PERLab Associate- Consumer

Kearney Italia, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous retirement contributions

Comprehensive medical insurance

Learning & development opportunities

Home office stipend

Job summary

Kearney is seeking an Associate for its Product Excellence and Renewal Lab (PERLab) in Chicago. You will lead workstreams, shape actionable recommendations, and partner with designers, engineers, and category experts to solve problems that impact shelves and margins.

Ideal candidates have 5–10 years in relevant fields and hold an MBA or advanced degree, with experience in consumer goods, insights, or portfolio strategy. Willingness to relocate to Chicago is preferred.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience in consumer goods, consumer insights, category management, brand or product management, or innovation.

Responsibilities

• Lead workstreams and shape client recommendations.
• Collaborate with designers, engineers, and category experts.
• Apply consumer insights to drive growth and portfolio optimization.
• Contribute to product strategy and marketplace outcomes.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Consumer insights

Category management

Problem solving

Relocation to Chicago

MBA or advanced degree

Education

MBA or other advanced degree

Bachelor's degree

Job description

As an Associate at Kearney, you'll help drive the next chapter of our Product Excellence and Renewal Lab (PERLab) — the team helping some of the world's most recognizable consumer brands rethink and reinvigorate their product portfolios for growth.

PERLab sits at a rare intersection: world-class product design fused with Kearney's operational rigor. In partnership with TEAMS Design — renowned for its work in product design, UX, and industrial design — we don't just advise from the outside. We tear products apart, walk the manufacturing line, and rebuild the supply chain from the inside, unlocking margin and efficiency at every stage of the product life cycle.

Our work spans the full arc of a product life — from shaping the category strategy behind a new launch and engineering products that win at scale, to finding the margin hiding in a portfolio and reinventing brands that have lost their edge.

As an Associate, you'll be in the middle of it all — leading workstreams, shaping recommendations that clients act on, and working shoulder-to-shoulder with designers, engineers, and category experts to solve problems that change what actually ends up on shelves.

What you will do

Are you ready to:

• Work alongside a dedicated and diverse group of people to offer honest advice and practical guidance to our clients?
• Leverage your consumer goods, commercial, or technical background to solve complex consulting challenges?
• Work at the intersection of consumer insight, consulting, and design?
• Use your knowledge of products, categories, and consumers to create real business impact?
• Let your curiosity about what consumers choose—and why—and your passion for solving tough problems sparks new solutions?
• Learn and grow by taking advantage of every opportunity available to you?
• Join a company that prides itself on its shared values and inclusive culture?
• Be the difference and make it happen?

Who You Are

After 100 years, we know this business is fundamentally about making connections—between facts, figures, insights, strategies, tools, technologies, and above all, people. That’s why we look for collaborative, insightful, and inquisitive problem-solvers who don’t accept the first thing in front of them and who are always unapologetically themselves.

• A highly analytical problem solver
• Curious about what consumers choose, why they choose it, and how products, brands, and categories win in the market
• Ready to take ownership of identifying and developing new capabilities that help our clients design stronger product portfolios, accelerate innovation, and drive profitable growth
• Bring 5–10 years of relevant professional experience
• Have experience in one or more of the following areas: consumer goods, consumer insights, category management, brand or product management, innovation, product development, packaging, R&D, commercial strategy, or supply chain
• Hold an MBA or other advanced degree; backgrounds in business, economics, engineering, design, retail, innovation management, supply chain, or related fields are preferred
• Are located near, or willing to relocate to, Chicago

What we can offer you

Every day, our people work to be the difference for our clients, our communities, and our colleagues. Helping them to make an impact, they are sustained by a competitive remuneration package plus comprehensive benefits and perks, including but not limited to:

Generous retirement/pension saving contributions

Comprehensive medical insurance for employees and their families

Structured and on-the-job learning and development opportunities

Personalized opportunities to help you chart a unique journey to pursue your own personal and professional goals

Compensation and benefits

It is important to note that at Kearney, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the top of the range for their role. Individual salaries within each range are determined through a wide variety of factors, including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, and skills. Kearney reviews compensation regularly and may adjust base salaries to reflect market competitiveness. In addition to salary, individuals may be eligible for a discretionary performance bonus. Our full suite of benefits includes paid time off, paid sick leave, 401(k) match and profit sharing, medical, dental, and vision coverage, healthcare concierge services, backup child/adult care, annual employer HSA contributions, a home office stipend, subsidized gym membership, an annual wellness program, and leaves of absence when needed to support employees’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

Equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination

Kearney prides itself on providing a culture where our employees belong and thrive equally, which means our people feel comfort, confidence, and joy as they do great things for our firm, our colleagues, and our clients. That’s why Kearney is committed to building a diverse workforce and inclusive environment. Kearney is an equal opportunity employer; we recruit, hire, train, promote, develop, and provide other conditions of employment without regard to a person’s gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other differences consistent with applicable laws. This includes providing reasonable accommodation for disabilities or religious beliefs and practices. We encourage everyone to apply, including those who may not feel historically represented in consulting.