Resilience and Response Specialist

What you will do

You will help the firm anticipate, withstand, and respond to the threats and disruptions that could affect our people, our client service, and our reputation. You will support all three pillars of the Resilience & Response team's work—portfolio risk analysis and intelligence, resilience, and response—frequently driving several workstreams in parallel as inside-out and outside-in risks evolve. As a core working-team member on portfolio risk analysis projects, you will own slide deck updates, identify emerging issues and patterns, collect and synthesize input from firm experts, and conduct financial modeling to translate complex analysis into executive-ready perspectives under the guidance of team leaders. Additionally, you will draft and quality-control rapid-turnaround "spotlight" and "intel" reports in response to priority disruptions, while coordinating timelines, stakeholders, and source inputs for twice-yearly Emerging Threats Index refreshes and the expansion of Regional Risk & Resilience Briefings.

You will help mature the Business Continuity Program by tracking progress against the 3–5-year roadmap, supporting governance routines, and implementing structured continuity approaches—including assessments, training, plan ownership, and standards—for critical operation centers. Through close partnership with Disaster Recovery, you will co-develop continuity playbooks for critical technical capabilities and coordinate stakeholder inputs, KPIs, and toolkit refreshes to build resilience against prioritized emerging threats. To ensure the firm retains its institutional knowledge, you will also codify analytic frameworks and lessons learned from past disruptions into a single, centralized knowledge resource.

You will support the activation of cross-functional response structures during material matters by maintaining the day-to-day operating cadence, tracking actions and decisions, and managing communications for those involved. In these active response scenarios, you will quickly adapt templates and toolkits from historical responses to fit new situations. Ultimately, you will contribute directly to the ongoing development and rollout of response tools, materials, and rules of engagement that keep governance and operating models consistent during active responses. Your work will help 40,000+ colleagues and firm leaders look around the corner—thinking the unthinkable, planning for a range of outcomes, and responding decisively when disruption hits. Responses routinely involve millions of dollars at risk alongside our client service and our reputation, so the quality of your analysis and the discipline of your execution directly protect the firm's ability to deliver on its mission.

You will be based in one of our global offices as part of our Resilience & Response team within the Risk & Resilience function. This team delivers world-class support and navigational guidance before, during, and following critical threats, risks, and disruptive matters globally, on behalf of our practices and client service teams, firm leaders, and firm functions. Because this is intermittently a crisis response role, you may occasionally need to work outside of regular business hours.

In accordance with Ontario law: This job posting is for an existing vacancy. Artificial intelligence systems (AI) may be used to assist recruiters in the screening and/or assessment of candidates for this role. AI is neither the sole determinative factor at any stage of the application process nor the decision-maker. All AI-generated assessments are reviewed by a McKinsey recruiter before any decision is made regarding a candidate's candidacy.

Who you will work with

You are someone who thrives in a high-performance environment, bringing a growth mindset and entrepreneurial spirit to tackle meaningful challenges that have a real impact. In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we'll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities to help you quickly broaden your expertise, grow into a well-rounded professional, and contribute to work that truly makes a difference. 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. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• Exceptional 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 background

• U.S. Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience required; advanced degree preferred
• 5+ years of corporate and/or professional services experience, including time in a complex, cross-functional, and global organization; background in consulting preferred
• Familiarity with the principles of risk, intelligence, crisis response, resilience, business continuity, and emergency management
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to work on complex, sensitive, and time-critical issues while demonstrating creative thinking and practical solutions
• Ability to handle multiple tasks, prioritize them, and carry them out independently in a fast-paced, often ambiguous environment while remaining mindful of the big picture; project management experience preferred
• Sensitivity with confidential information and adherence to the highest professional and process standards
• Comfort working alongside different functions and with senior leadership, with a non-hierarchical approach, the ability to build consensus, and a track record of seeking out and acting on feedback
• Experience working across cultures, with the ability to contextualize problems and solutions within varied settings
• Aptitude for handling data in various formats and software applications, such as web-enabled databases, Excel, Access, and Tableau (knowledge of SQL a plus) and GenAI tools; comfort working with technical teams, processes, and frameworks
• Entrepreneurial and innovative mindset, with strong attention to emerging technologies, solutions, and approaches and a desire to bring cutting-edge thinking to the firm
• Ability to work in-person and travel as needed (team schedules and office locations may vary)
• Demonstrated ability to collect, organize, and synthesize unstructured and narrative information for executive-level reporting, with exceptional attention to detail and strong written and verbal communication skills in English