| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | CA and Consulting |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Research Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | Fresher or up to 3 years in research or knowledge management |
Research Associate (Consulting) job description template
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Job title: Research Associate (Consulting)
Department: CA and Consulting
Reports to: Research Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Research Associate in a consulting firm produces the market, industry and company research that engagements and proposals depend on. They run secondary research, build company and sector profiles, track competitors, and keep the firm's knowledge base current. Unlike a consulting analyst focused on engagement analysis, a research associate often sits in a central research or knowledge team serving many teams. A good Research Associate turns a broad question into a sharp, well sourced brief quickly, knows where to find reliable information, and gives consultants a head start on every new problem.
Key responsibilities
- Run secondary research on markets, industries and companies to answer questions from consulting teams.
- Build and update company profiles, sector overviews and competitor trackers for the firm.
- Source data from paid databases, government sources and reports, and check it for reliability.
- Prepare research briefs that summarise findings with clear sources for consultants to use.
- Support proposals with market sizing inputs, client background and industry context.
- Maintain the firm's knowledge base so past research and credentials are easy to find.
- Track industry news and trends relevant to the firm's focus sectors and flag what matters.
- Respond to quick research requests from engagement teams within tight timelines.
- Cite and reference sources correctly so findings can be trusted and defended.
- Suggest better sources and research methods to improve the team's output.
Requirements
- Graduate or postgraduate in commerce, economics, management or a related field
- Strong research and writing skills
- A library science or business research certification is an advantage
- Fresher or up to 3 years in research or knowledge management
KRAs and KPIs for a Research Associate (Consulting)
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Research quality | Briefs delivered accurate, relevant and clearly sourced for the requesting team |
| Turnaround | Research requests answered within the agreed timeline each time |
| Source reliability | Findings backed by credible, cited sources with no unverified claims |
| Knowledge base | Company and sector profiles kept current and easy to retrieve |
| Proposal support | Market and client inputs delivered on time for every bid requested |
| Trend tracking | Relevant sector developments flagged to teams promptly |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Research and company databases, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, Knowledge management tools, Web research tools.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Research Associate, Research Manager, Consulting Analyst
Interview questions for a Research Associate (Consulting)
- How would you research a niche industry you have never heard of before?
- How do you judge whether a source is reliable enough to cite?
- You get a research request due in two hours. How do you scope and deliver it?
- How would you size a market when there is no direct published figure?
- How do you keep a knowledge base useful rather than a dumping ground?
- Tell me about a piece of research that changed how a team saw a problem.
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What does a research associate in consulting do?
A research associate produces the market, industry and company research that consulting engagements and proposals rely on. They run secondary research, build company and sector profiles, track competitors, support proposals with market inputs and keep the firm's knowledge base current. They often sit in a central research team and give consultants a well sourced head start on new problems.
What is the difference between a research associate and a consulting analyst?
A research associate focuses on secondary research and knowledge, often serving many teams from a central desk. A consulting analyst works inside an engagement, doing the data analysis, modelling and slides for a specific client problem. The research associate provides context and evidence; the analyst does the engagement level analysis and deliverables.
What qualifications does a research associate need?
Most research associates are graduates or postgraduates in commerce, economics, management or a related field, with strong research and writing skills. Firms want people who know where to find reliable information, can judge sources and can turn a broad question into a sharp brief. A business research or library science certification is an advantage.