Operations Consulting, Associate Principal or Principal

Renaissance Strategic Advisors • Arlington, VA

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

As our operations advisory practice scales to meet sustained client demand, we are seeking Principals or Associate Principals who bring direct operations, engineering, and supply chain expertise to the aerospace, defense, and government sectors. The ideal candidate has developed that expertise through combination as an industry practitioner in operations, engineering, or supply chain function and as a consultant at a global or specialist advisory firm and is energized by solving complex operational challenges for corporate clients and financial sponsors. Because much of this work is delivered alongside clients at their sites, the role involves frequent domestic and international travel up to 50-75% of the time. Given frequency of onsite work, this position is open to candidates located anywhere in the U.S., provided they are within reasonable distance of a major airport for business travel. If desired by candidate, relocation to primary offices in Washington, DC or forthcoming Los Angeles location is available.

Requirements

• A genuine interest in the aerospace, defense, and government sector, supported by relevant experience or demonstrated knowledge
• Enthusiasm for operations improvement, operational due diligence, and post-merger integration work across the value chain
• Experience leading process improvement initiatives and applying advanced data analysis to operational problems
• The ability to apply Lean Six Sigma principles and methodologies to identify and deliver measurable performance improvements
• Strong written and verbal communication, with the confidence to convey ideas and recommendations to audiences ranging from shop-floor teams to senior executives
• Sound business judgment and commercial awareness when evaluating operational performance and improvement opportunities
• Motivation, initiative, and the drive to deliver high-quality work on schedule in a fast-paced, client-facing environment
• The executive presence and interpersonal skills to work directly with senior client leadership and investor teams
• Strong project management skills, highly organized, and able to balance multiple priorities

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience at a top-tier strategy and operations consulting firm, or a leading operations improvement advisory firm serving aerospace, defense, or industrial clients
• 10 to 15 years of performance improvement experience across manufacturing, supply chain, or operations environments
• Demonstrated record of leading initiatives with measurable results — EBITDA growth, manufacturing cost reduction, on-time delivery and schedule recovery, capacity and throughput expansion, supplier development, or procurement savings
• Proven ability to originate and win work, including leading proposal development for a management consulting or comparable advisory firm
• Advanced degree (MBA, MS, PhD) or undergraduate degree (BS, BA) in business administration, engineering, operations management, supply chain management or related field
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification, or equivalent depth of hands-on operations transformation experience
• Authorization to work in the U.S. without sponsorship, now and in the future

Responsibilities

• Lead one or more operations performance improvement engagements end to end for corporate A&D clients, private equity firms, and their portfolio companies
• Serve as the day-to-day face of the firm on engagements — owning scope, schedule, and deliverable quality while building trusted relationships with C-suite and investor stakeholders
• Direct engagement teams to diagnose clients' most consequential operational issues and apply advanced analytics and process expertise to develop practical, high-impact solutions
• Set the quality bar for written deliverables, directing and editing the team's work so that findings and recommendations land clearly with management and boards
• Drive business development by converting strong delivery into follow-on work, cultivating senior client relationships, and leading proposal development alongside the partner team
• Provide internal leadership through apprenticeship, coaching, and performance feedback to senior associates, associates, and analysts
• Steward and strengthen the firm's operations methodologies, tools, and intellectual property so lessons from each engagement compound across the practice

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: Associate degree