Senior Associate Consultant - Strategic Advisory Services

Sargent & Lundy; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 118,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

Life & disability insurance

401(k)

Tuition assistance

Employee discounts

Job summary

Sargent & Lundy is seeking a Senior Associate Consultant to lead major engagement areas, translate complex analyses into practical recommendations, and mentor junior professionals in our Strategic Advisory practice. The role focuses on strategic advisory services, business and financial analysis, and market planning for energy clients.

You will collaborate with senior advisory professionals and technical leaders, shape governance and change initiatives, and contribute to proposals and thought

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or a related field.
• 5–10 years of relevant professional experience, including either at least 3 years of consulting experience serving power and utilities clients or at least 5 years of relevant power and utilities industry experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the power and utilities sector, including energy infrastructure, particularly electric generation, transmission, and distribution systems, and how market, regulatory, technical, and financial factors affect their development, operation, and economics.
• Genuine interest in the energy and infrastructure sectors, including how market, regulatory, technical, and financial considerations shape strategic, investment, and operating decisions.
• Advanced analytical, quantitative, and structured problem-solving skills, including the ability to navigate ambiguity.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex topics clearly to diverse stakeholders with varying levels of technical expertise.
• Experience leading major areas of engagement delivery, collaborating with cross-disciplinary teams, and engaging effectively with client stakeholders across multiple levels of the organization.
• Proficiency in producing clear, well-structured client work products using Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and Word.

Responsibilities

• Lead major areas of client engagements and translate analyses into actionable plans.
• Work directly with clients and senior professionals, mentor junior team members, and contribute to business development.
• Support continued growth of the Strategic Advisory practice through tools, frameworks, and collateral.
• Provide client meetings, interviews, and workshops with stakeholders at multiple levels.
• Support broader S&L Consulting engagements when aligned with capabilities.

Skills

Analytical skills

Quantitative skills

Structured problem-solving

Communication skills

Power & utilities knowledge

Client engagement

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or a related field

Tools

PowerPoint

Excel

Word

Job description

Responsibilities

This role offers a hybrid work arrangement. You'll spend three days a week in the office, giving you the flexibility to work remotely for two days

The Sargent & Lundy (S&L) Consulting group is seeking talented professionals to join our growing Strategic Advisory practice. Our Strategic Advisory services span four core areas: Strategy & Transformation, Financial & Economic Advisory, Energy System & Market Planning, and Asset & Project Management. We serve a broad range of energy sector clients, including utilities, independent power producers, project developers, investors, lenders, government agencies, and system operators. Our work helps clients make strategic and business decisions and turn those decisions into practical action, drawing on S&L’s deep technical expertise and understanding of the energy sector.

As part of our team, you will help clients navigate complex market and industry dynamics, make informed business and investment decisions, improve performance, and move strategic initiatives from planning to execution. You will work on high-impact projects, collaborate with senior advisory professionals and technical leaders with deep energy-sector experience, and build your career in energy consulting.

This role is primarily focused on strategic advisory services, including business strategy, financial and economic analysis, market and system planning, organizational strategy, implementation planning, governance, and change enablement. The successful candidate may also support broader S&L Consulting engagements when those opportunities align with their capabilities.

Responsibilities:

As a Senior Associate Consultant, you will lead major areas of client engagements, bring structure to ambiguous challenges, and translate complex analysis into clear recommendations and actionable plans. You will work directly with clients and senior S&L professionals, mentor junior team members, contribute to business development, and support the continued growth of our Strategic Advisory practice. Key responsibilities may include:

• Leading major areas of engagement delivery across a range of assignments, including rate case support; business cases and investment evaluations; strategic assessments and business planning; frameworks for evaluating emerging technologies and related market, technical, and economic analyses; process improvement; operating model design; transformation and implementation support; and advisory support for major capital projects and programs.
• Conducting or overseeing analyses, developing business cases, formulating recommendations, and preparing implementation plans, client presentations, reports, and other work products that translate client challenges into practical actions.
• Leading or supporting client meetings, interviews, working sessions, and workshops with stakeholders at multiple levels.
• Contributing to the growth of S&L’s Strategic Advisory practice by developing analytical tools, frameworks, and practice collateral, and by contributing to proposals and thought leadership content.
• Supporting S&L Consulting engagements outside the Strategic Advisory practice, as needed, including power supply planning, due diligence, asset transactions, and other related services.

Qualifications

We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or a related field.
• 5–10 years of relevant professional experience, including either at least 3 years of consulting experience serving power and utilities clients or at least 5 years of relevant power and utilities industry experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the power and utilities sector, including energy infrastructure, particularly electric generation, transmission, and distribution systems, and how market, regulatory, technical, and financial factors affect their development, operation, and economics.
• Genuine interest in the energy and infrastructure sectors, including how market, regulatory, technical, and financial considerations shape strategic, investment, and operating decisions.
• Advanced analytical, quantitative, and structured problem-solving skills, including the ability to navigate ambiguity.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex topics clearly to diverse stakeholders with varying levels of technical expertise.
• Experience leading major areas of engagement delivery, collaborating with cross-disciplinary teams, and engaging effectively with client stakeholders across multiple levels of the organization.
• Proficiency in producing clear, well-structured client work products using Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and Word.
• Ability to synthesize complex analyses into clear, actionable recommendations and communicate the implications, risks, and implementation considerations to diverse stakeholders.
• High level of initiative, ownership, and accountability, with a track record of delivering high-quality work products with limited supervision.

Valued but not required skills and experience:

• MBA or other relevant advanced degree preferred.
• Major capital project or program experience involving transmission and distribution, generation, or other complex infrastructure.
• Demonstrated ability to lead the development of business cases, implementation plans, or transformation roadmaps, including evaluating strategic options, impacts, risks, and implementation requirements.
• Experience assessing organizational capabilities, leading process-improvement initiatives, or designing governance or operating models.
• PE, PMP, or another relevant professional licensure or certification is preferred but not required.

Technology & Innovation

Sargent & Lundy values the appropriate use of technology to improve how work gets done and deliver high-quality outcomes for our clients. Depending on the role, employees may use data, automation, artificial intelligence, and other digital tools to support research, analysis, engineering and design activities, workflow improvement, or other aspects of their work. We value candidates who demonstrate an interest in learning and effectively using emerging technologies where relevant to their role. Employees remain accountable for their work and are expected to apply appropriate professional judgment and review when using technology-assisted tools. Experience with AI, automation, programming, or similar technologies is valued where relevant but is not required unless specifically identified elsewhere in the job description.

About Sargent & Lundy

At Sargent & Lundy, we care about the health and well-being of our employees. Our commitment extends beyond the workplace, offering comprehensive healthcare plans and generous paid time off to support our team members in every aspect of their lives. We understand the importance of work-life balance, which is why we are proud to provide competitive, award-winning benefits. Our dedication to employee satisfaction has earned us the prestigious Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Award for compensation and benefits in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Health & WellnessFinancial BenefitsWork-Life Balance

• Health Plans: Medical, Dental, Vision
• Life & Accident Insurance
• Disability Coverage
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Back-Up Daycare
• FSA & HSA

• 401(k)
• Pre-Tax Commuter Account
• Merit Scholarship Program
• Employee Discount Program
• Corporate Charitable Giving Program
• Tuition Assistance
• First Professional Licensure Bonus
• Employee Referral Bonus

• Paid Annual Personal/Sick Time (PST)
• Paid Vacation
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Bereavement Leave
• Flexible Work Arrangements

Compensation Range

$118,023 - $180,313

Transparency Statement

Sargent & Lundy discloses compensation ranges that comply with all local and state regulations. The total compensation package for eligible positions will include a base salary or an hourly rate and a comprehensive benefits package, reflecting our commitment to rewarding performance and supporting the overall well-being of our employees. Individuals may also be eligible to participate in our yearly discretionary bonus.

Equal Opportunity

Sargent & Lundy is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any protected status as defined by applicable law.