Management Consultant Job Description (With Key Duties)

Updated 7 September 2023

Management consultants, also known as management analysts, help businesses and organisations identify areas for improvement and provide financial expertise to maximise profit. They are skilled professionals who review financial statements and operational data and help the company's management plan an effective strategy to enhance business productivity. Learning what a job description for this role usually entails can help you prepare yourself accordingly for your next interview.

In this article, we explain what a management consultant job description is, share their key responsibilities, discuss the requirements for the role, provide a sample for your reference and also list some essential skills for success in this profession.

What Is A Management Consultant Job Description?

A management consultant job description is a document that summarises the job requirements, duties, responsibilities and qualifications required to perform in an open management consultant position. For instance, a company may want its management consultant to have problem-solving, team-building and analytical skills to improve operational efficiency, identify business challenges and provide solutions to improve business processes. In addition, the job description may also highlight how the consultant can work with the recruiter, either as an independent contractor or as a full-time employee. It also specifies the sector of the industry, such as manufacturing, healthcare, marketing, human resources or information technology.

Key Duties And Responsibilities Of A Management Consultant

A management consultant is a high-level job where an individual may require using their business expertise to identify issues and to advise the organisation to create value and maximise growth effectively. Here are a few primary responsibilities that are typically described in a job description for a management consultant position:

Identifying and addressing areas of improvement for the business

Management consultants attempt to understand their client's business challenges and learn about their business requirements through in-depth discussions. They identify the key areas of improvement to help the company optimise their organisational processes to align with its business goals. In addition, they may conduct meetings with the clients or department heads and elaborate on proposed solutions to their current obstacles.

Interpreting relevant data

Management consultants may collect and analyse data related to expenses, revenue, employee reports, financial statements, payroll information and existing computer systems. With insights from this data, they can outline their objectives, map out the schedules and identify the required steps to meet the company's goals. They may also derive hypotheses based on a study of this data and form relevant solutions.

Reporting to senior management

A management consultant's report often contains an in-depth analysis of a particular issue and descriptions of the identified problems that are hindering the growth. These reports also contain actionable, achievable and specific tasks and recommendations or solutions designed to streamline company activities for achieving business goals. The senior management can make an informed decision about making organisational changes based on these management consultant reports.

Conducting training programmes

Management consultants can suggest training and development programmes to improve the efficiency of the workforce. They also identify the requirements for new training programmes based on the current level of employee proficiency. They may recommend new methods, systems and procedures to inspire faster adoption, higher proficiency and greater utilisation of the employees accordingly.

Interviewing personnel

Management consultants may conduct meetings with clients, stakeholders and potential team members from multiple departments to elaborate on the areas for proposed improvements. These can be one-to-one conversations about a particular topic or process conducted to operate project-relevant information. The primary purpose of these interviews is to observe user behaviour, distinguish constraints and identify the customers' issues in using the product or service.

Requirements For Management Consultants

Individuals who want to pursue their careers as management consultants require higher education, primary and secondary skills and some minimum work experience. Here are some requirements to become a management consultant:

A bachelor's degree in economics or finance that covers economic theories and quantitative techniques focusing on global economics and cover fundamental areas in finance like public policy, strategic planning and financial management
A degree in marketing, psychology, management, computer and information science to boost interpersonal skills and technical abilities
A master's degree in business administration (MBA) from a reputed university, college or institution wherein management consultants learn about business leadership, data analysis, management and the legal environment in the commerce field
Certifications as a management consultant or in general management enhance your technical proficiency and can increase your chances of securing a high-paying job opportunity
Advanced working knowledge of spreadsheets and presentations
Other optional certifications in financial modelling and valuation analysis to enhance your finance, accounting and business knowledge and prove your understanding to your clients.

Important Skills For A Management Consultant

Here are some skills that may help a management consultant perform their duties well:

Organisational skills: Companies often rely on management consultants to devise effective business processes that improve company performance. Creating effective organisational strategies requires them to be organised in their approach so they can solve clients' problems and implement new processes strategically.
Interpersonal skills: Consultants interact with various clients, stakeholders and team members at different levels of the organisation. Practical verbal and listening skills can help you interact with all professionals and convey your suggestions effectively.
Creativity: Consultants may also require employing their creative and logical thinking skills to develop an innovative solution while dealing with any situation and the challenges that may arise during its implementation. It is essential to have a dynamic approach to manage unforeseen problems efficiently.
Time-management skills: As management consultants bill by the hour and work under a tight schedule, they may also require having time management skills and following their timelines accurately.
Analytical and problem-solving abilities: Management consultants may also require analytical skills to understand substantial information about the company's business and analyse data, find a suitable solution and share actionable recommendations.
Relevant work experience: Management analysts require two to three years of experience in marketing, accounting, auditing and human resources to start their professional careers.

Management Consultant Job Description Sample

Here is an example of what the key responsibilities and qualifications sections of a job description may look like for a management consultancy role:

Extent Software is looking for a talented, experienced and dynamic management consultant who can help grow the organisation and communicate with external stakeholders.

Position: Management Consultant

Location: New Delhi

Desired Candidate Profile:

MBA in a relevant field
At least eight years of experience in a consultancy role
Strong organisational skills with the ability to multi-task
Well-versed in PPM and collaboration tools
Strong communication skills, including verbal, written and presentation
Ability to work independently and as part of a team

Responsibilities may include but may not restrict to:

Building upon the defined process framework to provide process lifecycle management
Meeting with clients and external stakeholders to communicate organisational requirements and objectives
Performing/coordinating day-to-day process management
Advising and guiding management
Interviewing personnel for required departments
Utilising reporting management systems to provide process performance reports, trending and analysis
Monitoring and ensuring process execution activities to identify, initiate and manage required action to meet service level agreements

Please forward your resume, portfolio and cover letter to hiringteam@es.com

Best Regards

Talent Acquisition Team, ES

4 Career Options For Management Consultants

Here are some different job profiles for management consultants:

1. Financial Consultant

National average salary: ₹4,55,055 per year

Primary duties: Financial consultants can assess a company's financial status, analyse financial plans, evaluate capital expansion, advise on selling and buying stocks and forecast revenues and costs. They report to managers in case of discrepancies and analyse market trends to identify risks and opportunities. Apart from this, they may also manage tax payments, monitor the financial process, ensure compliance with the law, provide solutions and review day-to-day transactions to spot areas of improvement.

2. Environmental Manager

National average salary: ₹7,40,168 per year

Primary duties: Environment managers assess the environmental performance of private and public sectors and organisations. They develop and monitor environmental strategies that promote sustainable development. The typical responsibilities of an environmental manager include implementing environmental policies and practices, devising the best tools and systems to monitor performance, planning strategies to meet the targets and encourage best practices and ensuring compliance with environmental legislation.

3. Budget Analyst

National average salary: ₹7,54,722 per year

Primary duties: Budget analysts may review the company's budget and approve spending requests through an information-based analysis of merits, demerits and authenticity. They can monitor assigned expenditures against a budget and prepare accurate reports that estimate future financial requirements. Other duties of budget analysts include maintaining records, recommending funding for various in-house programmes, evaluating the project's effectiveness and reviewing proposals for completeness.

4. Business Analyst

National average salary: ₹6,31,204 per year

Primary duties: Business consultants are professionals who can advise and provide information to clients, helping them to reach their goals and solve issues. They may organise and execute assigned projects on behalf of their clients and meet assigned clients to assess the prevailing issues. After collecting data, they can analyse it, interpret them and formulate recommendations and solutions accordingly.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate’s experience, academic background and location.