Client Development Advisor - USG Alliances & Partnerships

McKinsey; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 220,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

World-class benefits

Job summary

McKinsey & Company seeks a senior leader to advance USG alliances and partnerships in federal markets. You will partner with CST, service lines, and client development to identify opportunities, shape GTM, and steer cross‑cutting campaigns that differentiate McKinsey in priority federal programs.

You will lead high‑impact partner engagements, orchestrate MPJVs, and coordinate with delivery, legal, and risk teams to turn strategic ideas into practical pursuits, while engaging senior government

Qualifications

• US citizenship with ability to obtain security clearance.
• 7+ years in federal government consulting or related fields.
• Strong knowledge of US federal market and GTM.
• Experience with partnerships, alliances, and MPJVs.
• Ability to travel as needed for client engagements and events.

Responsibilities

• Serve as thought partner to senior CST and client leaders.
• Shape USG alliances and partnerships strategy across CST, service lines, and sub-sectors.
• Identify and pursue strategic partnership opportunities and GTM campaigns.
• Lead teaming arrangements, MPJVs, MoUs, and other partnerships.
• Coordinate with delivery, legal, risk, and operations to integrate partnerships.

Skills

US citizenship

Security clearance

Federal consulting

Strategic partnerships

GTM strategy

Capture strategy

Relationships with primes

Travel readiness

Job description

Do you want to do work that matters, alongside supportive leaders who will help you grow faster than you ever thought possible? Are you a creative problem-solver who is energized by challenges? You’ve come to the right place.

YOUR IMPACT

You will serve as a thought partner to senior CST, service-line, sub-sector, and client development leaders, helping identify where partnerships can accelerate high-impact growth, fill capability gaps, create differentiation, and strengthen our position in priority federal markets. You will help shape and advance the US Government (USG) Alliances & Partnerships strategy, working across partnership strategy, go-to-market (GTM), ecosystem development, and support for priority captures. You will also be hands‑on in identifying partners for live pursuits, preparing for partner engagements, developing materials, navigating internal processes, and getting strategic initiatives off the ground. You will shape and execute the cross‑cutting USG partnership agenda across CST, service lines, and sub‑sectors, including partnership demand forecasting, ecosystem curation, strategic partner management, opportunity‑based teaming, mentor‑protégé and joint venture partnerships (MPJVs), and other strategic partnership vehicles. You will develop and execute cross‑cutting GTM campaigns and market scans to identify emerging opportunities, capabilities, technologies, acquisition pathways, and potential partners. Drawing on deep knowledge of the federal market and acquisition environment, you will identify opportunities to leverage traditional and non‑traditional pathways—including contract vehicles, Commercial Solutions Openings (CSOs), Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) and consortia, and SBIR/STTR opportunities—to create differentiated paths to market and strengthen our competitive positioning. You will serve as a strategic connector between senior internal stakeholders and external partners, building and managing relationships across large government services primes, systems integrators, small businesses, technology providers, and the broader federal ecosystem. You will engage directly with C‑suite executives and senior industry leaders across government services and defense technology, serving as a primary interface for strategic partnership discussions, relationship development, and collaboration opportunities. You will lead selected strategic partnering relationships and help orchestrate the governance of our internal partner group and teaming partner ecosystem, aligning stakeholders around shared priorities, accountability, and growth opportunities. You will lead efforts to structure, negotiate, and operationalize teaming agreements, Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), MPJVs, and other partnership arrangements, while supporting appropriate risk, compliance, due diligence, and internal approval processes. You will work closely with client development, capture, delivery, legal, contracts, risk, and operations teams to integrate partnership strategies into priority pursuits and broader market plays. You will also represent the firm at industry events, conferences, networking forums, and government engagements, translating market, acquisition, technology, and partner insights into actionable recommendations that strengthen our GTM capabilities, competitive positioning, and pipeline.

YOUR GROWTH

Driving lasting impact and building long‑term capabilities with our clients is not easy work. You are the kind of person who thrives in a high performance/high reward culture — doing hard things, picking yourself up when you stumble, and having the resilience to try another way forward. In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we’ll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities you need to become a stronger leader faster than you ever thought possible. Your colleagues—at all levels—will invest deeply in your development, just as much as they invest in delivering exceptional results for clients. Every day, you’ll receive apprenticeship, coaching, and exposure that will accelerate your growth in ways you won’t find anywhere else. When you join us, you will have:

• Continuous learning:Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast‑paced learning experience, owning your journey.
• A voice that matters:From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You’ll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions, all while upholding our unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes.
• Global community:With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm’s diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions for our clients. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• World‑class benefits:On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well‑being for you and your family.

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• U.S. citizenship; ability to obtain a certain level of security clearance mandated by the relevant U.S. government branch or agency
• 7+ years of experience in federal government consulting, technology, professional services, business development, alliances, partnerships, or government contracting, with strong knowledge of the US federal market
• Strong understanding of federal GTM and acquisition, including capture, teaming, contract vehicles, past performance, small‑business requirements, and prime/subcontractor relationships
• Deep familiarity with traditional and non‑traditional acquisition and contracting pathways, including Commercial Solutions Openings (CSOs), Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) and consortia, and SBIR/STTR opportunities; ability to recognize where these approaches may create differentiated paths to market and engage appropriate specialists
• Demonstrated experience developing and managing strategic partnerships, alliances, teaming arrangements, joint ventures, or ecosystem relationships to support growth and competitive differentiation
• Experience supporting priority pursuits and translating partnership opportunities into actionable GTM and capture strategies
• Established relationships across the federal government services and defense technology ecosystem, including major primes, systems integrators, technology providers, and other relevant industry participants
• Proven ability to operate both strategically and hands‑on, including partner identification, meeting preparation, development of materials, internal coordination, and implementation of partnership initiatives
• Experience working cross‑functionally with client development, capture, delivery, legal, contracts, risk, and operations teams in a consulting or professional services environment
• Strong understanding of emerging technology, market, and acquisition trends affecting the federal government and public‑sector ecosystem
• Ability to travel as needed for client engagements, partner meetings, industry events, and government forums

FOR U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Certain US jurisdictions require McKinsey & Company to include a reasonable estimate of the salary for this role. To help you understand what you can expect, the salary range for new joiners in this role in United States, including all office locations where the job may be performed, is $220,000 - $225,000 USD gross per year. This reflects our best estimate of the lowest to highest[salary/hourly wages] for this role at the time of this posting, ensuring you have a clear picture right from the start, though it's importantto remember that actual salaries may vary. Factors like your office location, your unique blend of experience and skills, start date and our currentorganizational needs all play a part in determining the final figure. Certain roles are also eligible for bonuses, subject to McKinsey's discretionand based on factors such as individual and/or organizational performance.

Additionally, we provide a comprehensive benefits package that reflects our commitment to the wellness of our colleagues and their families. This includes medical, mental health, dental and vision coverage, telemedicine services, life, accident and disability insurance, parental leave and family planning benefits, caregiving resources, a generous retirement contributions program, financial guidance,and paid time off.

FOR NON-U.S. APPLICANTS: McKinsey & Company is an Equal Opportunity employer. For additional details regarding our global EEO policy and diversity initiatives, please visit our McKinsey Careers and Diversity & Inclusion sites.