Research Science Analyst - Innovation & Learning - #2239727

Who You'll Work With

Driving lasting impact and building long-term capabilities with our clients is not easy work. You are the kind of person who thrives in a high performance/high reward culture - doing hard things, picking yourself up when you stumble, and having the resilience to try another way forward.

In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we'll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities you need to become a stronger leader faster than you ever thought possible. Your colleagues—at all levels—will invest deeply in your development, just as much as they invest in delivering exceptional results for clients. Every day, you'll receive apprenticeship, coaching, and exposure that will accelerate your growth in ways you won’t find anywhere else.

When you join us, you will have:

• Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast-paced learning experience, owning your journey.
• A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You’ll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes.
• Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm’s diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions for our clients. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• World-class benefits: On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well-being for you and your family.
  
  

Your Impact

The Innovation & Learning Centers (ILCs)are designed to empower clients to initiate, scale, and sustain comprehensive operations transformations. Through immersive, hands-on workshops, the ILCs enable clients to envision and implement their future tech-enabled operations. By combining a broad technology ecosystem, McKinsey Tech Assets, and the expertise of McKinsey’s operations specialists, the ILCs replicate real company processes in a "from-to" journey. This approach allows clients to apply the latest digital and analytics innovations across the operations value chain, driving sustainable and inclusive growth while delivering lasting results. The ILCs emphasize operational excellence and hands-on learning for all levels of an organization, from senior leaders to frontline operators.

As an ILC Research Scientist, you will play a critical role in designing, implementing, and maintaining over 150 digital use cases, spanning both software and hardware, across the full operations value chain. You will collaborate closely with an ecosystem of more than 100 technology partners to ensure these use cases are ready for client workshops and operational demonstrations. As part of a global network of Research Scientists operating across 11 ILCs, you will contribute to the cross-sharing of best practices and the latest advancements in digital use cases and technology.

In this role, you will work in close partnership with the Operations practice, the McKinsey Alliance Team, McKinsey Tech Assets, and external technology players to bring new digital use cases to life. These use cases will align with both practice and client priorities. During client workshops, you may also be called upon to provide deep technical expertise, reviewing the underlying technology, answering technical questions, and offering insights into how different technologies compare and differentiate. Additionally, you will collaborate with the ILC location manager to design impactful exercises and hands-on experiences that enhance client workshops.

Your work will involve building and maintaining flagship operations assets that help executives understand Industry 4.0 across the value chain. You will also identify new products that support capability building in technology-driven operations. A key part of your role will be establishing systems to maintain, customize, and develop new technology use cases across the ILCs’ physical and virtual environments. On workshop days, you will act as the go-to expert, ensuring that all technology functions seamlessly and troubleshooting any issues that arise.

As a central source of knowledge in Europe, you will collaborate with a global network of peers to rapidly scale new use cases and approaches. You will also have the opportunity to develop critical skills in project management, client engagement, and capability building by facilitating workshops and supporting clients in implementing solutions at their own sites. Managing relationships with external technology ecosystem members will be another important aspect of your role, as you work to foster collaboration and drive opportunities between the ILC and its technology partners. This position will also allow you to develop one of the most sought-after skill sets in today’s market: product management and development.

In this role, you will work closely with leaders and sponsors who are deeply passionate about operations, technology, and building client capabilities. You will also collaborate with a global team of peers who are dedicated to delivering exceptional client experiences and driving meaningful impact. Additionally, you will engage with a multidisciplinary team of experts, including industry specialists, external collaborators, and operations leaders, gaining a broad perspective on the industry.

The role offers a hybrid working model, with a primary focus on in-person collaboration at the Munich ILC and extensive global travel to client sites. Some remote work may be possible depending on the circumstances. This position provides a unique opportunity to develop expertise in cutting-edge technologies, build critical skills in product management and client engagement, and contribute to transformative operations solutions that deliver lasting impact for clients worldwide.

Your Qualifications and Skills

• Fluency in both: German and English is required, both verbal and written
• University degree and excellent academic record required; advanced degree preferred
• Background or strong interest in manufacturing and operations-related topics
• Entrepreneurial spirit, with a keen interest in maintaining, driving, and scaling technology
• Experience with different types of hardware and software focused on both low code operations technology, modelling large data sets, data visualization tools, coding language, and statistics is preferred
• Excellent faciltaition, verbal, written, and problem solving skills especially during stressful situations (e.g., during a client workshop if technology isn’t working)
• An ownership and entrepreneurial mindset to identify opportunities and solve challenges