Overview Who We Are At VML, we are a beacon of innovation and growth in an ever-evolving world. Our heritage is built upon a century of combined expertise, where creativity meets technology, and diverse perspectives ignite inspiration. With the merger of VMLY&R and Wunderman Thompson, we have forged a new path as a growth partner that is part creative agency, part consultancy, and part technology powerhouse. Our global family now encompasses over 30,000 employees across 150+ offices in 64 markets, each contributing to a culture that values connection, belonging, and the power of differences. Our expertise spans the entire customer journey, offering deep insights in communications, commerce, consultancy, CRM, CX, data, production, and technology. We deliver end-to-end solutions that result in revolutionary work.
Principal Consultant needed to join our Consultancy team at VML Enterprise Solutions. We are seeking a visionary and distinguished Principal Consultant to influence and drive transformation at the highest levels of our consultancy. This pivotal role offers a unique opportunity to act as a trusted advisor to C-suite global business leaders, shaping the future of our consultancy solutions on a global scale. As a senior figure within our organization, you will mentor and lead our clients and internal teams toward unparalleled success. Your profound industry expertise and collaborative leadership will be crucial in delivering impactful business outcomes, while your dedication to a people-first ethos will cultivate a culture of empowerment, growth, and continuous improvement across our Consultancy team and the entire Business Services department.
What You’ll Be Doing You will have a distinguished consultancy background or an executive leadership position, demonstrating profound expertise in multiple specialized sectors. Ideally, your experience spans at least 1-2 key industries, such as retail, FMCG/CPG, B2B, or automotive. To highlight the seniority and scope of this role, consider these responsibilities and engagements comparable to the following positions: Consultancy Director, Consulting Manager, Lead Consultant, Senior Strategy Consultant, Head of Digital, Digital Director, Management Consultant.
Key Responsibilities
Client Engagement & Relationship Management: Operate at C-suite level to engage and lead clients through complex transformational change across truly omni-channel ecosystems
Lead cross-functional engagements, serving as the primary point of contact for senior client stakeholders across a number of our largest clients
Build and nurture strong, trusted relationships with clients, understanding their business challenges and objectives
Proactively identify and pursue opportunities to expand existing client relationships and generate new business
Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and coach the more junior consultants, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment. Inspire and empower team members to take ownership, develop their skills, and reach their full potential
Promote knowledge sharing and best practices across the team and wider organization
Strategic Consulting & Solution Delivery: Leverage expertise in eCommerce and specialist sector knowledge (retail, FMCG/CPG, B2B, automotive) to provide strategic guidance and solutions to clients
Communicate clearly to ask questions and listen to get to the core client problem
Bring clarity to ambiguous situations and independently overcome obstacles quickly
Conduct thorough business analysis, identifying pain points, opportunities, and areas for improvement
Understand technologies in digital ecosystems (eCommerce platforms, CMS, PIM) and agile delivery
Develop and present proposals, roadmaps, and presentations that articulate value propositions
Support the delivery function with business insights to keep the focus on outcomes
Continuous Improvement & Innovation: Proactively identify and implement process improvements to enhance team efficiency, output quality, and client satisfaction
Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices
Contribute to internal methodologies, frameworks, and tools
What We Want From You Extensive experience in management or consultancy roles within the e-Commerce domain
In-depth specialist sector knowledge in at least 1-2 areas (retail, FMCG/CPG, B2B, or automotive)
Proven leadership skills with the ability to lead and motivate cross-functional teams
Exceptional relationship-building and networking skills with senior stakeholders
Strong understanding of digital ecosystems and technologies, including e-commerce platforms, CMS, PIM, and agile methodologies
Advanced problem-solving skills with the ability to analyse complex business problems and develop creative solutions
Excellent communication and presentation skills for technical and non-technical audiences
Passion for client success and a commitment to exceeding expectations
Willingness to travel to client sites within the UK and potentially within the EU
What We Can Offer You Alongside the opportunity to work with some of the most exciting brands around the world, we’ll also prioritise your career development and help you grow your skills. We’ll empower you to make a difference, allow you to be yourself, and respect who you are.
Permanent Only
We offer a great benefits package including a discretionary bonus scheme, training opportunities, competitive pension, medical insurance, life assurance, social events, opportunities to buy and sell holidays, family friendly policies, discounts with hundreds of retailers and much more.
Our culture thrives on our core values, designed for impact-driven individuals: Heart, Brains and Courage. We lead with Heart, fostering empathy and trust where genuine connections and human-centric work flourish. We empower your Brains for innovation, valuing relentless curiosity and collaborative intelligence to solve complex challenges. And we champion Courage, inspiring you to speak up, embrace experimentation, and advocate for bold solutions that push our thinking to be better than yesterday.
AT VML Enterprise Solutions
Our Enterprise Solutions division houses strategic consultants, creative and technical architects and skilled developers and operators that together help some of the world’s leading organisations to deliver outstanding digital experiences across all major routes to market worldwide: marketplaces, online retailers, D2C, B2B and social platforms. With over 4,200 experts in 55 operational centres across 34 countries, our capabilities span the entire buying journey from customer acquisition, through engagement, to conversion and loyalty, driving multi-channel growth for world-leading brands.
We work with some of the most exciting brands such as The Coca-Cola Company, EY, Bosch, Unilever, Ford, DFS, Mercedes-Benz, Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé, Sainsbury’s, Selfridges, Shell and Tiffany & Co. We’ve built over 500 platforms for brands and retailers and generate in excess of $29bn annually for our clients and work with over 50 strategic partners including Adobe, SAP, Salesforce, HCL, Shopify, Sitecore, BigCommerce, commerce tools and Acquia. Our reputation is based on our people, and we believe we have some of the best in the business. As our business grows internationally, we’re looking for new people to join us on our journey to inspire and take a key role in shaping some of the best commerce solutions, services, and websites in the world. Working as a team, no problem is insurmountable; we share in our client’s successes and believe that anyone can show creative bravery no matter what their role is in the team.
WPP (VML Enterprise Solutions) is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.
VML is a WPP Agency. For more information, please visit our website, and follow VML on our social channels via Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. When you click "Submit Application", this will send any information you add below to VML. Before you do this, we think it\'s a good idea to read through our Recruitment Privacy Policy. California residents should read our California Recruitment Privacy Notice. This explains what we do with your personal data when you apply for a role with us, and, how you can update the information you have provided us with or how to remove it.
#J-18808-Ljbffr