Specialist - Defense and Security
McKinsey & Company · Washington, DC
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- On site
- Full-time
- $120,000 / year
- Washington, DC
Job highlights
- Serve federal defense and security clients with high-impact solutions.
- Analyze and solve complex issues in defense and security.
- Collaborate with diverse global teams on challenging projects.
- Benefit from extensive professional development and mentorship.
- Requires TS/SCI clearance and extensive travel.
About the role
About the Team
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, all while upholding our unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity. 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
This client-facing, partner-track role is based in one of our North America office locations and dedicated to serving our federal defense and security clients. You will support senior members of the US defense and security community on some of their highest priority issues. You can expect up to 80% travel.You will work with our defense and security clients on some of their toughest issues, in a fast-paced, non-hierarchical, and caring environment. The work you'll do will be a combination of traditional intelligence operations, analysis and support along with science, technology and engineering work.
In this role, you will make an important contribution to the analysis, design, and implementation of performance-improving approaches, developing tailor-made solutions and working closely with clients at all levels to ensure high impact, sustainable results. Your work will include gathering and analyzing information, formulating and testing hypotheses, developing recommendations, and helping to implement sustainable changes.
All your work will be project-based and varied. At McKinsey, we help our clients with a broad range of topics, including strategy, operational performance improvement, risk and resource reallocation, organizational design and talent development, and digital issues.
You will join a firm that will challenge you and invest heavily in your professional development, building on the strengths you bring to the firm. Consultants receive exceptional training as well as frequent coaching and mentoring from colleagues on their teams. You will build your national security expertise, and learn to bring best practices from the private, public, and social sectors to your clients.
Typically, you’ll work in teams of 3–5 consultants, each with varying types of expertise (e.g., digital, strategy, operations, etc.).
Your Qualifications and Skills
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree is a plus (if you are less than 8 years out of undergrad, please include your GPA on your resume)
- TS/SCI clearance
- Willingness to travel upwards of 70%
- Outstanding record of academic and/or professional achievement
- Demonstrated aptitude for analytics, both quantitative and qualitative
- Proven record of leadership at work or through extracurricular activities
- Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and effectively with people at all levels in an organization
- Commitment to high standards and core values
- Ability to communicate complex ideas effectively, both verbally and in writing
Key skills/competency
- Defense and Security Analysis
- Intelligence Operations
- Science, Technology, and Engineering Support
- Performance Improvement
- Strategy Development
- Risk Management
- Organizational Design
- Talent Development
- Digital Transformation
- Client Relationship Management
Skills & topics
- Defense Specialist
- Security Specialist
- Consulting
- Federal Government
- Intelligence Analysis
- Strategy
- Operations
- Science
- Technology
- Engineering
- TS/SCI Clearance
- McKinsey & Company
- Travel
- Analyst
- Problem Solving
- Leadership
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your Bachelor's degree, GPA (if applicable), and any advanced degrees. Emphasize your TS/SCI clearance and academic/professional achievements.
- Showcase leadership: Provide examples of your leadership, quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, and collaborative abilities from work or extracurriculars.
- Address travel willingness: Explicitly state your willingness to travel upwards of 70% in your application materials.
- Prepare for case interviews: Expect to demonstrate your problem-solving and communication skills through case studies relevant to defense and security.
- Demonstrate values alignment: Research McKinsey's commitment to high standards, ethics, and integrity to align your responses with their core values.
Technical preparation
Master quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques.,Familiarize with intelligence operations principles.,Understand science, technology, engineering concepts.,Practice hypothesis formulation and testing.
Behavioral questions
How do you handle challenging client demands?,Describe a time you led a team successfully.,How do you approach complex problem-solving?,Discuss your resilience in facing setbacks.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the typical career progression for a Defense and Security Specialist at McKinsey & Company?
- The Specialist - Defense and Security role is on a partner track, meaning it offers a clear path for advancement within the firm. You'll receive extensive training, mentorship, and exposure to senior leadership, accelerating your development towards more senior roles. Progression typically involves building deep expertise in the defense and security sector and demonstrating consistent high performance.
- What kind of travel is expected for the Defense and Security Specialist role at McKinsey?
- This role requires significant travel, with expectations of up to 80% travel. This travel will be focused on serving federal defense and security clients across North America, working closely with them on their most critical issues.
- Is a TS/SCI clearance a mandatory requirement for the Defense and Security Specialist position?
- Yes, a TS/SCI clearance is a mandatory requirement for this position. It is essential for accessing the sensitive information and working on the high-priority issues faced by federal defense and security clients.
- What are the key differences between this role and other consulting positions at McKinsey?
- The Defense and Security Specialist role is highly specialized, focusing exclusively on federal defense and security clients and their unique challenges. While it shares McKinsey's core consulting methodologies, the subject matter expertise and client base are distinct, involving traditional intelligence operations alongside science, technology, and engineering work.
- How does McKinsey & Company support the professional development of its Defense and Security Specialists?
- McKinsey & Company invests heavily in professional development through structured programs, continuous learning, apprenticeship, coaching, and mentorship. You'll receive regular feedback, build national security expertise, and learn best practices from diverse sectors to accelerate your growth.
- What kind of analytical skills are most important for a Defense and Security Specialist?
- A demonstrated aptitude for both quantitative and qualitative analytics is crucial. You'll need to gather and analyze information, formulate hypotheses, and develop data-driven recommendations to solve complex client problems in the defense and security domain.
- Can an advanced degree improve my chances for the Defense and Security Specialist role?