Principal Consultant

About the role

The Principal Consultant serves as a strategic partner to a select portfolio of key clients, acting as an extension of their marketing, consumer insights, innovation, strategy, and brand teams. This role provides thought leadership, designs and leads custom research initiatives, and delivers actionable recommendations that help clients make informed business decisions and accelerate growth.

As a senior individual contributor, the Principal Consultant has no direct line management responsibility but is expected to lead project teams, mentor colleagues, and contribute to the development and scalability of Mintel Consulting's capabilities and methodologies.

This is a Hybrid position based in Chicago.

Key Responsibilities:

Client Partnership & Strategic Leadership

Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to assigned client accounts

Build and maintain strong relationships with directors, vice presidents, and C-suite stakeholders

Provide proactive guidance on consumer, category, brand, and market opportunities

Act as the primary point of contact for client ideation, quality control, and project enhancement discussions

Develop innovative consulting approaches that expand client relationships and increase engagement scope

Solution Architecture & Business Development

Design comprehensive consulting solutions that address client objectives, challenges, and growth opportunities

Lead the development of proposals and consulting engagements

Partner closely with Commercial teams to identify opportunities for growth, retention, and expanded client impact

Develop new methodologies and solutions that strengthen Mintel Consulting's market position and consulting capabilities

Research & Project Leadership

Lead the full lifecycle of consulting engagements from opportunity identification and proposal development through execution and delivery

Design and oversee custom qualitative and quantitative research programs

Ensure projects are executed to established quality, timeline, and budget expectations

Conduct and synthesize secondary research, market intelligence, and competitive analysis

Translate complex data into clear business implications and strategic recommendations

Monitor industry, consumer, category, and competitive developments to inform client strategies

Executive Communication & Presentation

Deliver compelling presentations and facilitate strategic discussions with senior client stakeholders

Develop concise, evidence-based narratives supported by meaningful insights

Present actionable recommendations with clear business implications

Effectively manage challenging discussions and respond to executive-level questions

Leadership & Capability Development

Lead cross-functional project teams to consistently deliver high-quality consulting outcomes

Mentor and support consultants and junior team members across the organization

Share expertise, best practices, and methodologies to strengthen consulting capabilities

Contribute to the development of scalable tools, frameworks, and consulting offerings

Qualifications:

Required Experience

Minimum 15 years of professional experience in consulting, advertising, strategy, brand planning, consumer insights, competitive intelligence, or related fields

Experience within a research, consulting, strategy, or agency environment

Demonstrated success leading complex client engagements and strategic initiatives

Proven ability to present recommendations to executive and C-suite audiences

Experience developing commercial proposals and growing client relationships

Knowledge, Skills & Competencies

Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities

Expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies

Advanced analytical and insight development skills

Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation communication skills

Ability to translate high-level strategic concepts into practical recommendations

Strong client relationship management and stakeholder influence skills

Ability to manage multiple priorities and perform effectively in fast-paced environments

Demonstrated innovation in developing new products, services, methodologies, or ways of working

Equal Opportunity Employer: Race/Color/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Vets

The below reflects the range of base salary for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, skills, experience, and qualifications. The salary range for this role is: $96,000 USD to $120,000 USD.

Alongside salary, Mintel offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical/dental/vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, employer paid life and disability insurance, 401(k) with employer match and paid time off. We are invested in our employees' wellbeing which is why we also offer flexible working hours, ClassPass subsidy, mental health benefit through Modern Health, paid volunteer time off, paid birthday leave and paid parental leave.

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