State and Local Government (SLG) – Associate Director – Columbia, South Carolina

Job Family:

Travel Required:

Clearance Required:

What You Will Do:

Guidehouse is seeking an Associate Director to lead the continued growth of the firm's relationship with the State of South Carolina and its localities. This individual will be engaged and accountable for driving a sustainable portfolio of existing client engagements and future firm growth.

Guidehouse’s State and Local Government practice serves clients in the areas of business design, organizational strategy, program strategy and implementation, market analysis, financial modeling, operational analysis, process improvement, change management, technology strategy and transformation, compliance monitoring, program management, and reporting.

Client Relationship Management and Engagement Delivery:

• Actively manage a portfolio of client engagements and consulting staff, ensuring all contractual targets and deliverables are met.
• Strategize with consultant teams on project approach, facilitate communications, and manage risk across active engagements.
• Drive quality and standards of work product; ensure superior engagement quality.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with executives at state and local government organizations, including division, branch, and program levels with particular focus on relationships in South Carolina state agencies and localities.
• Develop and instill best practices throughout the organization.
• Maintain and promote compliance with contractual, regulatory, and internal policy requirements.
• Manage the economics of client engagements, ensuring delivery aligns with approved financial parameters.

New Business Development:

• Serve as a thought leader in the public domain and assist in building the Guidehouse brand across state and local government clients in South Carolina.
• Leverage the firm’s existing relationships with state agencies and develop new relationships to expand existing client relationships and develop new clients.
• Serve as the lead executive for new business opportunities.
• Serve as a content expert for client issues.
• Be personally engaged in and accountable for growing the practice at a rate of $5M+ in annual new business for the firm.

Consulting Staff Leadership:

• Direct line management for consultants assigned to client engagements.
• Career development, advocacy for, recruitment of, and retention of members of the market team.
• Training and onboarding of new consultants and management.
• Provide coaching, mentorship, and performance feedback to junior- and mid-level staff, fostering professional growth and high-quality delivery.
• Contribute to the development of a positive and performance-oriented culture.

What You Will Need:

• Bachelors degree from an accredited college/university
• Minimum of 7+ (SEVEN) years of total work experience - ideally including industry, research, or consulting experience, excluding internships, part-time roles, co-ops, fellowships, and academic research
• Minimum of 3+ (THREE) years of experience leading large-scale programs or consulting engagements with state agencies
• Existing strong relationships with leaders in South Carolina state agencies and localities
• Strong familiarity with the government acquisition process and business development practices within consulting (e.g., experience identifying and tracking anticipated RFPs; leading proposals, cultivating new opportunities with existing clients)
• Demonstrated ability to lead state government new business pursuits and proposals with proven results
• Excellent program/project management skills with demonstrated experience leading large multi-disciplinary teams across a range of projects
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain strong business relationships with senior executive clients
• Well-rounded leadership skills to provide strategic, analytical, and operational direction to teams
• Ability to travel as needed to support client engagements, firm growth, and other firm initiatives
• Ability to work in a Guidehouse Office and Client Office as needed
• Must reside in the Greater Columbia, South Carolina region
• No sponsorship available for this position

What Would Be Nice To Have:

• Master’s degree (MBA, MPP, MPA, or equivalent)
• PMP, Scrum Master, or other relevant project management certification
• Professional post-graduate experience in mission-driven or public-sector organizations
• Experience in one or more of the following areas:
• Technology strategy and implementation
• Business process redesign
• Organizational or HR consulting
• Business case development

What We Offer:

Guidehouse offers a comprehensive, total rewards package that includes competitive compensation and a flexible benefits package that reflects our commitment to creating a diverse and supportive workplace.

Benefits include:

• Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance

• Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays

• Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus

• Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance

• 401(k) Retirement Plan

• Basic Life & Supplemental Life

• Health Savings Account, Dental/Vision & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts

• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability

• Student Loan PayDown

• Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development & Learning Opportunities

• Skills Development & Certifications

• Employee Referral Program

• Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach

• Emergency Back-Up Childcare Program

• Mobility Stipend

About Guidehouse

Guidehouse is an Equal Opportunity Employer-Protected Veterans, Individuals with Disabilities or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.

Guidehouse will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law or ordinance including the Fair Chance Ordinance of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

If you have visited our website for information about employment opportunities, or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Guidehouse Recruiting at 1-571-633-1711 or via email at [email protected]. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodation.

All communication regarding recruitment for a Guidehouse position will be sent from Guidehouse email domains including @guidehouse.com or [email protected]. Correspondence received by an applicant from any other domain should be considered unauthorized and will not be honored by Guidehouse. Note that Guidehouse will never charge a fee or require a money transfer at any stage of the recruitment process and does not collect fees from educational institutions for participation in a recruitment event. Never provide your banking information to a third party purporting to need that information to proceed in the hiring process.

If any person or organization demands money related to a job opportunity with Guidehouse, please report the matter to Guidehouse’s Ethics Hotline. If you want to check the validity of correspondence you have received, please contact [email protected]. Guidehouse is not responsible for losses incurred (monetary or otherwise) from an applicant’s dealings with unauthorized third parties.

Guidehouse does not accept unsolicited resumes through or from search firms or staffing agencies. All unsolicited resumes will be considered the property of Guidehouse and Guidehouse will not be obligated to pay a placement fee.