Principal Consultant, IT Project Benchmark Services

Principal Consultant, IT Project Benchmark Services (ITPB) - Ontario, Canada

Wanted: dynamic and creative individuals ready to connect with a like-minded team. You'll enjoy all the autonomy you need to help our clients make their digital infrastructure faster and more effective. Free reign for free spirits doesn't mean you've got to go it alone. Over 1400 teammates from around the globe are eager to help you out when things get down to wire. Their expertise will put you on the winning path and keep you there.

Position Overview

The Principal Consultant, IT Project Benchmark Services (ITPB) is a senior-level advisor and delivery leader responsible for directing complex benchmarking, performance analytics, and delivery optimization engagements. This role guides senior technology and business executives in understanding how their IT initiatives compare to industry peers and what actions will significantly improve cost efficiency, project predictability, and delivery performance. The leader will develop methodologies, oversee client engagements, provide thought leadership, mentor consulting teams, and shape the growth of ISG's ITPB service line.

Responsibilities

Client Leadership & Advisory

• Advise CIOs, CTOs, CFOs, PMO leaders, and senior executives on project benchmarking, delivery governance, and cost competitiveness
• Lead enterprise-level project performance benchmarking, including cost, schedule adherence, productivity, throughput, and maturity
• Convert complex analytical findings into clear, actionable insights that influence strategic decisions and transformation roadmaps
• Guide clients on delivery model improvements, Agile/SAFe performance, vendor productivity, sourcing strategies, and PMO optimization

Engagement Delivery & Execution

• Lead end-to-end ITPB engagements, including data gathering, normalization, complexity scoring, comparative analytics, and insights
• Develop and refine benchmarking models, productivity baselines, forecasting mechanisms, delivery maturity assessments, and risk profiles
• Ensure all analyses are data-driven, empirically grounded, and aligned to ISG's benchmarking methodologies
• Conduct executive briefings, work sessions, and value realization assessments with senior stakeholders

Practice, Offering & IP Development

• Own and enhance ISG's ITPB methodologies, analytics frameworks, benchmarking databases, and internal tools
• Drive innovation, incorporating AI, predictive modeling, and automation into benchmarking capabilities
• Publish market insights, whitepapers, and other thought leadership establishing ISG as a leader in performance benchmarking
• Collaborate across service lines to integrate benchmarking as an enabler for sourcing, cost optimization, and transformation programs
• Business Development & Sales Support
• Lead or support sales pursuits for benchmarking, project recovery, delivery optimization, and transformation advisory
• Develop solution architectures and proposals for ITPB engagements
• Provide benchmark insights that strengthen client relationships and uncover additional advisory opportunities

Team Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop teams across benchmarking, analytics, financial modeling, delivery operations, and PMO disciplines
• Recruit and build high-performing capabilities in benchmark analytics and delivery optimization
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and globally connected team culture

Required Skillsets

• This is a remote position based in Ontario, Canada with travel up to 20–50% depending on client and engagement requirements
• 10+ years of experience in application development, IT consulting, large scale transformation, PMO leadership, application delivery management, or benchmarking
• Established track record of planning, budgeting, and sizing application rollouts, platform modernization, and systems integration. Experience in orchestrating and executing on these initiatives is a plus
• Proven ability to lead large-scale programs requiring performance assessment or delivery improvement
• Expertise in SDLC models (Agile, SAFe, Waterfall) and their implications on delivery cost, productivity, and performance
• Experience in developing large AI/ML projects is preferred
• Strong experience in sourcing transactions, rate benchmarking, vendor negotiations, and delivery governance
• Background with Tier 1 consultancies or global enterprises in senior advisory roles strongly preferred
• Required Qualifications – Technical & Analytical Expertise
• Strong proficiency in comparative analytics, productivity benchmarking, forecasting, and delivery maturity scoring
• Ability to build, validate, and interpret complex financial and performance models.
• Understanding of DevOps, scaled Scaled Agile, MLOps, and modern delivery architectures
• Familiarity with AI/ML-enabled analytics for prediction, variance analysis, and risk modeling is desirable
• Executive presence with the ability to communicate complex insights to senior leaders
• Strong leadership in matrixed, global delivery models
• High business acumen connecting benchmarking insights to financial and operational outcomes
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive storytelling

Education

• Bachelor's degree required, STEM or Finance discipline desirable
• MBA or another advanced degree (s) desirable
• Relevant certifications (PMP, SAFe, Agile, ITIL) desirable

At ISG, we don't just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our clients, and our communities. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. ISG is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. The more diverse and inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

The duties and responsibilities described in this job description may not be a comprehensive list. Additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time and/or the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands.