Consultant/Senior Consultant - Systems

Location: Bristol or Manchester hybrid (regular travel to partner sites across the UK and Ireland as needed)
Role Type: Permanent (full-time preferred, flexible working considered)

We are hiring for either a Consultant level or Senior Consultant level for this role.

About PACT Solutions:

PACT Solutions is a specialist management and digital transformation consultancy working exclusively with higher education institutions across the UK.

We help universities solve complex challenges across strategy, student records, data, change and delivery. Our work often sits at the heart of major institutional transformation, helping partners improve the student journey, modernise operations and deliver change more effectively.

PACT has grown quickly and is now entering its next phase. We are moving from a founder-led boutique consultancy into a more scaled and structured business, while protecting the quality, culture and partner focus that have made us successful.

Our culture is crucial to our success. Each day, our team significantly contributes to our business and that of our partners.

We combine the agility and collaborative spirit of a close-knit consultancy with the credibility, structure, and professionalism needed to deliver meaningful digital transformation.

Our values sit at the heart of everything we do and are core to our business.

Partnership: We work with you, not for you.

Integrity: We do the right thing, even when it requires difficult conversations.

Inquisitive: We dig deeper to uncover what will truly deliver value.

Transformative: We focus on outcomes that create lasting, measurable improvement.

The Role

We are looking for a Consultant to lead systems workstreams or small-to-medium projects across our higher education partners.

This role combines delivery leadership, systems thinking and technical credibility. You will shape system strategies and solutions, lead delivery teams, and work closely with senior stakeholders to ensure systems are practical, scalable and aligned to institutional needs.

You will operate with a high degree of autonomy and play a key role in both delivery and the growth of PACT’s Systems capability.

Purpose of the role

To lead and shape systems delivery within transformation programmes, ensuring high-quality outcomes, strong stakeholder engagement and robust, scalable solutions.

Key Responsibilities

1. Systems delivery leadership (primary focus)

Lead systems workstreams or full project components.

· Define delivery approach, plans, milestones and governance

· Lead system implementation, configuration and optimisation activity across programmes

· Ensure systems are aligned with operating models, data requirements and wider programme delivery

· Manage risks, dependencies and priorities across complex environments

· Ensure delivery is structured, controlled and outcome-focused

2. System strategy, design and architecture

Shape practical and scalable system solutions.

· Define target-state system architecture, roadmaps and design principles

· Identify data, interface and integration requirements that enable effective end-to-end processes

· Ensure solutions are aligned to enterprise architecture, operating models and future-state design

· Provide expert input into system design decisions and trade-offs

3. Stakeholder leadership

Lead engagement with senior stakeholders.

· Own relationships up to Head of Service / senior manager level

· Lead workshops, design sessions and decision forums

· Provide clear recommendations and challenge constructively

· Translate technical concepts into clear business language

4. Team leadership and quality assurance

Support delivery quality and team development.

· Coach and mentor Consultants and Analysts

· Review and assure deliverables

· Set standards for systems documentation, configuration and delivery outputs

· Support development of capability within the team

5. Delivery assurance and governance

Ensure high-quality, controlled delivery.

· Oversee RAID management and reporting

· Ensure alignment with programme governance and delivery frameworks

· Support testing, cutover planning, adoption and go-live activity

· Ensure solutions are robust, scalable and supportable

6. Commercial contribution

Support growth and development of PACT.

· Contribute to proposals, bids and estimates

· Shape delivery approaches and resourcing plans

· Identify follow-on opportunities with partners

· Support account development

7. Internal contribution

Help develop PACT’s Systems capability.

· Contribute to methodologies, frameworks and propositions

· Support knowledge sharing and capability development

· Contribute to thought leadership where appropriate

Accountability

· Accountable for delivery of systems scope to agreed outcomes and quality

· Responsible for governance, reporting and risk management

· Accountable for quality assurance of team outputs

You will have the opportunity to:

· Lead systems delivery across major transformation programmes

· Exposure to complex enterprise systems and modern technology environments

· Development of leadership, consulting and technical capability

· Clear progression to Manager-level roles

· Opportunity to shape PACT’s Systems capability

At PACT, we value people who are proactive about their growth, open to feedback, and motivated to keep developing their skills, judgement and impact.

This role sits at the Consultant level within PACT’s consulting career pathway (Analyst → Consultant → Senior Consultant → Lead → Principal), combining delivery leadership with deeper expertise and team responsibility.

Requirements

Essential experience

· Strong experience in system implementation, configuration and/or optimisation delivery

· Working knowledge of the admissions process

· Experience leading workstreams or small projects

· Strong understanding of system architecture, lifecycle and design principles

· Experience assessing data, interface and integration requirements in support of system delivery

· Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills

· Ability to shape practical, scalable solutions

· Experience mentoring or supporting junior team members

Desirable

· Experience within higher education

· Experience with enterprise systems (SIS, ERP, CRM, VLE, etc.)

· Exposure to enterprise architecture frameworks

· Experience in consultancy or transformation environments