Principal, Solutions Consultant

The Solutions Consulting group is an internal management consulting function that helps drive Northern Trust's technology strategy, and is part of Enterprise Architecture in IT. The engagements are varied and, so far this year, have included defining strategies and supporting execution for mainframe migration, cloud enablement, application portfolio management, IT learning and development and cost transparency. The consulting engagements are often complex and cross-business unit in nature supporting delivery teams to develop business cases, define the solution architecture and select appropriate vendors and solutions.
This is a perfect opportunity for a consultant who wants to stop spending time on the road or wants to stay in one place and help ensure the outcomes from their engagements are realized. The ideal candidate would have a combination of 3 things:

1. Management consulting experience
2. Broad IT experience or enterprise architecture experience
3. Financial services experience (e.g. understand custody, trades, investment management, banking)

This may also be an interesting opportunity for:

• A proven business leader who has recently acquired an advanced degree in technology, computer science, data analytics or data science; or
• An experienced technology practitioner who has recently acquired an advanced degree in business, management, finance or leadership.

The candidate will need to be self-motivated and enthusiastic with a drive to enable real change across IT.
Expertise

• Translated a broad strategy or strategic intent into clear delivery plans and a sequence of action
• Curiosity around both financial industry trends and emerging technologies with a view towards recommending adoption towards a leading edge
• Defined their own engagements identifying deliverables, making and keeping commitments while transparently managing expectations
• Solved complex business problems through analysis and data driven approaches
• Excellent communication skills, especially storytelling, or "narrative" combined with visual and presentation development
• Passion for technology and understanding of key industry trends and emerging technologies such as cloud, advanced analytics, RPA, intelligent automation etc.,
• Knowledge working across IT areas such as strategic program design, agile/product management, expertise in solution delivery, IT Service Management. Expect some experience with enterprise architecture fundamentals:

• Business architecture - mapping strategy to execution - e.g. business capability mapping
• Systems and technical architecture - integration patterns, evolution to cloud architectures
• Data architecture - understand business intelligence / analytics and data as a service models

Major Duties

1. Engage with the business and technology teams to meet demand across multiple concurrent priorities.
2. Execute complex initiatives that have significant ambiguity or lack clarity and definition
3. Lead project or initiative discovery process to define clear objectives and create initial plans.
4. Learn, Understand and Explain complex business issues, forming options for near- and long-term solutions.
5. Interact closely with the Enterprise Architecture team regarding enterprise vision and strategy execution
6. Support large, multi-year strategic technology initiatives, and work effectively with business and technology stakeholders to deliver outcomes

Qualifications

1. Requires a college or university degree and/or relevant proven work experience.
2. Relevant experience, that has been developed over 10+ years, in change / design initiatives, covering such areas as operations, IT and product development; with a track record of accomplishment in large, complex projects and change initiatives.
3. Strong experience in management consulting providing strategic direction, enterprise architecture and solution delivery to clients
4. Experience in Financial Services, including familiarity with one or more of the following:
   1. 1. Brokerage
      2. Front Office Investment and Fiduciary Practices
      3. Banking
      4. Asset Management Front Office (portfolio management and trading)
      5. Financial Accounting
      6. Corporate Risk Management
      7. Investment Manager Middle Office and Custodial Manager
      8. Fund Administration and Accounting