Associate Consultant | Horizon Strategy | London
Some of the strongest strategists do not come through the most conventional routes – we see that with the people on our team who have progressed strongly through the ranks. What they tend to share is intellectual curiosity, clarity of thought, a determination to produce work they are truly proud of and bags of perseverance
Horizon Strategy is a fast-growing strategy consultancy working with Fortune 50 technology businesses on some of the most complex challenges in their industries. We advise senior leaders on customer experience, product and portfolio strategy, go-to-market and commercial direction
Our clients come to us for something distinctive: research-led strategy that is rigorous, specific and ready to act on
We are looking for an A* Associate Consultant to join our team. This is an early-career role, but it comes with real responsibility from the outset
What you’ll do
From day one, you will contribute to live client engagements. Depending on the project, that could mean:
- Conducting depth interviews with senior buyers, decision-makers and end users
- Analysing qualitative and quantitative research
- Turning complex evidence into a clear point of view and frameworks
- Developing high-quality deliverables for VP, SVP and C-suite audiences
- Contributing to client discussions and workshops alongside senior members of the team
- Using AI to improve how we research, analyse, develop ideas and activate our work
You will be close to both the evidence and the decisions it informs. We do not place junior team members several layers away from the work that really matters
The role spans four areas: strategy and research, design and delivery, client engagement, and the practical application of AI. AI is becoming increasingly important to how we work, so we are looking for someone who has already begun using it seriously—not simply as a writing aid, but to build, analyse or create something tangible
How the role is structured
The role is approximately 90% client delivery and 10% contribution to Horizon’s development. Alongside projects, everyone helps improve how we operate—developing methods and AI tools, contributing to proposals or owning an internal initiative
A note on expectations
Horizon offers unusually early responsibility, access and progression. In return, we expect people to learn quickly, take ownership and maintain a high standard at pace. This suits someone who finds that energising—not someone seeking a highly structured graduate scheme
Who we’re looking for
You may be joining directly from university or bringing one or two years of relevant experience. We care less about the conventional shape of your CV than about the quality of your thinking, writing and work. We care most about the highest quality outcomes delivered at pace
You are likely to be someone who:
- Thinks clearly and can turn complex information into a compelling, well-structured story
- Is comfortable moving between qualitative insight and quantitative evidence
- Writes exceptionally well and cares about precision in language
- Has genuine, demonstrable fluency with AI tools and can show how you have applied them to real work
- Is highly capable in PowerPoint and comfortable with Excel; experience with Miro or similar collaborative research tools is useful
- Takes initiative and makes progress without waiting for detailed instructions
- Responds well to challenge and uses feedback to improve quickly
- Holds yourself to a consistently high standard
- Has a strong academic record or can demonstrate equivalent capability through your work
Experience in consulting, research or strategy would be valuable, but it is not essential. We would also be interested in candidates with published work, a strong portfolio, design thinking experience or fluency in German, Spanish, Mandarin or French
What Horizon is like
We are a small, ambitious team with the opportunity to work at a level usually associated with much larger consultancies. Our structure is deliberately lean: people are trusted with meaningful responsibility, have direct access to senior colleagues and clients, and can progress quickly when their work demonstrates that they are ready
Our culture is built around four principles:
- Commercial empathy: we care about the commercial reality surrounding the research and what our recommendations will mean in practice
- Honest challenge: we are prepared to question assumptions and tell clients what we believe they need to hear
- Disciplined curiosity: we combine genuine interest in people and markets with analytical rigour
- Exceptional quality: we care deeply about the substance, clarity and finish of everything we produce
The environment is direct, supportive and intellectually demanding. We take the work seriously, help one another improve and give people room to grow
What we offer
We are transparent about pay, bonuses and progression. You will know what is expected at each level and what is required to move forward
- Base salary of £40,000–£50,000, depending on experience
- Transparent bonus scheme linked to individual contribution and company performance
- Structured progression pathway with clear expectations at each level
- Early exposure to senior clients and strategically important work
- Private medical insurance
- Company pension scheme
- 23 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays and your birthday
- Access to MIT Sloan Management Review and Harvard Business Review
- Hybrid working, primarily remote with regular time together in our London office
