Grade (rank or status - consultancy)

In (IT) consultancy, a grade aims to explicitly recognize a certain professional level, both within the organization as to customer organizations. A grade is separated from a place in the line hierarchy of a company, it underlines the very possibility of recognizing a person (top) level without being necessarily in a management functions.

Levels IT Consultancy

The most commonly used system of grading consultants is the following:

  • Consultant
    • A Consultant is ‘learning the trade’ within a specific domain of expertise. A Consultant is developing in most competency dimensions and work in different roles on different projects in a specific domain.
  • Senior Consultant
    • A Senior Consultant has developed a specialisation within a specific domain of expertise. A senior consultant is capable of working independently as well as in teams. A Senior Consultant is often responsible for the completion of a part of a project or activities for which he/she leds a small team. A Senior consultant is more client oriented and explores sales activities.
  • Managing Consultant
    • A Managing Consultant has started to excel in some of the competency dimensions. A Managing consultant is known for domain expertise and capable of generate own work and that of others. As such the Managing Consultant is often responsible for business volume, through (add-on) sales and delivering a project. A Managing Consultant can act as a team lead or counsellor for other team members.
  • Principal Consultant
    • A Principal has a strong business impact and is often part of the companies leadership. A Principal is capable of shaping a piece of business being the leader in a specific domain. A Principal consultant develops high-level business relations and high-impact projects. A Principal is capable of leading large teams.

Ranking the grades:
Grade 'A' > Consultant > Senior Consultant > Managing Consultant > Principal Consultant > Vice President

See also

de:Grade nl:Grade