What Are The Duties, Tasks, And Skills To Include In Professional Services Job Descriptions

21st June 2022

A professional services job description is a crucial document that has an essential role in the hiring and recruitment process. Comprising professional services tasks, skills, job duties, and responsibilities, the job description can be used to create a job advert, during interviews and candidate screening, and also later on during appraisals and performance reviews.

Considering these points, it is clear that you need to write a great job description that is as close to perfect as possible. With this in hand, you have the first part of the recruitment solution you need to hire an outstanding candidate that will ensure your business’s success.

But where do you get started?

In this explainer, we discuss:

What Is A Professional Services Job Description?
How To Write Professional Services Job Descriptions
Professional Services Duties And Responsibilities To Include In A Job Description
Professional Services Tasks To Include In A Job Description
Professional Services Skills To Include In A Job Description
How To Engage Professional Services Candidates
How To Use Hiring People’s Professional Services Job Description Templates

What Is A Professional Services Job Description?

A professional services job description is a document that sets out the role’s duties, tasks, and key skills. Putting these in black and white is vital and will help you find the ideal professional services consultant for a position that directly affects your business’s direction, strategy, products, services, or legal compliance.

An effective job description should be transparent and clearly set out who you are, who you want, what they will do, and why professional services consultants might want to work for you. It helps tremendously to use language and jargon that connects with and engages your audience.

When you get all of this right and include the best words to use when writing professional services job descriptions, you will get job applications from qualified candidates with advanced knowledge that closely matches your ideal person profile.

You can read more about Why It Is Important To Define What People Do In Their Jobs here.

How To Write Professional Services Job Descriptions

What To Include In A Professional Services Job Description

When writing a professional services job description either for advertising a job or an internal job specification, you need to focus on 5 main criteria:

What are the key jobs, tasks, and duties required for a professional services position
Consider all the job responsibilities required for a professional services role
What key skills the person must have for the job
What personality traits the person must have to work in the professional services industry
Appropriate and relevant education and qualifications

These five criteria should help you build a picture of your ideal candidate. Good questions to consider that will help you write a concise professional services job description that stands apart from others (essential in the current competitive job market), and attracts candidates of a high calibre, include:

What value does this role bring to your company, customers, or team?
How does the role align with your company culture, values, and mission?
How does this role differ from other positions?
How is this role similar to other positions?
What are the minimum professional services skills or transferable skills?
What are examples of your goals, standards, and targets?

Suppose you are not hands-on in professional services or highly familiar with the specifications for professional services consultant jobs. In that case, it can help to interview one of your professional services consultants or the business manager, to gain a greater understanding of the job purpose and role.

A word about jargon: The phrase ‘jargon’ has good and bad connotations, and if it isn’t carefully considered, it may deter suitable candidates from applying. Ask yourself if words and phrases are company or industry exclusive or recognisable by individuals who may have valuable transferable skills and expertise refined in an alternative business sector.

Professional Services Duties And Responsibilities To Include In A Job Description

Professional services duties are the must-do essential functions and high-priority responsibilities of the role. These are the job aspects that you will likely govern the person’s performance on, and as you can imagine, they differ significantly depending the role’s function and level of seniority.

THE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES REQUIRED FOR A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ROLE

Professional services responsibilities and job duties might include:

Project management
Conducting research
Providing senior executive or client support
Providing high-level technical advice
Guiding legal compliance
Recommending resources
Guiding business growth, strategy, and direction
Introducing policies and procedures
Implementing strategies to reduce costs
Overseeing mergers and acquisitions

These duties are fairly broad, but you can make the job’s duties more engaging and meaningful by saying how the responsibility should be accomplished. For example, ‘You will oversee project management by assessing risks, coordinating meetings, monitoring budgets, and setting operational frameworks.’

Professional Services Tasks To Include In A Job Description

The tasks of professional services consultants and staff are any other activities that they complete occasionally or on a daily basis. These are usually subsidiary tasks such as administrative tasks or the various elements required to complete job duties.

It is tempting to leave some of the more ‘mundane’ tasks out to make your jobs sound more attractive, but this can lead to trouble down the road as you may recruit a consultant or professional that is not a perfect match or willing to carry out certain tasks. If you hire the wrong candidates for your business, its financial performance, strategy, and customers may suffer. The employee might leave your company, and you are back to square one, requiring another investment in recruitment and training.

If you get to the end of the process outlined here and find that your job description is too long and concise has gone out the window, it is time to review your first draft. To bring things back into line, you should delete unnecessary phrases and fluff, remove prepositional phrases, focus on what is role critical, and refrain from putting your entire ‘about us’ page in your content.

THE IMPORTANT TASKS OF THE POSITION

Important tasks of a professional services employee might include:

Creating legal documents and contracts
General administrative tasks
Documenting new procedures and policies
Delivery staff training
Performing ID checks
Updating client records
Answering senior executive or clients questions
Collecting evidence
Maintaining up-to-date market and industry knowledge
Creating reports, presentations, and spreadsheets
Troubleshooting problems
Sourcing vendors
Negotiating deals

Professional Services Skills To Include In A Job Description

Professional services skills are defined as hard and soft skills. Soft skills are more general and can include desirable personality traits, such as communication skills and problem-solving. Hard skills usually prove a person’s knowledge or their aptitude and include relevant qualifications, certifications, accreditations, or previous experience.

THE PERSONAL SKILLS THE PERSON MUST HAVE FOR THE JOB

The relevant skills or personal traits of the best candidates include:

Good communication skills
Research skills
Active listening
Numeracy
Excellent interpersonal skills
Decision making
Time management
Ability to handle stress
Integrity
Receptiveness
Management and leadership
Coaching and mentorship
Team-working and collaboration
Problem-solving skills
Objectivity
Planning and organisation
Committed
Adaptable
Influential
Multitasking
Detail orientated/attention to detail

THE HARD SKILLS THE PERSON MUST HAVE FOR THE JOB

The hard skills, formal education, and qualifications depend on the role, business sector, and level of seniority, but might include:

A Master’s degree or Bachelor’s degree in a related subject
Experience in a similar role
Project management, strategic planning, or consulting experience
Microsoft Office proficiency

How To Engage Professional Services Candidates

As a final note for employers and recruiters, it is crucial to remember that while a job description is about what and who you want, describing this alone will not create an inbox full of eager candidates willing to comply. A good job description and job advert must go beyond the duties, skills, education, qualifications, tasks, and traits that you want and communicate the position’s value to job seekers.

Businesses, agencies, and organisations should convey its employee value propositions to engage candidates, highlighting both monetary and other benefits. Benefits that will entice qualified job seekers to apply might include:

Stating the average salary range (find the average salary here) rather than saying ‘competitive salary’
Focusing on work-life balance
Flexible working – is the role remote or are hours flexible?
Further training opportunities
Career development opportunities
The quality of facilities, equipment, services, or products
How the company’s values align with those of employees and customers

How To Use Hiring People’s Professional Services Job Description Templates

We have a job description template available for all jobs, including professional services consultants. You should pick the job description example most appropriate to your role and job title, considering what job seekers may search for on job boards and in search engines.

Once you have selected your sample job description template, download it, personalise it, or convert it to a job advert. From here, you can post/advertise your job across our network of general, niche, and geographical job boards.

FIND YOUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES JOB DESCRIPTION BELOW:

INVESTMENT BANKER JOB DESCRIPTION

The Investment Banker title is held by a person whose qualifications usually include a Bachelor’s degree in finance. They use their quantitive abilities to review financial information, research market trends, prepare financial documents, make investments, and issue trade equity. Other duties include supervising IPO and private equity settlements and ensuring legal and regulatory compliance.

Investment Banker Job Description Example

BANKER JOB DESCRIPTION

The Banker job describes a role where the functions are focused on financial products and services sales. They may have specific qualifications, such as professional banking qualifications, and complete tasks such as opening bank accounts, providing financial advice to business or personal customers, updating client records, handling cash, authorising overdrafts or loans, and resolving customer complaints.

Banker Job Description Example

SOLICITOR JOB DESCRIPTION

The Solicitor title defines someone who has passed the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE). They use their legal knowledge and expertise to complete tasks such as providing legal advice to businesses or personal clients, preparing legal documentation, researching legislation, managing legal and real estate contracts, and representing clients in court.

Solicitor Job Description Example

PARALEGAL JOB DESCRIPTION

The Paralegal title is held by a professional with a diploma in law or a postgraduate degree. Tasks include conducting research, tasking client statements, preparing trial cases, and drafting legal documents for barristers, attorneys, and solicitors. The role may require significant mental and physical effort where caseloads are heavy.

Paralegal Job Description Example

LAWYER JOB DESCRIPTION

The Lawyer title describes a person who has gained the knowledge required through a law diploma or law degree and has passed the Legal Practice Course or Solicitors Qualifying Exam. They use their skills to write contracts, collect evidence, research legislation, consult with personal clients and companies, and advise them on their legal position.

Lawyer Job Description Example

PROJECT COORDINATOR JOB DESCRIPTION

The Project Coordinator title defines an individual who collaborates with project managers to identify opportunities and organise ongoing projects. They may have a business degree and complete tasks such as developing strategy frameworks and procedures, preparing documents, monitoring expenditure and hours, and navigating risks.

Project Coordinator Job Description Example

CONSULTANT JOB DESCRIPTION

The Professional Services Consultant role requires a person with extensive knowledge in their industry or field. A professional services consultant uses strategic thinking to conduct risk assessments, conduct research, troubleshoot problems, and develop strategies that support clients. A professional services consultant may also analyse data and procedures, provide project support, ensure service delivery, and maintain their knowledge of industry trends.

Consultant Job Description Example

ACTUARY JOB DESCRIPTION

The Actuary title is held by a professional who starts their career with an actuary science or mathematics degree. They bring risk assessment and statistical analysis skills to employers and assist companies or government bodies. They may determine the impact of events, collect and process large data sets, create reports, develop predictive models, reduce business costs, and report to stakeholders.

Actuary Job Description Example

ART DIRECTOR JOB DESCRIPTION

The Art Director role is held by a person who leads designers and the creative team. They assist and provide advice to business clients on their visual needs, strategies, and ad campaigns. They may troubleshoot issues, work with other teams, hire design staff, set budgets and deadlines, and ensure all creative elements align with the client’s vision.

Art Director Job Description Example

CONTRACT MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION

The Contract Manager title is given to a person who has significant inventory planning and negotiating expertise. Contract managers usually have a business administration or management degree. They use their skills to complete tasks such scheduling the delivery of stock or services, sourcing vendors, auditing existing vendors, and ensuring contracts align with company policies and national regulations.

Contract Manager Job Description Example

CHIEF OF STAFF JOB DESCRIPTION

The Chief Of Staff job title is held by someone who already has significant management and business experience and a successful career. They act as a buffer to senior management positions such as the CEO. They are tasked with providing support and coaching to staff, providing senior management support, approving procedures and policies, and directing administrative, operational, and financial activities.

Chief Of Staff Job Description Example

GRAPHIC DESIGNER JOB DESCRIPTION

The Graphic Designer job title describes a person who has a strong eye for composition and a creative flair. They complete many design tasks, for example, planning concepts, designing web pages, resolving design flow issues, preparing finished artwork and illustrations, and coordinating activities across multiple projects or teams.

Graphic Designer Job Description Example

FURTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES JOB DESCRIPTION EXAMPLES

Further Resources For Employers And Hiring Managers

If you are not quite ready to submit your job advert and are at the beginning of the hiring process, we recommend reading:

Professional Services Job Description FAQS

Here we answer your questions on professional services roles, job titles, duties, tasks, and skills.

WHAT DOES A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PERSON DO?

A professional services person or professional services consultant might provide business advice, act as a management consultant, assist team projects, prepare legal documents, or work within design or banking.

WHAT ARE THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ROLES?

Professional services roles may be consultancy roles (professional services consultant) or a position where the skills required are gained through extensive professional education and qualifications (solicitor, lawyer, investment banker, etc.).

Duties, Tasks, And Skills For Different Sectors

Find the duties, tasks, and skills for different sectors and job descriptions: