Leadership Advisory Services Expert, Associate

The Opportunity

The Associate role in the Leadership Advisory Services (LAS) team is expected to provide standalone support for client engagements, starts to develop areas of expertise, and acts as an internal trainer and mentor to build capacity within the team. This individual will play a key role in partnering with other members of the LAS team and other service line client teams across industries and functions to execute leadership advisory work. The Associate works broadly across different offerings to continue developing a well-rounded understanding of our solutions and will develop expertise in certain types of leadership solutions (e.g., succession) or levels of leadership solutions (e.g., teams).

On client engagements, the individual will partner with the more senior LAS team members leading the project, act as a thought partner to internal and client project leads, and independently drive the timeline and overall internal management of the project. The individual will also be client facing in conducting leadership assessments, team workshops, client trainings, psychometric debriefs, etc. Internally, the individual will provide mentorship and guidance to more junior members of the LAS team and to experts and consultants in the Executive Search or Board Advisory service lines, as needed. We provide a comprehensive onboarding and training program for every new hire, including formal mentors within the Leadership Advisory team and the local office.

* An Associate should expect to spend 5-20% of their time traveling, at either internal or client sites. Travel schedules are highly variable but always known well in advance.

What You'll Do

Assignment Execution

• Drives the implementation of solutions together with consultants; has broad exposure to the suite of Leadership Advisory solutions and how to execute several different types of client engagements.
• Serves as a thought partner to the team on all aspects of the project by identifying and developing a high-quality, rigorous approach. Supplements expertise by collaborating as needed with other members of the global LAS team with specific expertise.
• Oversees all aspects of project management throughout a client engagement, including delegating to and managing a team of Executive Assistants or Business Analysts, as needed. Works closely with the lead consultant during all phases of the project to ensure quality and timeliness.
• Participates in client-facing activities as appropriate (leading client updates, sitting in assessments, taking reference calls, delivering results to clients, facilitating workshops, etc.).
• Serves as a Mentor for new LAS hires across regions, including supporting on-boarding and partnering with expert affinity team members.
• Develops training on Egon Zehnder methodology/IP with either clients or with affinity research and consultants to build capability inside and outside of the firm, and leads/delivers trainings, as appropriate.

Business Development

• Moves from broad exposure across Leadership Advisory solutions to developing a spike in specific topic(s) and supports Leadership Advisory team and colleagues in monitoring the market on their topic and uses knowledge to inform commercial activities as appropriate.
• Thinks creatively about solving client problems and develops ideas through preparation of customized client proposals, pitch materials, and presentations, in partnership with other team members and consultants.
• Participates in business development discussions/pitch meetings and drives elements of the agenda/discussion, as appropriate and based on areas of expertise.
• Contributes to pricing strategies to maximize profitability and quality, in partnership with other team members and consultants.

Contributes to Content & IP Development

• Engage with more senior Leadership Advisory team members/other colleagues to screen the market for the latest developments in their area of interest.
• Partners with more senior members of the Leadership Advisory group to contribute to thought leadership/IP.
• Develops deeper expertise on the leadership trends and thought leaders internally and externally that relate to EZ's existing offerings.
• Contributes to the Firm’s knowledge management activities by looking for opportunities to build and share expertise and develop best practices.
• Partners with local and global leadership on key practice knowledge initiatives and knowledge sharing.
• Shares expertise and best practices with consultants and influences their use for standard offerings.
• Partners with Offering Hosts (senior LAS team members who oversee each of the leadership advisory offerings) to support IP initiatives for the Firm, i.e., supports in creating research-backed studies and papers/materials beyond what is already available at the Firm.

What We’re Looking For

Required

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5-8 years’ professional work experience (post-undergrad).
• Demonstrated experience in a role of a similar nature (qualitative research, project management, legal research, professional services, etc.).
• Experience working in teams
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite and related tools

Nice To Have

• Advanced degree in relevant field
• Experience in management consulting or professional services
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative data analysis

Personal Qualities

• Candidates should demonstrate the following:
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills
• Proven ability to build deep relationships and influence remotely
• Highly effective interpersonal skills to facilitate frequent interaction with colleagues around the world and build effective, trust-based working relationships
• Drive for learning/intellectual curiosity; asks questions and seeks input from colleagues to find better solutions and learn from others
• Self-motivated; energetic and tenacious
• Comfortable with ambiguity and a fast-paced environment
• Skilled in operating in a team environment
• Skilled in project management – understanding the objectives, defining goals and milestones, updating key stakeholders, ensuring quality of output
• Resourceful - asking questions and seeking input from colleagues around the world to build better solutions and learn from others
• Structured and systematic in approach
• International & multicultural outlook and mindset
• Proactiveness/courage to challenge “status quo”
• Resilience/“can do” attitude

About Us

Egon Zehnder is the world’s preeminent executive search and leadership advisory firm, inspiring leaders to navigate complex questions with human answers. We help organizations get to the heart of their leadership challenges and offer honest feedback and insights to help leaders realize their true being and purpose. We believe that together we can transform people, organizations and the world through leadership.

Our Offices

Since its founding in a Zurich townhouse in 1964, Egon Zehnder has grown to 67 offices in 37 countries.

Our U.S. and Canada offices include Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Montreal, Miami, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington D.C.

Egon Zehnder is committed to creating and fostering a culturally diverse, equitable and inclusive organization. We recognize the value in a wide range of ideas, perspectives, experiences and skillsets in our workplace. To learn more about Egon Zehnder’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion, please visit: