Associate Consultant - Financial Services / Data & AI (f/m/d)

Advise. Invest. Build. Meet ALAIKA — a new kind of Financial Services firm — globally scaling, headquartered in Munich. The work is hard. The bar is high. Partner promotion possible, for the ones who can keep up and actually build a business themselves on our platform.  ABOUT ALAIKA  At ALAIKA, our vision is to build the future of Financial Services with three brands under one roof — Advisory (Strategy Consulting), Capital (Private Equity), Building (Company Builder). Right now, we are in the midst of building our trojan horse ALAIKA Advisory.  The ambition: building the leading Financial-Services-specific entrepreneurial holding — Fortune 500 access, PE discipline, Silicon Valley technology-depth and thinking. Three networks that compound and multiply.  * One industry. Financial Services. Nothing else.  * One focus. The intersection of business and technology — across Strategic Transformations, AI & Data Intelligence, and Cybersecurity.  * One goal. Being the go-to partner for the world's leading Fortune 500 financial services companies — and the ones we might help build into that.  Founded in October 2022 by Johanna von Geyr (build-up and led Financial Services Practice for a NASDAQ-listed strategy consultancy) and Harald Braunstein (serial entrepreneur with exits incl. IPO), we bring together deep functional domain expertise and networks in global Financial Services, with a proven track record in building, scaling, and investing in leading software product companies.   Curious what ALAIKA is all about? Explore our website and introduction deck.  Join the movement — apply now.   THE ROLE AND WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON  * Advise. Take on the most pressing strategic and technology challenges of the world’s leading financial services companies — across Strategy, Data & AI, and Cyber, with deep Financial Servicesdomain expertise as your anchor. You are the guiding thought leader for your clients’ topics before the problem is fully defined.  * Own. Own client holding groups end-to-end — the relationships, the revenue, the team, the outcomes. You do not own pieces or projects; you own accounts.  * Lead. Run project teams and large key initiatives. Set the standard for your team — challenge them, develop them, raise their game. Multiply the output of everyone around you — not just your own.  * Sell. Own the full sales process end-to-end, independent of deal size. Open new buying centers. Originate mandates. Turn one client into three. Your pipeline is your business — and you run it like one.  * Connect. Industry-shaping relationships. C-suite at the leading Financial Services firms. Your network walks in with you, extends with the role, and becomes the platform for everything the practice does next.  * Grow. Sharpen the rare profile the market is short on — analytical mastermind, data & AI expert, entrepreneurial dealmaker. The partner promotion for you is not a question of IF. It is a question of WHEN.  * Build. We are scaling, with real building left to do — IP, processes, go-to-market, strategy. You are a strategic partner in shaping what ALAIKA becomes. That is not a slogan — it is your Tuesday.  WHEN YOU ARE A FIT  “Show me an athlete who did well academically. An athlete because they know what it takes to win and they have had to experience loss.”  — Kenneth C. Griffin, Founder of Citadel  You will work alongside intrinsically driven people chasing an uncapped career — people who do "what it takes". You fear "being one more number stuck in middle management".   * Book-smart. Strong academic foundation. Think in structures, not gut feel.  * Street-smart. Read the room fast. Prioritise ruthlessly. Grasp commercial reality.  * People-smart. Communicate with precision — clear, direct, persuasive. Build trust across functions and seniority.  * Athlete performance mindset. High aspirations. Grit. Learn faster than the environment changes.  * Entrepreneurial guts. You have built something, owned something, or bet on yourself at some point — and it shows in how you operate. P&L is not an abstraction. Ambiguity is not a problem. Youmove.  WHAT YOU BRING  * Background. Outstanding degree in an analytical field from a top-tier university, or a track record that speaks for itself.  * Track Record. A track record of building a leading practice at a strategic consultancy or  major Financial Services firm.    * Senior Network. Established C-Level and Tier 1-3 relationships across financial services. Your network walks in with you.  * Sales Track Record. Proven ability to originate and close mandates at €2m+ scale. You have built a book before.  * Leadership. You have hired, developed, and graduated, as well as made the hard calls on people. You understand that it is your task to build the best sports team — not a family.  * Analytical edge. Data-driven by default. Leverage data to drive decisions, not just decorate slides and / or make sure your team does not.  * Languages. Fluent in English and German. Additional languages are a plus.  WHY JOIN ALAIKA  * Partner track within reach. From Associate Partner to Partner possible.  * Compensation. Above market with very entrepreneurial-driven bonus structures.   “My biggest economic misunderstanding was that people got rich from high salary, but almost no one on Forbes got there through salary but only with equity.”   — Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI   * Stellar Network. Shoulder-to-shoulder with financial services executives running today’s giants and the founders building tomorrow’s.  * Offices. Munich and Barcelona. More coming.  Plus: the essentials done right — EGYM Wellpass, bike leasing, a kitchen stocked with healthy food and team events worth showing up for: Oktoberfest, team dinners, and more.    Advise the leaders. Build what comes next. Invest in the future of Financial Services.  Apply with CV, transcripts, and references. Let’s see if you are the one.    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Equal Opportunities for all  ALAIKA is an equal-opportunity employer. We hire on merit and welcome applications from people of all genders, backgrounds, ages, and identities. Our team spirit celebrates diversity. We want you to be your true “you” and offer everyone an open culture and safe space