Senior Managing Director, Public Sector

MAKE STRATEGY A REALITY | ACCELERATE YOUR GROWTH | CHOOSE YOUR PATH

As the world's leading change and transformation consultancy, we're helping businesses move from strategy to reality by taking a pragmatic and practical approach to build solutions that last.
We're seeking a Senior Managing Director, Management Consulting in our Atlanta, GA office to help us take vision to value and create lasting impact. Open to locations nationwide.

SUMMARY:

North Highland is a global consulting firm that partners with clients to transform their organizations through strategy, technology, and human-centered change. Our Public Sector practice is dedicated to helping government agencies deliver measurable outcomes that matter for the communities they serve. 

North Highland is seeking a Leader for the U.S. Public Sector portfolio, our largest industry area, with work focused largely at the state level. As such, this position is among the top leadership roles at the firm with end-to-end P&L responsibility for executing strategy, driving growth, ensuring delivery excellence, and developing talent across North Highland’s Public Sector portfolio, notably across state-level health and transportation domains. 

This role is built for an executive who thinks at the intersection of mission, technology, business, and transformation—someone who understands what state government agencies are trying to accomplish, knows how to build the trusted advisor relationships that make a consulting firm indispensable, and has the business acumen to grow a national portfolio with intention and discipline. 

You will inherit an established, winning portfolio with active engagements across Health and Human Services, Transportation, and Enterprise Technology Transformation. You will be expected to take it to the next level, expanding our footprint in existing markets, opening new ones, building a leadership bench that can scale with growth, and positioning North Highland as the public sector consulting firm of choice for agencies facing their hardest transformation challenges. 
This is not a management role. It is a leadership role—for an executive who builds things. 

YOU WILL:

• Portfolio Growth and P&L Accountability 

• Own the national Public Sector portfolio growth agenda, including go-to-market approach, vertical prioritization (HHS, Transportation, Enterprise Technology), geographic expansion, and strategic partnership development 

• Hold key P&L accountability for the Public Sector portfolio—revenue, margin, utilization, and growth targets; manage and mitigate risks through clear understanding of procurement and contracts 

• Set the growth agenda for the portfolio—where North Highland competes, how it differentiates, and what capabilities it builds or acquires, and hold leaders accountable for achievement 

• Represent the Public Sector portfolio at the North Highland executive leadership level, contributing to firm-wide strategy and cross-practice integration 

• Business Development & Market Leadership 

• Drive nationwide business development across targeted Public Sector verticals—Health and Human Services (Medicaid Modernization, Eligibility Systems, Rural Health), Transportation (Tolling, Transit, Critical Infrastructure), and Enterprise Technology Transformation 

• Lead pursuit strategy for the firm's largest and most complex public sector opportunities—from market intelligence and positioning through proposal development, orals, and award 

• Develop and manage a national pipeline of opportunities aligned to North Highland's core capabilities - program evaluation, data and analytics, technology modernization, change management, and workforce transformation – in a collaborative manner with North Highland Practice colleagues 

• Build and leverage strategic relationships with state agency executives, procurement leaders, and policy officials to shape opportunities before they hit the street 

• Delivery Excellence & Client Stewardship 

• Serve as the senior executive sponsor for North Highland's highest-profile and most strategically significant public sector engagements nationally 

• Ensure delivery quality, risk management, and client satisfaction across the full portfolio—intervening with senior judgment at critical moments and building governance structures that protect quality at scale 

• Build a culture of delivery excellence across the practice—one where client outcomes, not contract compliance, define success 

• Serve as a visible, trusted advisor to agency heads and senior government officials, building the long-term relationships that drive repeat business and referrals 

• Talent & Team Building 

• Build, develop, and retain a nationwide team of public sector consulting leaders who can independently lead major engagements and grow client relationships 

• Create a culture that attracts mission-driven consultants who want to do meaningful work in the public sector—and keeps and develops them 

• Develop career pathways, compensation frameworks, and recognition structures that differentiate the firm in a competitive talent market 

• Implement intentional talent development strategies, including rotation programs, mentorship, and succession planning that build bench strength 

• Thought Leadership & External Presence 

• Represent North Highland at national conferences, state association convenings, and industry events 

• Develop and publish points of view, white papers, and business / capability perspectives that build the firm's credibility and generate market awareness 

• Position North Highland as a thought leader in public sector transformation, particularly in Medicaid modernization, infrastructure investment, and public health innovation 

IDEALLY, WE'D LIKE:

• 20+ years of progressive leadership experience in public sector consulting, government, or a combination of both, at the state level —with at least 7+ years in a senior practice or portfolio leadership role 

• Demonstrated P&L ownership and revenue growth accountability at a national or multi-regional scale—a track record of building a practice, not just running one 

• Deep, current relationships across the state government landscape—with agency executives, procurement leaders, and policy officials who know you and trust your judgment 

• Broad expertise across at least two of North Highland's core Public Sector capability areas: program evaluation, data and analytics, technology modernization, change management, or workforce transformation 

• Proven ability to lead and win complex, competitive procurements, including RFQs, RFPs, cooperative agreements, GSA vehicles, and task orders 

• Experience building and leading high-performing, management consulting teams—recruiting, developing, and retaining senior talent in a competitive market with fungible skills to land, expand, and take share across different domains, disciplines, and geographies 

• Executive presence and communication skills that earn credibility at the highest levels of government and inspire confidence in clients, team members, and firm leadership alike 

• A genuine belief in the mission of public sector transformation and a personal commitment to delivering outcomes that matter for the community’s government serves 

• A collaborative, proactive leadership style that models “all ships rise” behavior in decision-making and ways of working 

• Preferred Qualifications 

• Prior leadership of a national or large regional public sector consulting practice at a recognized firm 

• Senior government service experience—federal agency leadership, state cabinet-level service, or equivalent 

• Experience operating in a matrix organization with clear accountability across domains, geographies, and practices 

• Track record of driving cultural transformation and implementing new operating models in complex organizations 

• What Success Looks Like 

• Year One 

• Drive immediate impact by activating the pipeline, deepening client relationships, deploying the talent bench, and strengthening competitive positioning — building on the assessment already completed. 

• Pipeline Health — Apply stage-gate discipline to accelerate deals, surface where momentum has stalled, and direct resources toward the highest-probability opportunities. 

• Client Relationships — Shift from relationship mapping to active engagement. Prioritize key accounts, address at-risk relationships directly, and establish a rhythm of executive touchpoints that build trust. 

• Talent Bench — Identify high-performers and give them room to run. Close critical gaps quickly and align the right people to the right priorities. 

• Competitive Positioning — Sharpen the narrative and take it to market. Arm the team with the tools and messaging to win and start building the proof points that define our reputation.  

• Achieve double-digit revenue growth through disciplined pursuit of high-probability opportunities in strategic focus areas 

• Expand North Highland's footprint in high-growth markets (Medicaid modernization, infrastructure investment, public health innovation) 

• Build a leadership bench with clear succession plans for key roles (Initiative Leads, Geography Leads, State Touchpoints) 

• Position North Highland as a top-tier public sector consulting firm recognized for delivery excellence and measurable client outcomes 

• Years Two & Three

• Achieve double-digit revenue growth through disciplined pursuit of high-probability opportunities in strategic focus areas 
• Expand North Highland's footprint in high-growth markets (Medicaid modernization, infrastructure investment, public health innovation) 
• Build a leadership bench with clear succession plans for key roles (Initiative Leads, Geography Leads, State Touchpoints) 
• Position North Highland as a top-tier public sector consulting firm recognized for delivery excellence and measurable client outcomes 

• Why This Role Matters 

• The public sector is at an inflection point. States are looking to transform how they deliver citizen services, increase innovation, and demonstrate taxpayer value, all amidst shifting budget priorities and rapidly evolving technologies. Federal funding is flowing, policy is shifting, and technology is enabling new possibilities. 

• North Highland has the talent, relationships, and capabilities to be the partner states turn to for transformation. What we need is a leader who can bring focus, clarity, and strategic discipline to how we pursue and deliver this work. 

• If you are that leader—someone who builds things, who earns trust at the highest levels, and who believes that government can and should work better for the people it serves—we want to talk to you.

• Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States, without the need for visa sponsorship by North Highland. Work visa sponsorship will not be provided, either now or in the future, for this position.

North Highland is an equal opportunity employer, and we adhere to all applicable laws and regulations to ensure a fair and equitable workplace. All qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We handle all information in accordance local privacy standards and maintain strict confidentiality.