Senior Workforce Strategy Consultant

Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Workforce Strategy Consultant to join our Washington, D.C. office. This role combines deep workforce analytics and human capital strategy with practical, responsible use of AI to deliver faster, more powerful, and more actionable insights. You will help clients predict, shape, and optimize workforce outcomes by blending traditional labor economics, I/O psychology, and statistical rigor with modern AI-assisted analytics, model governance, and operationalized data products.

We will count on you to:

• Translate business problems into analytics-driven workforce solutions that combine qualitative research, advanced statistics, and AI-enabled methods (including machine learning and large language models) to uncover workforce dynamics and strategic opportunities.
  
• Design, build, and operationalize analytic models and data products (e.g., forecasting models, skills taxonomies, retention risk scoring, internal mobility recommendations) that leverage structured data, unstructured text (job descriptions, performance feedback), and third-party labor market signals.
  
• Lead client engagements as the analytics and AI subject-matter lead: define analytic approaches, present findings, translate insights into prioritized workforce investments, and co-create implementation roadmaps with client stakeholders.
  
• Drive pay equity, strategic workforce planning, and external labor market analyses using both classical econometrics and AI-enhanced approaches; quantify business impact and ROI for recommended interventions.
  
• Create and deliver clear, compelling deliverables—interactive dashboards, visualizations, client-ready slide decks, and data stories—using best practices in interpretability and design so technical results are actionable for HR and business leaders.
  
• Ensure responsible AI use: implement model validation, bias detection and mitigation, explainability techniques, privacy-preserving practices, and documentation consistent with client and regulatory requirements.
  
• Contribute to Mercer's intellectual capital: create reusable AI-enabled frameworks, client accelerators, proposals, and thought leadership that reflect emerging practice in AI-driven workforce strategy.
  

What success looks like:

• Clients adopt model-driven workforce decisions (e.g., hiring prioritization, targeted retention programs, reskilling investments) that measurably improve engagement, productivity, or cost-efficiency.
  
• Analytic products are accurate, explainable, reproducible, and built with operational controls so clients can scale and govern them post-engagement.
  

What you need to have:

• 8 years of relevant consulting experience in workforce strategy, HR analytics, labor economics, organizational psychology, or a closely related field.
  
• Master’s or PhD in economics, I-O psychology, statistics, data science, computer science, labor relations, or another quantitative discipline.
  
• Demonstrated experience in pay equity analysis, strategic workforce planning, external labor market analysis, or comparable workforce consulting engagements.
  
• Strong statistical and machine learning skills: regression, causal inference, time series, clustering, and predictive modeling.
  
• Proficiency in modern data tooling and languages (e.g., Python, R, SQL) and experience with visualization tools (e.g., Tableau).
  
• Hands-on experience extracting value from large and varied datasets and translating technical outputs into business actions.
  
• Excellent storytelling, client-facing communication, and project leadership skills.
  

What sets you apart:

• An AI-native mindset: you can evaluate new tools quickly, integrate them responsibly into client workstreams, and clearly communicate trade-offs (accuracy, speed, explainability, privacy).
  
• A consultative approach that couples rigorous analytic technique with pragmatic implementation focus—able to move clients from insight to measurable action.
  
• Comfortable directing analysis end-to-end: from data strategy and ingestion through modeling, validation, visualization, and deployment guidance.
  

Why join our team:

• We help you be your best through professional development opportunities, interesting work, and supportive leaders.
  
• We foster a vibrant and inclusive culture where you can work with talented colleagues to create new solutions and have an impact for colleagues, clients, and communities.
  
• Our scale enables us to provide a range of career opportunities, as well as benefits and rewards to enhance your well-being.
  
  

Must Have

8 years of relevant consulting experience in workforce strategy, HR analytics, labor economics, organizational psychology, or a closely related field.

Master’s or PhD in economics, I-O psychology, statistics, data science, computer science, labor relations, or another quantitative discipline.

Business development, lead generation and qualification, sales process management, client relationship management, proposal and Statement of Work (SOW) development, contract negotiation, and new business acquisition/closing. The candidate should demonstrate a proven ability to identify and develop new client opportunities, manage the sales cycle from prospecting through closing, create effective proposals and SOWs, negotiate commercial terms, build strong client relationships, and successfully win new business

Demonstrated experience in pay equity analysis, strategic workforce planning, external labor market analysis, or comparable workforce consulting engagements.

Strong statistical and machine learning skills: regression, causal inference, time series, clustering, and predictive modeling.

Proficiency in modern data tooling and languages (e.g., Python, R, SQL) and experience with visualization tools (e.g., Tableau).

Hands-on experience extracting value from large and varied datasets and translating technical outputs into business actions.

Excellent storytelling, client-facing communication, and project leadership skills.