Associate Management & Consulting Jobs in Illinois

RSM is seeking a Managing Director for its Value Creation team within its rapidly growing Deal Services practice. The Value Creation team partners with private equity funds and their portfolio companies to identify, quantify, and capture EBITDA improvement opportunities - driving enterprise value through revenue growth, cost optimization, operational performance, and post-close integration. The Managing Director will lead the practice's growth in market, manage the quality of client deliverables, and lead teams in delivering complex engagements. Team members work collaboratively as one team with colleagues across Deal Services and Management Consulting and benefit from extensive exposure to senior investment professionals, company executives, and firm leadership.

• Grow the Value Creation practice with primary responsibility for expansion of services to private equity funds and their portfolio companies and leading client engagements.
• Serve as the senior client-facing leader and trusted advisor to private equity investors and portfolio company executives across buy‑side, hold‑period, and sell‑side situations.
• Own the quality of project deliverables, including review and sign‑off on operational and synergy‑related Quality of Earnings adjustments, value creation plans, 100‑day plans, and operational diligence reports.
• Lead and develop teams of Directors, Senior Managers, Managers, Supervisors, Senior Associates, and Associates, with a focus on engagement execution, team utilization, and talent development.
• Direct the identification and validation of EBITDA improvement opportunities – rapidly absorbing and analyzing data, synthesizing hypotheses, and driving conclusions that grow the top line, reduce cost, or improve working capital.
• Oversee multi‑faced quantitative analyses, executive interviews, and synthesis of underlying trends to prioritize the issues that matter most to clients.
• Coordinate across RSM's consulting service lines to bring the right specialized expertise to each engagement and generate differentiated insights.
• Present substantiated and visually compelling analyses to leading private equity investors and middle‑market company executives within Quality of Earnings reports or as standalone deliverables.
• Build and maintain relationships with private equity sponsors, lenders, investment bankers, and corporate development executives to drive a sustained pipeline of new opportunities.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the Value Creation practice, including service offering development, methodology, pricing, and go‑to‑market strategy.
• Champion innovation and the adoption of digital, data, and AI‑enabled approaches to enhance the client and talent experience.
• Work in a fast‑paced, value‑driven deal environment, offering tremendous opportunities for learning and growth.

• A bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Finance, Accounting, or related field and at least 12-15 years of related work experience.
• Significant experience in management consulting, investment banking, private equity, or strategy / corporate development, with a strong track record advising private equity funds and their portfolio companies.
• Demonstrated experience originating, leading, and closing business development opportunities, with primary responsibility for revenue and book of business.
• Extensive experience leading and managing cross‑functional engagements and large teams in a fast‑paced environment.
• Proven ability to manage quality across a portfolio of concurrent projects, including review of complex analyses and client‑ready deliverables.
• Strong commitment to coaching, mentoring, and developing team members and disseminating knowledge and experience across the practice.
• Ability to operate independently and set direction with limited oversight while collaborating effectively with firm leadership.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills and the ability to translate complex data into meaningful insights and executive‑level recommendations under demanding timelines.
• Deep experience identifying and quantifying value within the following contexts: large‑scale transformations, process and / or performance improvement, integrations / divestitures / carve‑outs, operational due diligence, operational restructuring.
• Strong understanding of corporate functions and the underlying revenue, cost, and operational performance drivers of middle‑market businesses.
• Strong understanding of financial statements and operational performance metrics.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills, including the ability to influence and operate effectively in a C‑suite and private equity sponsor setting.
• Ability to travel on short notice.

• Five years or more of operational due diligence and value creation experience, with deep familiarity with the process, terminology, and deliverables.
• Established relationships within the private equity community and a demonstrated ability to convert those relationships into engagements.
• Experience within a leading professional services firm, with exposure to building or scaling a practice.
• Industry depth in one or more middle‑market verticals (e.g., industrials, business services, consumer, technology, healthcare).

• BA or BS in Business, Engineering, Finance, Accounting, or related field.
• MBA from a top business school is preferred.

• Travel requirements = 20%–30%.

Compensation Range: $181,900 – $397,700.

Individuals selected for this role will be eligible for a discretionary bonus based on firm and individual performance.

We offer a competitive benefits and compensation package for all our people. We offer flexibility in your schedule, empowering you to balance life's demands, while also maintaining your ability to serve clients. Learn more about our total rewards at https://rsmus.com/careers/working-at-rsm/benefits.

All applicants will receive consideration for employment as RSM does not tolerate discrimination and/or harassment based on race, color, creed, sincerely held religious beliefs, practices or observances, sex (including pregnancy or disabilities related to nursing), gender, sexual orientation, HIV status, national origin, ancestry, familial or marital status, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, political affiliation, medical condition (including family and medical leave), domestic violence victim status, past, current or prospective service in the U.S. uniformed service, U.S. Military/Veteran status, pre‑disposing genetic characteristics or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Accommodation for applicants with disabilities is available upon request in connection with the recruitment process and/or employment/partnership. RSM is committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application, interview, or otherwise participate in the recruiting process, please call us at 800-274-3978 or send us an email at careers@rsmus.com.

RSM does not intend to hire entry‑level candidates who will require sponsorship now or in the future (i.e., F‑1 visa holders). If you are a recent U.S. college / university graduate possessing 1–2 years of progressive and relevant work experience in a same or similar role to the one for which you are applying, excluding internships, you may be eligible for hire as an experienced associate.

RSM will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records. For those living in California or applying to a position in California, additional information is available.

At RSM, an employee's pay at any point in their career is intended to reflect their experiences, performance, and skills for their current role. The salary range for this role represents numerous factors considered in the hiring decisions including, but not limited to, education, skills, work experience, certifications, location, etc. As such, pay for the successful candidate(s) could fall anywhere within the stated range.