Independent Consultant - Commercial Transformation
Posted 1 day ago by REAL Growth Consulting
Negotiable
Undetermined
Hybrid
London Area, United Kingdom
Summary: The Independent Consultant - Commercial Transformation role at REAL Consulting involves leading end-to-end commercial transformation initiatives for direct-to-consumer businesses. The consultant will work closely with senior stakeholders to define growth levers and ensure that commercial strategies are effectively implemented within client teams. This position requires a blend of consulting experience and direct industry involvement, focusing on delivering measurable results across various commercial disciplines. The role is based in London and offers flexible engagement models with competitive rates.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead end-to-end commercial transformation initiatives across various sectors.
- Define growth levers and enable client teams to deliver them.
- Work closely with senior stakeholders and train client teams.
- Embed with client teams to ensure commercial strategies are lived in the business.
- Manage projects spanning digital, marketing, brand, pricing, media, CRM, and data insights.
Key Skills:
- 7–20 years of experience in top-tier or second-tier consulting and senior client-side commercial roles.
- Proven hands-on leadership of commercial transformation programmes.
- Direct-to-consumer experience, preferably in retail or consumer goods.
- Strong capability in at least one core commercial discipline (digital, brand, pricing, media, CRM, data).
- Ability to build trust quickly and upskill client teams.
- UK-based or EU with UK work rights, willing to work hybrid and travel.
Salary (Rate): undetermined
City: London
Country: United Kingdom
Working Arrangements: hybrid
IR35 Status: undetermined
Seniority Level: undetermined
Industry: Consulting
About REAL Consulting REAL Consulting (www.real-consulting.co.uk) is a boutique management consultancy built for one thing: delivering measurable commercial growth for direct-to-consumer businesses. It is built from a network of top-tiers ex-consultants (e.g., BCG, McKinsey, Bain) and senior industry operators (e.g., CCO, CDO, CMO) We operate almost exclusively with retail, consumer goods, fashion, luxury, travel, and leisure players, and relevant private equity and investment funds on value creation plans, commercial due diligence, and transformation programmes. Our work is customer-centric, execution and value-delivery focused – we embed with client teams, transfer capability, and make change happen from P&L to Org to Tech landscape. We don’t hand over a slide deck and walk away.
The Opportunity We are building a community of independent commercial transformation consultants to join live projects across the UK. You will lead end-to-end commercial transformation initiatives – from defining the growth levers, to enabling the client team to deliver them – across digital, marketing, brand, price & promotion, media, CRM, e-commerce, and beyond. You will work closely with senior stakeholders, as well as train and upskill client teams, and ensure that commercial strategy is not just written, but lived in the business.
What You’ll Work On REAL’s projects span the full spectrum of commercial levers, including:
- Digital & eCommerce : online trade, customer journeys, digital channel optimisation, performance media
- Brand & Marketing : brand positioning, customer segmentation, campaign planning, marketing investment effectiveness
- Pricing & Promotion : price architecture, promotional strategy, revenue management, design-to-value and gross margin management
- Media & CRM : paid media strategy, measurement frameworks, personalised CRM programs, Marketing Mix Modelling
- Go-to-Market, Trade & Omnichannel : retail operations, customer experience, merchandising
- Data & Insights : marketing mix modelling, customer analytics, decision-support dashboards, Customer Data Platform build
- Organisational Enablers : team design, capability building, HR and tech implications of large-scale commercial change
Who We’re Looking For This is not for career consultants who have never delivered in industry. You must have:
- 7–20 years of experience with a mix of top-tier or second-tier consulting (BCG, Bain, McKinsey, OC&C, Simon-Kucher, etc.) and ideally senior client-side commercial roles
- Proven hands-on leadership of commercial transformation programmes – from strategy through to measurable delivery
- Direct-to-consumer experience (retail/consumer preferred, but travel, leisure, and other D2C industries welcome)
- Strong capability in at least one core commercial discipline (digital, brand, pricing, media, CRM, data) with ideally ability to work cross-functionally
- Ability to embed with client teams, build trust quickly, and upskill them while delivering results
- UK-based (or EU with UK work rights) with willingness to work hybrid and travel to client sites
Why Join REAL’s Network Access to live, high-profile projects with notorious clients Work alongside former top-tier consultants and senior industry leaders Be part of a network built for execution – same calibre as big firms, but with real impact and client immersion Flexible engagement models, competitive day rates, and opportunities for longer-term roles with clients or REAL Minimal bureaucracy – focus on delivery, not admin
How to Apply If you meet the criteria and want to deliver commercial transformation that sticks, please send your CV and a short summary of your most relevant project experience to info@real-consulting.co.uk.