Senior Associate - Consumer & Retail Consulting

Job description

Job Title: Senior Associate - Consumer & Retail Consulting Location: Gurgaon, Haryana, India Experience: 4–8 years About the Company Alvarez & Marsal is a global professional services firm helping organizations tackle complex business issues, improve operating performance and maximize stakeholder value. Founded in 1983, A&M is known for practical, action-oriented advisory, business performance improvement, turnaround management and interim leadership services across industries and geographies. Its professionals combine independent thinking, deep expertise and an operator mindset to deliver measurable results for clients. The India Global Capability Center partners with A&M leadership and case teams across the Americas, EMEA and APAC, supporting end-to-end client delivery, thought leadership, digital enablement and analytics. The Consumer and Retail Group works with companies across consumer products and retail to address disruption, strengthen performance and create growth. A&M’s culture is guided by integrity, quality, objectivity, fun, personal reward and inclusive diversity, with founding principles centered on leadership, action and results. About the Role As a Senior Associate in the Consumer & Retail Group, you will own medium-to-complex workstreams across corporate transformation and performance improvement engagements. You will translate ambiguous client questions and operational data into fact-based insights, practical recommendations and measurable actions across consumer products and retail. Working in a flat team with Managers, Directors and senior clients, you will lead analyses, manage key stakeholder relationships and help deliver outcomes across market assessment, growth strategy, supply chain, pricing, merchandising, store operations and financial performance. The role combines analytical depth with commercial judgment, clear communication and hands-on execution. You will also contribute to pitches, thought leadership, capability building and mentoring, while working onsite from Gurgaon and remaining open to business travel and potential future relocation within the India capability center. Key Responsibilities • Own medium-to-complex workstreams from problem definition through client-ready output, using structured analysis to identify performance gaps and convert findings into practical transformation actions. • Develop Consumer and Retail solutions across consumer products and retail sectors, connecting market, operational and financial metrics to growth strategy, value creation and improved client performance. • Analyze and benchmark data across supply chain, inventory planning, pricing, merchandising, digital, brand assessment, G&A and store operations to surface underperformance and prioritize interventions. • Lead client and internal stakeholder interactions by clarifying requirements, communicating insights and explaining business impact to senior CRG clients, A&M leaders and third parties. • Build accurate models, dashboards and presentations using Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI, Tableau, Alteryx or Python to support timely decisions and zero-defect deliverables. • Manage milestones, dependencies and competing priorities under pressure, while collaborating with team members to deliver agreed outputs and maintain momentum across projects. • Support A&M growth through pitch development, marketing, innovative offering development, recruiting, training and mentoring Analysts and Associates. Essential Skills & Technologies • Strong Consumer Products and Retail expertise, including sector data and metrics across supply chain, inventory planning, pricing, merchandising, digital, brand assessment, G&A and store operations. • Demonstrated experience in strategy, analytics, operational consulting or transformation, with the ability to structure ambiguous problems and deliver fact-based recommendations that influence client decisions. • Advanced Excel modelling and analytical skills, including organizing complex data to draw conclusions, test scenarios and support timely operational and financial decision-making. • Strong PowerPoint capability, with a track record of creating clear, persuasive and defect-free presentations for senior clients, leadership teams and business development discussions. • Working proficiency in Power BI or Tableau for data visualization and Alteryx or Python for data analysis, with the judgment to select appropriate tools for each problem. • Excellent written, verbal, research and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate difficult messages with integrity and explain analytical impact to varied stakeholders. • Practical leadership, prioritization and teamwork skills, including mentoring junior colleagues, motivating teams and delivering high-quality work in pressured environments. Additional Plus • Experience across multiple Consumer Products or Retail subsectors, such as Food and Beverage, Personal Care, Household Goods, Health and Wellness, Electronics, Grocery, Apparel or E-Commerce. • Exposure to corporate transformation, performance improvement, operating model change or financial enhancement programs in a consulting or industry setting. • Interest in developing thought leadership, new offerings and client relationships within a growing global Consumer and Retail practice. What You'll Bring • A graduate degree from a strong institution and 4–8 years of relevant experience, including 3–6 years of post-MBA experience in strategy, analytics, operational consulting or a comparable transformation environment. • A commercially minded Consumer and Retail problem solver who understands how industry metrics connect across growth, operations, customer experience and financial performance. • An entrepreneurial, self-starting approach: you are comfortable with ambiguity, require limited direction, challenge the status quo and take ownership through to measurable client outcomes. • The communication,