Management Consultant Job Description & Roles and Responsibilities

Management consultants are professionals who advise and assess businesses to solve organisational problems. Management consultants help businesses to improve efficiency and profitability by analysing their strategies and practices and providing solutions for them. They may use market data and trends to resolve the issues in the best available way. They work on complex projects across various industries and help them with their expertise.

What is the job description of a management consultant?

The primary job of a management consultant is to provide expert advice to organisations and help them in solving various problems. A management consultant assists the organisation in developing and planning strategies after thorough research and analysis of the market and customers. This helps in identifying areas of improvement and new opportunities. A management consultant may also contribute to managing projects.

The job of a management consultant is dynamic and challenging; it requires a combination of various roles and responsibilities including analytical tasks and providing creative and out-of-the-box solutions. A management consultant continuously works on learning and development of new skills to help an organisation stand out in the competitive market through creative innovation and ideas.

What are the roles of a management consultant?

The roles and responsibilities of a management consultant are diverse. The primary role is to advise the organisations on ongoing projects and strategies to help them resolve issues and improve their performance to compete with other market players. Here is a list of some major roles and responsibilities fulfilled by a management consultant:

• Research and Analysis: Management consultants conduct analysis and research on various data and information to identify trends and market opportunities. Management consultants use this information to help the company in improving its performance and develop new strategies to exploit these opportunities. This also helps the firm to make legal documents regarding the changes and strategies planned by the consultants.
• Advising clients: A management consultant is primarily responsible for advising clients and organisations on several issues faced by them in the business. This involves strategy development, high-level implementation, optimising processes and also introducing technology in the organisation. A management consultant also helps the organisation to improve operational efficiency and make informed decisions.
• Project management: A management consultant also performs the role of project management in many organisations. The responsibility of a project management consultant is to oversee the project from start to end. This includes managing work of different teams, communicating with clients, and evaluating risks.
• Client Management: A management consultant works in coordination with the organisations and clients to ensure that the advised solution resolves company problems as well as fulfils client needs and requirements. This also includes going through client's data in the company database to better understand client history and their expectations.

What is the career path progression of a management consultant?

The career path progression begins from entry-level positions as freshers and advance to higher positions like senior consultant and senior manager. This advancement depends on factors like skills and experience of the candidate, and size of operations of the organisation. Here are some of the positions a management consultant progresses through in the career path:

• Entry-level positions: The beginning roles in the career of a management consultant are usually acquired by freshly graduated candidates. These positions may include roles such as consultant associates. They are responsible for assisting senior consultants in analysing information, research, and coordinates on client management.
• Consultant: Associates are promoted to the position of consultants after they acquire relevant skills and experience. The consultants have proficient consulting skills and are responsible for tasks like client management, leading teams and projects, assess trainees and new joinees, and conduct analysis for recommendations.
• Project Manager: A consultant may be promoted to the position of a project manager after being proficient in leadership and management skills. The responsibilities of a project manager include tasks like project delivery, client management, and team leadership. A project manager helps in developing strategies that satisfies clients and manages several projects.
• Senior Manager: Project managers or managers progress to acquire positions like senior managers and principals after they demonstrate strong leadership skills and significant experience. Senior managers usually have a history of delivering several successful projects. The roles usually involve managing teams of consultants, handling several project lines, and contributing in decision-making.

What are the qualifications of a management consultant?

To become a Management Consultant, a candidate must complete 10+2 in any of the streams from a recognised board in India. After that, he or she must opt for a bachelor’s degree programme by taking an entrance examination. The candidate can now opt for a master’s course or can opt for an entry-level job position. We have mentioned below the Management Consultant entrance examination, bachelor’s degree, and master’s degree.

Entrance Examinations:

• IPU CET
• SET
• JMI EE

Bachelor’s Degree Programmes:

• BBA (Bachelor of Business Administration)
• BBA in Human Resource
• B.A. in Economics
• B.Com in Business Administration

Master’s Degree Programmes

• MBA (Master of Business Administration)
• MBM (Master of Business Management)
• M.A HRM (Master of Arts in Human Resource Management)

What are the skills of a management consultant?

A management consultant possesses a wide variety of skills such as attention to detail, organisational skills, and leadership skills. A management consultant must excel in interpersonal skills to maintain good customer and client relationships. He or she is expected to have fundamental knowledge of data analysis. Some skills required by a management consultant are mentioned below:

• Analytical skills
• Creative thinking
• Adaptability
• Problem-solving ability
• Interpersonal Management

Top recruiters of a management consultant?

Top recruiters of a management consultant include industries like the technical industry, accounting industry, design industry, and management industry. Recruitment in the career of a management consultant depends on factors such as experience, skills, and industry. Here is a list of some top recruiting companies for management consultants in India:

• Accenture
• Deloitte
• EY Consultancy
• PwC
• KPMG
• IBM
• McKinsey

Salary of a management consultant

The salary of a management consultant depends on the experience of the candidate along with the industry he or she works in. The average salary of a management consultant ranges from Rs. 6.5 Lakhs to Rs. 41.0 Lakhs in India. Here is a list of salaries provided by some top recruiters:

Source: AmbitionBox

Conclusion

Management consultants are professionals who provide expert advice and remarkable solutions to problems faced by organisations in projects or strategies. They conduct research and analysis to get detailed information about the issues to provide appropriate solutions. Management consultants excel in skills like problem-solving, analysis, and communication.

The job market of management consultants provides various roles and positions with good salaries. The role of management consultants is crucial as they help the organisation from the third person perspective and effectively solve problems through their creative and practical approach.