Associate Consultant, Engineering

Integrated-Project-Management-Company-; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) matching

Performance bonuses

Growth opportunities

Job summary

IPM, headquartered in Chicago with offices nationwide, seeks engineers and technical professionals who love leading cross-functional projects. You will drive portfolios across manufacturing, consumer, industrial, and pharmaceutical spaces from initiation through closure.

You’ll build plans, manage budgets, and coordinate with stakeholders and vendors to deliver real results. A strong technical foundation and 3+ years of experience are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, operations, or a related technical field.
• 3+ years of professional experience, leading projects/workstreams/cross-functional efforts.
• Executive presence with ability to engage from shop floor to C-suite.
• Drive and ownership with initiative and accountability.
• Curiosity and adaptability across industries, technologies, and methods.
• Client-first mindset and ability to build trust with stakeholders.
• Coachability and willingness to be developed and promoted.
• Comfort with project management tools and Microsoft Office applications.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects across the full lifecycle - initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure.
• Partner with stakeholders to define scope, objectives, deliverables, and success criteria.
• Build and maintain project plans, schedules, budgets, and resource plans.
• Facilitate meetings, status reviews, and decision-making that keep teams moving.
• Identify, assess, and manage risks, issues, and dependencies before they become problems.
• Coordinate activities across cross-functional teams, vendors, and external partners.
• Communicate status, milestones, risks, and outcomes clearly to leadership and stakeholders.
• Drive continuous improvement and support change management as projects deliver real results.

Skills

Technical foundation

Executive presence

Drive and ownership

Curiosity

Adaptability

Client-first mindset

Coachability

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

PMP certification

Job description

For more than three decades, premier organizations have trusted IPM to ensure the successful execution of their strategic portfolios and most critical initiatives. With 90 percent repeat business and a Net Promoter Score in the world-class category, IPM has a reputation that is second to none. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in Boston, Parsippany, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, we’ve led more than 5,000 projects for over 500 clients - from Fortune 100 companies to startups - across the U.S. and around the world.

Our Consultants are our full-time employees. They are our most important asset and the competitive advantage that sets us apart. We hire people with strong technical foundations and develop them into trusted consultants — and because we only promote from within, your growth here is limitless.

Is this you?

If you’re an engineer or technical professional who has discovered you love leading the project as much as doing the work - driving cross-functional teams, untangling ambiguous problems, and delivering for demanding clients - IPM is where that instinct becomes a career. You’ll gain significant exposure to a variety of clients and industries, backed by managers, internal teams, and our Centers of Excellence every step of the way.

These are not IT or technical Project Manager positions.

You’ll lead cross-functional projects in new product development, operational excellence and capital projects for manufacturing, or Project Portfolio Management within the consumer products, industrial products, or pharmaceutical industries.

What You’ll Do

• Lead projects across the full lifecycle - initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure
• Partner with stakeholders to define scope, objectives, deliverables, and success criteria
• Build and maintain project plans, schedules, budgets, and resource plans
• Facilitate meetings, status reviews, and decision-making that keep teams moving
• Identify, assess, and manage risks, issues, and dependencies before they become problems
• Coordinate activities across cross-functional teams, vendors, and external partners
• Communicate status, milestones, risks, and outcomes clearly to leadership and stakeholders
• Drive continuous improvement and support change management as projects deliver real results

What We’re Looking For

We hire for potential, drive, and consulting presence — the qualities we can’t teach. You likely bring:

• A technical foundation - a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, operations, or a related technical field
• 3+ years of professional experience, including leading projects, workstreams, or cross-functional efforts (a formal “Project Manager” title is not required - we care about what you’ve led, not what it was called)
• Executive presence - you communicate credibly with everyone from the shop floor to the C-suite
• Drive and ownership - you take initiative, thrive with autonomy, and hold the room accountable
• Curiosity and adaptability - you pick up new industries, technologies, and methods quickly
• A client-first mindset - you build trust and read stakeholders well
• Coachability - you want to be developed, challenged, and promoted
• Comfort with project management tools and Microsoft Office applications

PMP or equivalent certification is a plus, not a requirement - we’ll invest in your development.

Why IPM

• Diverse projects - broad exposure to varied clients and real room to grow
• Collaborative environment - structured support from managers, internal teams, and our Centers of Excellence (CoEs) serving as SMEs for tools, best practices, and industry knowledge
• A family with an engaging culture - a caring, transparent environment with regional and companywide culture- and team-building events
• Professional development - thorough onboarding and the bandwidth to build your career; we only promote from within
• High visibility and direct client impact - shape how clients achieve their strategies through well-planned, well-executed projects
• Comprehensive compensation and benefits - 100% employer-paid health, 401(k) matching, business development incentives, and performance bonuses, among many other elements. Salary Range: $85,000 - $105,000
• Passion for the greater good - through Project Mercy, we channel and maximize our philanthropic efforts every quarter

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Disclaimer: Where a specific pay range is noted, it is a good faith estimate at the time of this posting. The actual salary offered will be based on experience, skills, qualifications, and market/business considerations.

IPM is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment.

IPM’s hybrid work environment requires a minimum of three days in the office. The specific days are flexible and may vary depending on project schedules and meetings. On-site locations may also vary. In addition, we follow our clients’ guidance on on-site requirements, so the minimum number of days in the office may increase depending on the client and project assignment.