Production Systems Design Center (PSDC)
The PSDC is part of the McKinsey Manufacturing Practice and our internal academy for operational transformation expertise. Faced with a strong demand from clients, in the mid-90's McKinsey decided to invest heavily in developing the "tool box" for conducting deep operational transformations, beyond cost-cutting programs. Because of a limited pool of talents, it turned out to be difficult to recruit a sufficient number of high-potential lean manufacturing practitioners. This is why McKinsey decided to train their own specialists in "Lean Academies."
The PSDC is an internal academy for the creation of leading-edge knowledge and the development of world-class specialist consultants in production systems design and lean operations.
In a two-year training program, we develop our junior consultants to become specialists in lean manufacturing and service operations. Unique in the consulting industry, in the PSDC they can learn all about lean operations – both in theory and practice. During their PSDC time, the consultants will work closely with people on all hierarchical levels and in many different industries. Over the past ten years that hugely successful program has been expanded to include six training centers in London, Lyon, Hamburg, Gothenburg, Madrid, and Dubai.
What you will do in the PSDC
As a member of the PSDC you will work on client engagements, like any other McKinsey consultant. This means that you will play an active role during engagements on identifying issues, forming hypotheses, designing and conducting analysis, synthesizing conclusions into recommendations, and helping to implement change. You will gain leading-edge operations and consulting skills primarily through on-the-job apprenticing with other consultants, but also through a structured capability building program.
Moreover, you will dedicate every Friday to functional training and knowledge development with other members of the PSDC community and the support of our operations experts. You will follow a curriculum specialized in operations excellence, as well as basic training for all other McKinsey practices (marketing, organization, technology, corporate finance, etc.). All activities are accompanied by our operations experts, who have extensive experience in operations and often had a strong career as managers in various companies before joining McKinsey.
Growth opportunities
As an operations junior consultant you will have access to exceptional growth opportunities:
- Training opportunities designed to develop future operations leaders
- Mentorship from a distinctive global network of over 2,500 operations consultants and practitioners with shared, leading-edge capability building
- Tenure-specific training plus operations functional training and basic functional training for all McKinsey practices (marketing, organization, technology, etc.)
- Development of new operations knowledge documents to synthesize and generalize tools and concepts used in your client engagements.
Beyond graduation
Upon completion of this program, successful junior consultants will be promoted to operations specialists and be part of a global group of leading experts for operational excellence. Beyond this there are continued PSDC working opportunities on all firm levels all the way up to partner level.
Who you are
You should have an excellent university degree with technical or business specialization.
You should demonstrate outstanding analytical and conceptual skills, initiative, creativity, and the ability to enjoy working alone and in a team.
In addition, you have gained initial professional experience in operations, for example, in the introduction and implementation of lean manufacturing concepts.
If so, a transition into consulting might be the right step for you.
How to apply
McKinsey invites applications for consulting positions throughout the year. If you would like to apply to the EMEA Operations Practice, you may do so online, which is our preferred method, or by post or e-mail. You may apply online or send an e-mail to European_operations_recruiting@mckinsey.com
Find more information about McKinsey's EMEA Operations Practice on the Operations web site.
You may also contact our EMEA Operations Practice recruiting team:
Therese Mercker
+49 89 5594-8842
Therese_Mercker@mckinsey.com