Our capability in strategic consultancy

Ricardo is a top strategic management consultancy in the automotive, transportation, and mobility industries. With a global presence and deep industry knowledge, Ricardo's teams offer technical expertise and strategic insights to global leaders, tackling high-impact issues and operational challenges.

Our professionals bridge the gap between engineering specialists and strategy consultants, providing clients with technical strategists who serve as trusted advisors on their toughest challenges. Supported by over 100 years of engineering excellence, we offer a unique perspective informed by technical know-how, delivering innovative solutions to complex technical and strategic obstacles in the automotive and wider transportation sectors.

Ricardo's diverse capabilities include market intelligence, mergers and acquisitions, corporate and technology strategy, product development, and more, supporting OEMs and suppliers across various markets. Over the past 15 years, we have successfully completed 500+ strategic projects, covering the entire value chain, empowering clients to thrive in today's competitive business landscape where technical and strategic boundaries intersect.

Role Purpose

We are looking for a Senior Manager to join our Strategy & Advisory team in the USA who will focus on winning and delivering strategic advisory consultancy projects, primarily supporting the automotive industry and its wider supply chain, but with the potential to support work in other industry sectors as well.  Clients include major vehicle OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, technology developers, industry associations and Government agencies. The ideal candidate will have an engineering background/experience coupled with strong business/commercial acumen (potentially an MBA holder). They will have deep technical knowledge of the major societal, economic, technological and engineering challenges facing the automotive industry, while also showing proficiency in entrepreneurial activities, business development and market insight.

Responsibilities include:

• Leading client networking and project creation activities
• Managing and providing oversight of the production of deliverables for clients
• Proposal development including leading the creating of technical and commercial content as well as carrying out proposal costing/budgeting activities
• Mentoring and nurturing junior colleagues
• Prioritizing personal development.

Key Accountabilities

• Proactively build, maintain and expand client relationships through networking and successful project delivery
• Deliver projects on time, to budget and to a high standard of quality.
• Utilization of ~80% on client fee-earning projects
• Act as a subject matter expert (SME) and industry thought leader.
• Ability and willingness to present at conferences to help raise the profile of the company’s expertise.

Key Competencies and Experience

• Demonstrable industry experience and associated technical engineering knowledge (primarily automotive with industrial sectors)
• Cross-functional experience, including at least 2 years of plant-floor experience as well as prior consultancy experience
• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering
• MBA is a plus and / or solid experience with strategic, commercial, and financial foundation
• Ability to travel up to 75% per year and willingness to work at client sites as needed
• Account liaison working across different Ricardo teams to create new opportunities and deliver projects that rely on combined capabilities from across the whole Ricardo Group
• Creative mindset and the ability to demonstrate entrepreneurship and a collaborative approach
• Experienced in driving business development activities focused on the North American Market
• Ability to develop and create proposals for multiple industries.
• Direct “C-suite” communication experience with clients
• Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, Word and Project

Skills and Behaviours

• Provides expert technical and market knowledge and actively engages in the project delivery process; adds value through distinctive insight into the industry or service area acquired through a successful career and applied appropriately to each client’s specific situation.
• Leads project teams within the business, contributing as appropriate to resource/ capability planning.
• Ensures projects are delivered on budget and to time
• Utilises market contacts and market knowledge to create and develop new business opportunities.
• Generate a focused network of customers and professional contacts at senior levels (preferably at the C-suite level)
• Excellent consultancy/business skills e.g. negotiation, communication, proposal writing, commercial acumen, presentation skills, relationship management.

Working here

You will be warmly welcomed into our workplace where every voice matters. We are diverse thinkers and doers, coming together to create a culture of inclusion. We will support you to find your place.

We will encourage you to use your passion and expertise to make a positive impact through the projects you work on.  Your knowledge and desire to bring about change will be invaluable in helping deliver innovative solutions that support communities across the globe in becoming safer and more sustainable.

Work life balance 

We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that is working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential.

Benefits

We want you to know how much you are valued. Your remuneration and benefits package will reflect that. You will receive a range of benefits which include support for your physical and mental health. 

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion statement

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, creed, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, marital or parental status (IL only), height, weight, national origin, citizenship status, age, domestic violence victim status, arrest record or conviction record (MI only), genetic information, military or veteran status or disability, or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state, or municipal law. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

Next steps

Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date.

Ricardo is a Disability confident employer please advise the recruitment team via recruit@ricardo.com if you require any adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment process.

#LI-EP1