Associate – Operations

Mckinsey & Company, Inc.; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 500,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consulting firm is seeking associates for its Johannesburg office to drive impactful solutions for clients in various sectors. Candidates should possess strong analytical, leadership, and communication skills, ideally with a relevant honors degree and an interest in operational challenges. This role offers extensive training and mentorship opportunities, fostering professional growth in a collaborative environment.

Benefits

World-class benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage

Continuous learning and apprenticeship culture

Global community of diverse colleagues

Qualifications

• Outstanding academic and professional achievement.
• Willingness to travel.

Responsibilities

• Engage in client projects with teams of 3-5 consultants.
• Gather and analyze information, formulate hypotheses, and communicate recommendations.
• Receive mentorship and training for career development.

Skills

Analytical skills

Quantitative problem-solving

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree with honors in engineering, construction, mining, logistics, or related areas

Advanced graduate degree

Job description

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:

1. 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.
2. 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. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes.
3. Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and various 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.
4. World-class benefits: On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, mental health, and vision coverage for you, your spouse/partner, and children.

Your Impact

You'll work in teams of typically 3–5 consultants, playing an active role in all aspects of client engagement. This includes gathering and analyzing information, formulating and testing hypotheses, and developing and communicating recommendations.

You'll also have the opportunity to present results to client management and implement recommendations in collaboration with client team members. Associates receive exceptional training as well as frequent coaching and mentoring from colleagues on their teams.

This support includes a Partner from your local office or practice assigned to you to help guide your career, as well as up to five weeks of formal training in your first two years as an Associate.

Additionally, you'll receive guidance and support from your local office or practice in the selection of client projects, helping you to develop your skills and build your network. While all consultants develop specialized knowledge and a focused program as they progress with McKinsey, most are initially very broad in their focus, meaning they do not need specific industry or functional expertise to be successful.

For experienced professionals joining McKinsey, this can mean building on previous knowledge or developing unique experience in a new area. You will likely intersect with many elements of our firm's work, including digital, analytics, and implementation, either by collaborating on teams or working with colleagues from these groups.

You will be based in Johannesburg and will be part of the Operations practice. Our Operations practice assists clients in solving complex operational challenges by developing and implementing strategies that address critical problems, blending strategic thinking with practical execution.

When you join McKinsey, you join a distinctive and inclusive culture. We will accelerate your development as a leader to create positive, enduring change in the world.

You will work on the best teams to help the best organizations across private, public, and social sectors solve their most difficult problems, working with many experts, from data scientists and researchers to software and app designers.

Your qualifications and skills include:

• Bachelor's degree with honors in engineering (all fields), construction, mining, logistics, or related areas; an advanced graduate degree is preferred.
• Outstanding academic and professional achievement.
• Exceptional analytical and quantitative problem-solving skills.
• Strong leadership record in academic, professional, or extracurricular settings.
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with people at all levels.
• Excellent communication skills in English and the local office language(s), both verbal and written.
• Willingness to travel.