Specialist - Client Service Risk

Role Overview

You will act as a dedicated risk adviser for client service teams across the EEMA region, with a particular focus on engagements involving public sector, state-linked, healthcare, and social sector clients. Your day-to-day work involves spotting potential issues early, shaping practical mitigation strategies, and guiding senior colleagues through complex decisions that balance client impact with firm-wide risk standards. This role matters because it enables McKinsey to take on ambitious, high-stakes work in a responsible way while protecting the firm’s reputation and values.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide proactive, integrated risk counsel to consultants and leadership on complex and sensitive engagements, especially those involving governments and state-linked entities across EEMA.
• Lead risk advisory coverage for a defined portfolio of client teams, sectors, or sub-regions, acting as the first point of contact for risk-related questions and escalations.
• Collaborate with colleagues from communications, legal, finance, and practice groups to assess reputational, regulatory, political, and operational risks before and during engagements.
• Advise on engagement structuring, including scope design, client selection, and mitigation plans, to ensure high-risk work proceeds with appropriate safeguards.
• Support the Director and Associate Directors of Client Service Risk in executing regional risk strategies and contribute to global policy reviews, operational improvements, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
• Develop and maintain deep expertise in specific risk content areas, such as geopolitical risk, public-sector integrity, or healthcare sector regulatory exposure, and share that knowledge across the team.
• Design and deliver training, communications, and awareness campaigns that help consultants understand and embrace risk policies and compliance processes.
• Participate in decision-making forums for higher-risk engagements, presenting balanced analysis and clear recommendations to senior stakeholders.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree with evidence of continued intellectual growth through professional training, an advanced degree, or a track record of meaningful professional impact.
• 4+ years of relevant professional experience in risk management, international affairs, diplomacy, geopolitics, government, communications, law, consulting, media, public policy, or public affairs.
• Strong judgement and uncompromising integrity, with the ability to handle confidential and sensitive information appropriately.
• Demonstrated analytical and issue-spotting skills, including the ability to break down complex, ambiguous problems and identify practical solutions.
• Proven ability to build trust and influence across all levels of seniority, including the confidence to challenge and be challenged.
• Exceptional project management capability, with a track record of juggling multiple priorities in fast-moving environments.
• Comfort with uncertainty and change, and a collaborative, entrepreneurial mindset that thrives in a diverse global team.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication in English, with the ability to tailor messages for different audiences.

What We Offer / Why Join

• Relentless learning: access to structured training, apprenticeship-style coaching, and candid feedback that accelerates your development and expands your expertise.
• A voice that counts: your ideas are valued from day one, and you will see your contributions shape how the firm manages risk in one of the world’s most dynamic regions.
• A truly global community: work with colleagues from more than 100 nationalities across 65+ countries, gaining exposure to diverse perspectives and practices.
• Support for your well-being: a competitive compensation package based on location and experience, along with comprehensive benefits designed to support you and your family.