U.S. Associate Consultant - Digital 2026

L.E.K. Consulting; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

L.E.K. Consulting is seeking an Associate Consultant to tackle complex business problems at the intersection of strategy, digital, and AI.

You will frame problems, perform research, and build AI-enabled solutions in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. You will work on end-to-end client workstreams, mentor junior teammates, and present clear findings to CIO-level stakeholders while contributing to the growth of the Digital practice.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from a top-tier institution with stellar academics.
• 3–4 years in strategy consulting, digital/AI roles, or related fields.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret complex data.
• Hands-on with AI tooling: agent frameworks, evals, retrieval systems; Python proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Frame ambiguous client problems and design analytical approaches.
• Conduct primary and secondary research and synthesize findings.
• Prototype and deploy digital and AI solutions to move to execution.
• Deliver outputs with clarity in decks or working software.
• Own end-to-end workstreams with quality and pace.
• Embed with clients and drive adoption; mentor juniors.
• Communicate findings clearly to clients.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Data analysis

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Python

Agent frameworks

Prompt design

Evals

Job description

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

L.E.K. is a premier strategy consulting firm, known for its fast pace, high-impact work, and close-knit international team. If you are smart, humble, and eager to tackle some of the toughest and most interesting business problems, we invite you to consider joining L.E.K.

Location

Boston, Chicago, New York

Job Description

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

L.E.K. is a premier strategy consulting firm, known for its fast pace, high-impact work, and close-knit international team. If you are smart, humble, and eager to tackle some of the toughest and most interesting business problems, we invite you to consider joining L.E.K.

Job Description

If you are a bright, motivated professional looking to tackle some of the toughest and most interesting business problems at the intersection of strategy, digital & AI, consider joining L.E.K.’s Digital practice as an Associate Consultant.

Responsibilities

• Framing ambiguous client problems and designing the analytical or technical approach to solve them
• Researching and synthesizing — running primary and secondary research and converting findings into actionable recommendations and strategic narratives
• Prototyping and deploying digital and AI solutions — including agents, data products, evaluation harnesses, and lightweight internal tools — that move clients from strategy to execution
• Choosing deliberately when a question is best answered with a deck, a working prototype, or both — and being able to deliver either
• Owning workstreams end-to-end, from problem definition through client‑ready output, with accountability for both quality and pace
• Embedding with clients in the field, iterating solutions with end users, and driving adoption alongside the strategy
• Coaching junior team members across analytical and technical work, building capability across the case team
• Communicating findings — written, verbal, and demonstrable — with the clarity and conviction expected of a senior client advisor

At L.E.K., we offer a fast‑paced experience with a multitude of learning opportunities, accelerated growth, and a variety of career paths. Here, your colleagues will help shape your success as you learn, grow, and contribute to others' success.

L.E.K. recruits the best and the brightest, then offers them the broadest range of high‑impact, frequent, and diverse cases for maximum learning. We are also committed to investing in your training and development and providing excellent analytical and leadership skills for your progression in tenure.

In addition to very competitive compensation and benefits, we promote Associate Consultants to Consultants and beyond, based on demonstrated performance.

WHY L.E.K.?

• A hybrid mandate, strategic framing and hands‑on build, not one or the other
• Meaningful management opportunities
• Breadth of experiences – both in terms of digital & AI topics as well as industry sectors
• Fun, stimulating work environment
• International exposure
• Upward mobility and meritocratic culture

Qualifications And Experience Needed

• Bachelor’s degree from a top‑tier institution with a record of academic excellence
• 3–4 years of full‑time, post‑undergraduate professional experience in strategy consulting, digital / AI product roles, software or data engineering, or a similar mixed environment
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and structure ambiguous problems
• Hands‑on proficiency with modern AI tooling including agent frameworks, prompt design, evals, retrieval‑augmented systems and working fluency in at least one production‑grade language (Python preferred)
• Fluency with the contemporary data and AI architecture stack, modern data warehouses, vector stores, orchestration frameworks, and the broader vendor landscape and the judgment to navigate buy‑vs‑build choices
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication, equally credible presenting to a CIO and demoing working software to its end users
• The judgment to know when a problem is better answered with strategic framing than with code, and vice versa and the range to deliver either
• Proven leadership and initiative; comfort embedding with clients in fast‑moving, ambiguous environments
• Ability to integrate digital and AI thinking into traditional strategy casework and contribute to the growth of the Digital practice

Strategy consulting experience (e.g., digital practices at strategy firms) is advantageous; strong candidates from product, engineering, AI‑native consultancies, or corporate digital roles will be considered if they demonstrate consulting readiness

Additional Information

• L.E.K. Consulting offers a competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience. The base salary at the Associate Consultant level is $135,000USD. The estimated total potential compensation at this level is up to $200,000USD.
• L.E.K. Consulting offers a competitive total rewards package including medical, dental, vision,lifeand disability insurance, 401(k) with employer contribution, HSA contributions (where applicable), paid time off, and other firm‑sponsored benefits.
• This role follows our hybrid work model for U.S. offices.We require employees to be in their assigned home office Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday each week, as well as the first Friday of each month.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis without the need for employer sponsorship. Unfortunately, we are unable to consider candidates requiring sponsorship for visas, including but not limited to TN, H1-B, F-1, STEM OPT/CPT, or any other work authorization.
• L.E.K. Consulting is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed toprovidingequal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
• In accordance withapplicable state and local laws, we will provide reasonableaccommodationsfor qualified individuals with disabilities and forsincerely heldreligious beliefs, practices, or observances.