Our philosophy at THF:
Most initiatives - change, innovation, responding to crisis or changing circumstances - exist in interconnected systems of stakeholders with complex relationships, conflicting goals, and complicated internal & external forces. Often, these 'human factors' block change and hinder innovation - to the point that the majority of efforts fail. The Human Factor was created to be a different kind of consultancy. We’re a strategy firm focused on the power of stakeholder engagement: We find, understand, and convene the key players affected by a problem space or opportunity area to negotiate between conflicting goals & devise stakeholder-vetted strategies that challenge the status quo.
In some cases, bringing external expert perspectives to the stakeholder panels we assemble for our clients can help spark the best ideas and uncover potential downsides—for example, if we are looking to break through a stalemate or looking for how loopholes might be exploited. As a Subject Matter Expert, your role is to draw on your expertise or unconventional experiences to generate creative solutions and test potential directions alongside our clients. This means that we look for people-smart and shrewd candidates with deep knowledge in their domain of expertise. We place high value on self-awareness, collaboration, communication prowess, and willingness to challenge ‘how it’s always been done’ in a realistic, human-centered way
What we will pull you into:
Partake in qualitative interviews to bring data and nuance to a client challenge or opportunity.
Participate in workshops to prioritize findings and distill key insights to produce client-facing deliverables that make tangible recommendations.
Contribute to stakeholder panels to debunk assumptions, generate solutions, uncover vulnerabilities, and proactively mitigate risk.
Optional: Support publication efforts to share academic findings with thought leaders in our space.
Examples of past expert stakeholders:
Our network of contributors includes thought leaders and experts— such as transplant surgeons, top drone manufacturers, and researchers from leading universities. And, we engage unconventional thinkers that help spot loopholes, such as law enforcement, private security, and—when appropriate—the occasional rule breaker. In the past, we have engaged experts from sectors spanning entertainment to national defense and security for a fresh and comprehensive perspective of our clients’ unique needs.
What we are looking for:
Experience: 10+ years of experience in your domain of expertise; familiarity with consulting, design strategy, negotiation, conflict management, and/or behavioral sciences (qualitative research, frameworks, analysis of diverse evidence) is a plus.
Human-First Posture: You are able to move your ego aside and understand that the most successful solutions are not based on ideology but on a combination of empathy, pragmatism, and evidence-based iteration. You are not satisfied with obvious answers that compromise either our clients’ objectives or salient human needs.
Analytical Rigor: You are committed to holding data accountable and using rigorous testing to decide the right course of action rather than relying on assumptions; a strong grasp of qualitative and quantitative methods, experimental design, and stakeholder or system analysis is a plus.
Business Sense: You are a holistic, strategic thinker who constantly connects the dots between ideas, problems, organizations, and how ethical & sustained impact can be achieved; strong verbal & written skills are a must.
Strong Opinions, Loosely Held: You approach new topics, develop your perspective, articulate nuance, and productively challenge the status quo. Equally, you must approach productive disagreement with curiosity and adjust your stance when new evidence is introduced.
Integrity within Conflict: You are willing to start the conversation on tough challenges in a global world without assumed vilification of any stakeholder. Approaching real-world problems is core to our work; open discussion of our values and biases is a must.
Culture: You are an independent thinker comfortable working in an often ambiguous and dynamic environment; proactivity is a must.
