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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Graduate Consultant Assistant

💰 $40,000 - $65,000

ConsultingEntry-levelGraduateBusinessAnalyticsClient-Facing

🎯 Role Definition

The Graduate Consultant Assistant supports consulting teams by performing research, data analysis, client-facing coordination, and project administration. This entry-level role combines operational support with analytical responsibilities and is designed for high-potential graduates who will learn project management, stakeholder engagement, and solution design while delivering measurable value to clients. The role is client-focused, often involves cross-functional collaboration, and requires strong communication, organization, and basic technical skills (Excel, PowerPoint, data visualization).

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Final year undergraduate or recent graduate from business, economics, engineering, data science, or related fields.
  • Internship in consulting, professional services, corporate strategy, or project coordination.
  • Graduate development programs, rotational trainee schemes, or academic research assistantships.

Advancement To:

  • Consultant / Associate Consultant
  • Senior Consultant / Project Consultant
  • Engagement Manager / Project Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Business Analyst
  • Project Coordinator
  • Client Success or Account Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Assist consulting teams in end-to-end project delivery by supporting project planning, timeline tracking, milestone management, and coordination with internal stakeholders and external client contacts to ensure deliverables are completed on time and to scope.
  • Conduct structured primary and secondary research, synthesizing industry reports, market data, competitor analysis, and client materials into concise briefings and evidence-backed insights to inform recommendations.
  • Perform quantitative and qualitative data analysis using Excel, SQL, or similar tools to aggregate, clean, and interpret datasets; create reproducible analyses that underpin client presentations and internal decisions.
  • Build client-ready PowerPoint slide decks, including storyboarding, data visualization, and narrative development that clearly communicate findings, implications, and recommended next steps.
  • Support client workshops and meetings by preparing agendas, materials, facilitation notes, and post-session summaries; capture action items, owners, and follow-up timelines to maintain momentum.
  • Prepare detailed status reports and project dashboards for partners and engagement leads to provide transparency into budget consumption, resource allocation, key risks, and mitigation plans.
  • Develop financial and operational models (e.g., cost-benefit analysis, forecast scenarios, ROI calculations) under senior oversight to evaluate business cases and strategic options for clients.
  • Coordinate with technical teams (data engineers, IT, product) to translate business questions into data requirements, support extraction requests, and validate outputs against business rules.
  • Manage routine client communications including scheduling, meeting coordination, document sharing, and responding to clarifying requests in a timely, professional manner.
  • Support stakeholder interviews by drafting interview guides, conducting interviews, documenting responses, and identifying patterns and evidence to support hypotheses.
  • Draft clear, concise written deliverables such as executive summaries, memos, status updates, and client-facing reports that reflect a logical flow and actionable recommendations.
  • Assist in change management activities, including stakeholder mapping, comms planning, and training material creation to help clients adopt recommended processes and tools.
  • Conduct process mapping and operational diagnostics by observing client operations, documenting current-state workflows, identifying inefficiencies, and suggesting quick wins and longer-term improvements.
  • Run pilot tests and validation exercises for proposed interventions; collect and analyze pilot data and prepare lessons-learned reports to iterate on recommendations.
  • Track and document project risks and issues, escalate when necessary, and propose pragmatic mitigation strategies to the engagement lead.
  • Collaborate with internal knowledge teams to capture best practices, case studies, and reusable templates that enhance future project efficiency and consistency.
  • Support proposal development and bid activities by compiling market research, developing technical approaches, estimating resource needs, and contributing to pricing assumptions under lead guidance.
  • Maintain strict confidentiality and data governance standards when handling sensitive client information, including compliance with nondisclosure agreements and secure storage practices.
  • Contribute to internal continuous improvement initiatives, identifying opportunities to streamline recurring tasks, automate manual processes, and improve template quality.
  • Participate in professional development activities, including training sessions, mentorship, and certification preparation, to accelerate growth and readiness for higher responsibility roles.
  • Assist in client onboarding activities, including scope clarification, contractual deliverable documentation, and establishing communication protocols to ensure alignment from project inception.
  • Deliver ad-hoc analyses and quick-turnaround requests for client questions, synthesizing results into coherent next steps and flags for senior consultants.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, complex formulas, scenario analysis) for data manipulation and financial modelling.
  • Strong PowerPoint skills with the ability to craft clear, structured presentations and visual storytelling for senior stakeholders.
  • Basic SQL knowledge to query relational databases, extract datasets, and perform joins/aggregations for analysis.
  • Familiarity with data visualization tools such as Tableau, Power BI, or Looker to create dashboards and interpret metrics.
  • Experience with quantitative analysis techniques, including regression basics, descriptive statistics, and scenario modelling.
  • Working knowledge of project management tools (Asana, Jira, Trello, or MS Project) to maintain task lists, sprints, and deliverable timelines.
  • Competence in research and competitive intelligence tools (e.g., FactSet, Bloomberg, Statista) or structured web research methodologies.
  • Basic understanding of business case development, cost-benefit analysis, and financial statement interpretation.
  • Familiarity with CRM and collaboration platforms (Salesforce, Slack, SharePoint, Google Workspace) to manage client information and documentation.
  • Ability to prepare reproducible analyses and well-documented workbooks or scripts (Excel workbooks with clear assumptions, annotated SQL queries, or Python/R notebooks where applicable).

Soft Skills

  • Clear and persuasive written communication tailored to executive and operational audiences.
  • Strong verbal communication and presentation skills; comfortable speaking in client meetings and internal reviews.
  • Analytical mindset with a natural curiosity and the ability to synthesize complex information into concise insights.
  • Excellent organization, time management, and prioritization skills in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
  • Professional client-facing demeanor with stakeholder sensitivity and a service-oriented attitude.
  • Collaborative team player who seeks feedback, supports colleagues, and contributes to a positive team culture.
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities; able to propose practical, evidence-based solutions.
  • Attention to detail and accuracy when preparing deliverables and working with numerical data.
  • Adaptability and resilience when faced with ambiguous problems or shifting client priorities.
  • Ethical judgment and discretion when handling confidential and commercially sensitive information.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, Management, Data Science, Statistics, Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related discipline.
  • Certifications or short courses in analytics, project management (e.g., CAPM), or data visualization are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Business / Management
  • Economics / Finance
  • Data Science / Statistics
  • Computer Science / Engineering
  • Public Policy / International Relations

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 0–2 years (recent graduates, internships, or 1–2 years of related project support experience)

Preferred:

  • 1+ internships or project experience in consulting, corporate strategy, analytics, or project management.
  • Demonstrated exposure to client work, structured problem solving, or data-driven analysis through academic projects, capstones, or professional placements.
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