Consultant

Posted 12 January 2026 Salary £65000 - £100000 per annum, Benefits: Bonus and more Location Cambridge Job type Permanent Discipline Electronic and Hardware Engineering Reference AF-46

Consultant working on Strategy, New Ventures & Emerging Technology

(Cambridge – UK / Europe with international travel)

Our client is a specialist consultancy operating at the intersection of strategy, technology, and new venture creation. They work with established, often global organisations to answer difficult, high‑stakes questions such as:

- What should we build next — and why?

- How do we structure and fund innovation when the risk is real?

- Which ideas are worth taking to market, and which are not?

Their work spans defence, industrial, consumer, FMCG, medical, and technology‑led businesses, often at board or executive level. Some engagements remain firmly strategic; others progress from insight → concept → prototype → delivery, working closely with deep engineering and technical teams.

They are now looking to bring in a Consultant to help develop and grow this capability. This is not a predefined role. You’ll be joining a small, senior‑led innovation practice with genuine scope to influence its direction, offerings, and commercial growth.

Depending on your background and seniority, the role will include a mix of:

Strategic Innovation & Problem Solving

- Leading early‑stage innovation work: framing ambiguous problems, defining opportunity spaces, and stress‑testing ideas.

- Translating market insight, customer research, and technology landscapes into clear strategic options.

- Shaping concepts across products, services, business models, and organisational design.

Client Leadership

- Working directly with senior stakeholders (VP, Director, C‑suite) to guide decision‑making.

- Owning client relationships end‑to‑end on selected engagements.

- Acting as a trusted advisor rather than a delivery‑only consultant.

Commercial Development

- Contributing to business development through networking, lead generation, proposals, and presentations.

- Potentially bringing an existing network — or building one rapidly.

- Helping grow a sustainable innovation pipeline rather than one‑off projects.

Collaboration & Delivery

- Working closely with designers, technologists, and engineers to progress ideas where appropriate.

- Knowing when innovation should remain strategic — and when it should move into build and execution.

- Supporting the development of innovation processes, methods, and internal capability.

Backgrounds are deliberately open for this. Strong candidates may come from consulting, technology, engineering, strategy, or design‑adjacent roles.

You are likely to:

- Have 5+ years’ experience in relevant environments (consulting, advanced engineering, corporate innovation, strategy roles, or similar).

- Be intellectually curious, rigorous, and comfortable operating without a template.

- Enjoy asking how and why — not just what.

- Be commercially minded and confident engaging clients.

- Be comfortable operating at the thinking‑first stage of innovation.

- Be open to international travel.

- Have experience in defence, industrial, medical, or regulated sectors (useful but not essential).

This role could suit:

- A technically trained professional who has moved into strategy or innovation

- A consultant looking for a more entrepreneurial, less structured environment

- Someone already operating — or ready to grow into — a senior, client‑leading role

What Makes This Different

- You won’t be joining a large, established innovation team — you’ll help build one.

- You’ll work closely with the practice lead and senior technical leaders.

- There is real scope to shape offerings, positioning, and future growth, including team expansion.

- Compensation will reflect experience and contribution; commercial impact is recognised.

- This is a long‑term opportunity, not a fixed project role.

Process

- An initial conversation to understand mutual fit

- Follow‑up discussions with senior members of the wider organisation

If you’re excited by complex problems, commercial responsibility, and building something meaningful, please get in touch with Alex Flory @SoCode Recruitment to discuss the details.

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