Korn Ferry
Principal, Organizational Consulting, London
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About Us
Korn Ferry is a global consulting firm that powers performance. We unlock the potential in your people and unleash transformation across your business - synchronizing strategy, operations, and talent to accelerate performance, fuel growth, and inspire a legacy of change. That’s why the world’s most forward-thinking companies across every major industry turn to us - for a shared commitment to lasting impact and the bold ambition to Be More Than.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, our over 9,000 colleagues globally serve clients in more than 50 countries. We offer five core capabilities that span the full talent lifecycle:
- Organizational Strategy
- Assessment and Succession
- Talent Acquisition
- Leadership Development
- Rewards and Benefits
Job Description
Our Consulting Line of Business spans 29 countries across EMEA, working across six major markets within our four main solution areas: Organizational Strategy, Total Reward, Leadership & Development, and Assessment & Succession.
The Principal
The Principal plays a senior role within Korn Ferry Consulting, accountable for leading complex, multi-workstream engagements and ensuring consistently high-quality delivery for UK&I clients.
While many current programmes sit within Assessment & Succession and Leadership & Professional Development, this role is solution-agnostic. The emphasis is on engagement leadership, programme governance, and client delivery excellence, rather than deep specialism in a single solution area.
Role Overview
As a Principal, you will play a critical leadership role in Korn Ferry Consulting—accountable for leading complex client engagements, shaping solutions, and delivering measurable commercial outcomes.
You will operate across solution areas, bringing together Korn Ferry’s full capabilities to design and deliver integrated solutions to client challenges. This role requires a balanced focus across delivery leadership and commercial contribution, with primary accountability anchored in successful engagement outcomes.
Principals act as trusted advisors to senior clients, lead high-performing teams, and take ownership of delivery quality, impact, and profitability across their engagements. They operate within broader account teams, contributing to growth and client strategy without default ownership of accounts.
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Key Responsibilities
Engagement Leadership & Delivery
- Own the delivery of large, complex, multi-workstream engagements, with clear accountability for outcomes, quality, and commercial performance
- Design and maintain clear programme governance, structure, and delivery cadence
- Act as a senior escalation point, proactively managing risk, dependencies, and delivery challenges
- Ensure engagement delivery aligns to client outcomes, quality standards, and commercial commitments
Client Leadership & Relationship Management
- Build and sustain trusted relationships with senior client stakeholders.
- Lead key client meetings and forums focused on delivery progress, risks, and decision-making.
- Shape client thinking by bringing insight, challenge, and integrated perspectives
- Manage stakeholder expectations across complex, multi-workstream delivery environments
- Represent Korn Ferry with credibility and confidence in complex client environments.
Commercial & Financial Ownership
- Own engagement financials, including forecasting, revenue recognition, billing, and margin.
- Proactively manage scope changes and commercial risks.
- Balance delivery excellence with commercial outcomes and profitability
- Identify and support follow-on and cross-solution opportunities through delivery insight
- Lead or support proposal development, pricing, and commercial structuring
Team Leadership & Capability Building
- Matrix-lead and coordinate diverse high-performing delivery teams across Korn Ferry solutions.
- Coach and develop junior consultants, fostering growth, accountability, and inclusion.
- Provide quality assurance and oversight across engagement deliverables.
- Contribute to the development of delivery capability and consulting excellence across the firm.
Continuous Improvement & Firm Contribution
- Contribute to the development of delivery best practices and engagement management capability.
- Share learning and insights across the Consulting community.
- Contribute to thought leadership, propositions, and go-to-market initiatives
- Support market-facing activity (e.g. client events, publications, industry engagement)
- Support internal initiatives aimed at improving delivery excellence and client experience.
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Skills And Competencies
- Advanced engagement management capability – Proven ability to lead large, complex programmes with structure and accountability.
- Strong client leadership skills – Credible and confident with senior stakeholders.
- Commercial acumen – Comfortable owning financial performance and managing risk.
- Structured problem-solving – Brings clarity and rigour to complex delivery environments.
- Inclusive leadership style – Builds trust, collaboration, and accountability.
- Resilience and adaptability – Thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous contexts.
- Technology literate – Fluent in Microsoft Office and comfortable using AI-enabled tools (e.g. Copilot, ChatGPT).
Experience & Qualifications
- Significant experience leading the delivery of complex consulting or professional services engagements.
- Proven track record of managing multi-disciplinary, matrixed teams.
- Experience owning engagement financials and commercial outcomes.
- Strong understanding of programme and project management disciplines.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
Korn Ferry may use AI as part of its recruitment process, but all hiring decisions are made by humans.
Internal Mobility at Korn Ferry
If you currently work for Korn Ferry or one of our affiliates, you must be eligible to apply for a different position within Korn Ferry to use the Careers Site. If you accept such a position, your benefits programs and Human Resources policies may change. Please consult with your HR contact for the new position concerning application eligibility, including any immigration/visa needs, benefit programs, and HR policies applicable to that position.
Korn Ferry is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
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