Senior Managing Director, Public Sector

Senior Managing Director, Public Sector

As the world's leading change and transformation consultancy, we're helping businesses move from strategy to reality by taking a pragmatic and practical approach to build solutions that last. We're seeking a Senior Managing Director, Management Consulting in our Atlanta, GA office to help us take vision to value and create lasting impact. Open to locations nationwide.
North Highland is a global consulting firm that partners with clients to transform their organizations through strategy, technology, and human-centered change. Our Public Sector practice is dedicated to helping government agencies deliver measurable outcomes that matter for the communities they serve. North Highland is seeking a Leader for the U.S. Public Sector portfolio, our largest industry area, with work focused largely at the state level. As such, this position is among the top leadership roles at the firm with end-to-end P&L responsibility for executing strategy, driving growth, ensuring delivery excellence, and developing talent across North Highland's Public Sector portfolio, notably across state-level health and transportation domains.
This role is built for an executive who thinks at the intersection of mission, technology, business, and transformationsomeone who understands what state government agencies are trying to accomplish, knows how to build the trusted advisor relationships that make a consulting firm indispensable, and has the business acumen to grow a national portfolio with intention and discipline. You will inherit an established, winning portfolio with active engagements across Health and Human Services, Transportation, and Enterprise Technology Transformation. You will be expected to take it to the next level, expanding our footprint in existing markets, opening new ones, building a leadership bench that can scale with growth, and positioning North Highland as the public sector consulting firm of choice for agencies facing their hardest transformation challenges.
You will:
Portfolio Growth and P&L Accountability
Own the national Public Sector portfolio growth agenda, including go-to-market approach, vertical prioritization (HHS, Transportation, Enterprise Technology), geographic expansion, and strategic partnership development
Hold key P&L accountability for the Public Sector portfoliorevenue, margin, utilization, and growth targets; manage and mitigate risks through clear understanding of procurement and contracts
Set the growth agenda for the portfoliowhere North Highland competes, how it differentiates, and what capabilities it builds or acquires, and hold leaders accountable for achievement
Represent the Public Sector portfolio at the North Highland executive leadership level, contributing to firm-wide strategy and cross-practice integration
Business Development & Market Leadership
Drive nationwide business development across targeted Public Sector verticalsHealth and Human Services (Medicaid Modernization, Eligibility Systems, Rural Health), Transportation (Tolling, Transit, Critical Infrastructure), and Enterprise Technology Transformation
Lead pursuit strategy for the firm's largest and most complex public sector opportunitiesfrom market intelligence and positioning through proposal development, orals, and award
Develop and manage a national pipeline of opportunities aligned to North Highland's core capabilities - program evaluation, data and analytics, technology modernization, change management, and workforce transformation

in a collaborative manner with North Highland Practice colleagues
Build and leverage strategic relationships with state agency executives, procurement leaders, and policy officials to shape opportunities before they hit the street
Delivery Excellence & Client Stewardship
Serve as the senior executive sponsor for North Highland's highest-profile and most strategically significant public sector engagements nationally
Ensure delivery quality, risk management, and client satisfaction across the full portfoliointervening with senior judgment at critical moments and building governance structures that protect quality at scale
Build a culture of delivery excellence across the practiceone where client outcomes, not contract compliance, define success
Serve as a visible, trusted advisor to agency heads and senior government officials, building the long-term relationships that drive repeat business and referrals
Talent & Team Building
Build, develop, and retain a nationwide team of public sector consulting leaders who can independently lead major engagements and grow client relationships
Create a culture that attracts mission-driven consultants who want to do meaningful work in the public sectorand keeps and develops them
Develop career pathways, compensation frameworks, and recognition structures that differentiate the firm in a competitive talent market
Implement intentional talent development strategies, including rotation programs, mentorship, and succession planning that build bench strength
Thought Leadership & External Presence
Represent North Highland at national conferences, state association convenings, and industry events
Develop and publish points of view, white papers, and business / capability perspectives that build the firm's credibility and generate market awareness
Position North Highland as a thought leader in public sector transformation, particularly in Medicaid modernization, infrastructure investment, and public health innovation
Ideally, we'd like:
20+ years of progressive leadership experience in public sector consulting, government, or a combination of both, at the state level with at least 7+ years in a senior practice or portfolio leadership role
Demonstrated P&L ownership and revenue growth accountability at a national or multi-regional scalea track record of building a practice, not just running one
Deep, current relationships across the state government landscapewith agency executives, procurement leaders, and policy officials who know you and trust your judgment
Broad expertise across at least two of North Highland's core Public Sector capability areas: program evaluation, data and analytics, technology modernization, change management, or workforce transformation
Proven ability to lead and win complex, competitive procurements, including RFQs, RFPs, cooperative agreements, GSA vehicles, and task orders
Experience building and leading high-performing, management consulting teamsrecruiting, developing, and retaining senior talent in a competitive market with fungible skills to land, expand, and take share across different domains, disciplines, and geographies
Executive presence and communication skills that earn credibility at the highest levels of government and inspire confidence in clients, team members, and firm leadership alike
A genuine belief in the mission of public sector transformation and a personal commitment to delivering outcomes that matter for the community's government serves
A collaborative, proactive leadership style that models "all ships rise" behavior in decision-making and ways of working
Preferred Qualifications:
Prior leadership of a national or large regional public sector consulting practice at a recognized firm
Senior government service experiencefederal agency leadership, state cabinet-level service, or equivalent
Experience operating in a matrix organization with clear accountability across domains, geographies, and practices
Track record of driving cultural transformation and implementing new operating models in complex organizations
What success looks like:
Year One
Drive immediate impact by activating the pipeline, deepening client relationships, deploying the talent bench, and strengthening competitive positioning

building on the assessment already completed.
Pipeline Health

Apply stage-gate discipline to accelerate deals, surface where momentum has stalled, and direct resources toward the highest-probability opportunities.
Client Relationships

Shift from relationship mapping to active engagement. Prioritize key accounts, address at-risk relationships directly, and establish a rhythm of executive touchpoints that build trust.
Talent Bench

Identify high-performers and give them room to run. Close critical gaps quickly and align the right people to the right priorities.
Competitive Positioning

Sharpen the narrative and take it to market. Arm the team with the tools and messaging to win and start building the proof points that define our reputation.
Achieve double-digit revenue growth through disciplined pursuit of high-probability opportunities in strategic focus areas
Expand North Highland's footprint in high-growth markets (Medicaid modernization, infrastructure investment, public health innovation)
Build a leadership bench with clear succession plans for key roles (Initiative Leads, Geography Leads, State Touchpoints)
Position North Highland as a top-tier public sector consulting firm recognized for delivery excellence and measurable client outcomes
Years Two & Three
Achieve double-digit revenue growth through disciplined pursuit of high-probability opportunities in strategic focus areas
Expand North Highland's footprint in high-growth markets (Medicaid modernization, infrastructure investment, public health innovation)
Build a leadership bench with clear succession plans for key roles (Initiative Leads, Geography Leads, State Touchpoints)
Position North Highland as a top-tier public sector consulting