Client Engagement Manager - C&M - Manufacturing Innovation - UK

Company Description

We are PA Consulting, and we are not a traditional consulting firm. We are different in what we do and how we do it. We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future. As strategies, technologies, and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity. Our diverse teams of experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results.

We are over 4,000 strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers, and technologists. And we have deep expertise in consumer and manufacturing, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government and public services, health and life sciences, and transport.

Our teams operate globally from offices across the UK, Ireland, US, Nordics, and Netherlands.

Job Description

At the forefront of our growth engine, our Client Engagement Managers are not just sales leaders — they are hunters and relationship architects, passionate about unlocking new possibilities in markets hungry for innovation. With deep expertise in sales and business development, you will play a pivotal role in uncovering and capturing high-potential opportunities across high-volume manufacturing companies in Consumer Products and Industrial Systems. 

In this highly creative environment, and working closely with engineering and supply chain teams, you will enhance, refine, and make established Manufacturing Innovation insights and propositions relevant to clients. Your role will centre on identifying, qualifying, and accelerating exciting manufacturing innovation opportunities. You will help connect our clients’ biggest manufacturing challenges with PA’s capabilities, ultimately driving otherwise undiscovered sales opportunities. 

You will leverage your established industry network across Consumer Products and packaged goods, Industrial Products and processes, and manufacturing start-ups to spark conversations with key decision-makers, opening doors for collaborative projects and strategic growth. Your passion for relationship building and front-end sales will allow you to become a trusted advisor and gateway into PA’s broader capabilities. 

The successful candidate will operate across the early stages of our sales pipeline to develop manufacturing process, production, and supply chain opportunities. 

While not exclusive, one of the primary focus areas for this role will be the identification, outreach, and contact initiation for individuals in CPG, industrial processing, and high-growth manufacturing businesses whose roles are focused on innovation, manufacturing, operations, and supply chain. This includes COOs, Chief Innovation Officers, VPs/SVPs of Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Operations, and their respective teams across CPG and manufacturing markets. 

This role will include: 

• Qualify and incubate new, undeveloped, or dormant accounts into significant revenue-generating clients with long-lasting relationships. 

• Access and penetrate existing accounts where PA’s Manufacturing and Supply Chain services are less well known, working with account teams and existing account plans. 

• Develop and maintain client engagement plans to map existing relationships and grow new relationships with senior prospective clients and buyers, creating named leads that can be managed through PA’s CRM platform. 

• Work closely with visionary engineering and supply chain teams to enhance, refine, and make well-established Manufacturing Innovation insights and propositions relevant to clients. 

• Work with marketing colleagues to shape market materials that drive further sales and help PA pursue industry recognition within targeted sectors. 

• Tailor confident presentation materials to help PA’s capabilities resonate with specific clients’ needs and challenges. Continuously monitor and analyse competitor activity within the market and our customers, providing market intelligence and clearly defined customer needs to enhance our in-market positioning. 

• Lead the qualification of early opportunities and manage the early stages of our sales processes within our CRM tool and sales network. This will include leading and progressing a qualified sales pipeline that underpins revenue and profit targets within agreed focus areas and market sectors. 

• Cultivate relationships and opportunities until they are ready for Subject Matter Experts and a more structured bid pursuit process. Where appropriate, CEMs will reach out to SMEs across the wider PA network and introduce them to clients to further consolidate relationships and move bid opportunities forward. They will also form part of PA’s global CEM network, where best practice, key learnings, and experiences can be shared. 

Ideal Candidates: 

Individuals must be credible when talking to potential clients and must be able to demonstrate a sound understanding of industry needs, trends, and changes. They will be able to build trust, rapport, and conviction with prospective clients by combining confidence, market understanding, and PA’s strengths. They will be the first impression many clients have of PA and should epitomise professionalism, positivity, and an approachable manner. 

Candidates’ sales approach should be aligned to PA’s premium services and FTSE 250, or similar, clients. The creation of long-lasting relationships and quality opportunities is more important than the quantity of opportunities. Having an existing network they can tap into for outreach as a source of potential work for PA is necessary to enable their effectiveness. They will need a relentless attitude aligned with the ebbs and flows of truly front-end sales activation. They will be a people person who wants to make real human connections. 

Finally, this role requires a personal work ethic driven by the attainment of realistic and stretch sales goals, evaluated on a quarterly basis. This requires the ability to plan, execute, and manage conversations on a daily basis, with the flexibility and understanding that pivots are needed and that failure to connect with clients is a reality. 

Experience Required: 

• Extensive network in high-volume manufacturing companies across Consumer Products, Food and Beverage, and Industrial Systems. 

• Experience in front-end business development, with a strong track record of identifying and opening up opportunities, driving business growth, and building trusted client relationships. 

• Track record of developing and implementing a structured approach to sales that takes into account the changing needs of the consumer industry and the competitive landscape. 

• Understanding of the industry, including the current regulatory environment, policies, and trends. 

• Experience creating opportunities and selling consultancy services within the Consumer Products and packaged goods, and Industrial Products and processes sectors. 

• Experience and understanding of the development process for manufacturing innovation and internal transformation initiatives. 

General Professional Expectations of the Client Engagement Team: 

• Deliver Business Growth – master our focus-area value propositions and transition opportunities to our senior Consultants, Directors, and Partners. 
• Build & Maintain Great Relationships – execute the required number of discovery calls and meaningful engagements, constantly building, nurturing, and maintaining strong relationships with potential clients. 
• Develop Insight & Innovation – take track record and content from others and make it relevant to clients. 
• Managing & Developing Myself & Others – manage their own pipeline, including quarterly target setting and reporting. Opportunities will exist to develop sales and business development skills within the broader Consultant ranks, further upskilling our people. 
• Develop Technical & Craft Excellence – own the craft of sales and business development. The expectation will be that they own the early stages of business development and commercial processes, developing a best-in-class playbook to deliver against this. 

Qualifications

It is understood that many people develop their sales craft over time and on the job. The following qualifications would be beneficial but are not essential: 

• Dynamics 365 certification (PA’s CRM is based on this) 

• Formal qualifications in relationship-based selling and business development, Project Management certification (e.g. PRINCE2), or Customer Success certification (e.g. CCSM). 

• A strong Bachelor’s degree. Examples include Business Management, Communications, Engineering, Psychology, or other relevant focus areas. 

Additional Information

Please not that the interview stages may be subject to change based on the specific requirements of the role.

Life At PA encompasses our peoples' experience at PA. It's about how we enrich peoples’ working lives by giving them access to unique people and growth opportunities and purpose led meaningful work. 

Our purpose guides how we work with our clients and our teams, and support our communities, to deliver insight and impact, solving the world’s most complex challenges. We're focused on building a workplace that values human difference and diverse mindsets, and a culture of inclusion and equality that unlocks the potential in our people so everyone can be their best self. 

Find out more about Life at PA here. 

We are dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional, social and financial well-being of our people. Check out some of our extensive benefits: 

• Health and lifestyle perks accompanying private healthcare for you and your family 
• 25 days annual leave (plus a bonus half day on Christmas Eve) with the opportunity to buy 5 additional days 
• Generous company pension scheme 
• Opportunity to get involved with community and charity-based initiatives 
• Annual performance-based bonus 
• PA share ownership 
• Tax efficient benefits (cycle to work, give as you earn) 

We’re committed to advancing equality. We recruit, retain, reward and develop our people based solely on their abilities and contributions and without reference to their age, background, disability, genetic information, parental or family status, religion or belief, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity (or expression), political belief veteran status, or other by any other range of human difference brought about by identity and experience. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups. 

Hybrid Working - Our approach is to be in the office or on client site a minimum of 2 days per week. However, the actual time you spend and where you spend it will vary by role or assignment, including up to 5 days per week on client site. 

Adjustments or accommodations - Should you need any adjustments or accommodations to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us