facilitate highly complex, strategic engagements involving multiple organizations and stakeholders; advise University executives and senior leaders to design and implement goal‑achieving solutions; develop methodologies that drive organizational effectiveness; regularly conduct rigorous analysis with available data and inputs; and apply methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for developing solutions and achieving results. Senior Strategic Advisors are recognized as thought leaders and expert project leaders throughout the organization. Senior Strategic Advisors also provide leadership internally to the SPMO unit in developing capabilities, mentoring staff, and forging internal and external relationships.

Key Responsibilities

• 40% Leads large‑scale initiatives by assessing complex situations and developing unique and innovative solutions. Mobilizes and manages cross‑functional project teams. Performs advanced analyses of high quantity and sometimes contradictory information. Exercises wide judgment in selecting and developing methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining appropriate results.
• 25% Leads and facilitates strategic planning with executives and their leadership team to develop mid and long‑term strategic goals. Identifies and assesses market trends; collects and analyzes input from relevant stakeholders; evaluates impact metrics; develops specific implementation plans.
• 25% Advises executive and senior leaders from across the University to address issues, develop recommendations, and implement solutions in alignment with strategic goals and objectives. Provides thought partnership, design, facilitation, and project management on multi‑faced problems to achieve strategically aligned solutions; facilitates adoption of proposed solutions from key stakeholders.
• 10% Creates repeatable frameworks and builds relationships to enhance the visibility and impact of the SPMO. Advises and mentors less experienced staff. Develops internal team capabilities. Provides direction, delegates, and removes obstacles to facilitate getting work done. Supports a collaborative and inclusive team culture.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of experience in leading and advising strategic initiatives, programs, and/or projects with senior leaders.
• Knowledge of the consulting process related to strategy and operations to effectively lead high‑impact engagements from inception to conclusion.
• Knowledge of the organizational environment of higher education and large research universities to understand client priorities, issues, motivations, and constraints.
• Demonstrates superior analytical, problem‑solving, project planning, and implementation skills.
• Ability to translate quantitative data into actionable insights.
• Ability to handle multiple constituencies, agendas, engagements, and tasks with tight deadlines, and to deal productively with ambiguity and conflict.
• Advanced skills in developing and assessing long‑range, enterprise‑level strategies, considering governance, policy, financial, operational, and political implications across a complex, decentralized organization.
• Has superior written, verbal, and presentation skills for influencing and facilitating sustained change.
• Demonstrates ability to learn quickly, reason, synthesize, and generalize based on information obtained.
• Ability to focus on priorities, strategies, and vision while managing multiple assignments.
• Ability to facilitate and influence people at all levels; demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse constituencies.
• Ability to persuade through both logic and appeal to positive motivations.
• Demonstrates interpersonal skills and client service orientation to establish and maintain positive collaborative working relationships with a broad range of stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in strategy and/or operations consulting leading high‑profile engagements.
• Experience connecting strategy to institutional priorities in a higher education environment.
• Experience leading strategic planning.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training.

Preferred Education

• Advanced degree preferred.

Job Details

• Job Title : Organizational Consultant 5
• Job Code : 000563
• Salary Grade : Grade 27
• Payscale : $192,000 – $208,000

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package.

Conditions of Employment

• Background check required.
• Smoke‑free work environment.
• Vaccination policy compliance as required.
• Disclosure of any administrative or judicial decisions or misconduct investigations within the last seven years.

EEO Statement

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.