Charles River Associates Careers, Benefits, Review

Expertise Litigation, Regulatory & Financial Consulting

Antitrust & Competition Economics, Damages, Energy & Environment, Financial Accounting & Valuation, Financial Economics, Financial Markets, Forensic Services, Insurance Economics, Intellectual Property, International Arbitration, Labor & Employment, Mergers & Acquisitions, Public Policy & Regulatory Economics, Regulation, Transfer Pricing.

Management Consulting 

Auctions & Competitive Bidding, Corporate & Business Strategy, Intellectual Property & Technology Management, Life Sciences, Organization & Performance Improvement.

CRA’s consultants and corporate professionals thrive on the challenges that are intrinsic to our work. We’re highly-motivated, intellectually curious individuals who apply quality academic and analytical analyses to help companies, governments, and other organizations solve their most difficult issues. We offer: 

• multiple career options in a dynamic, collegial, and entrepreneurial workplace 
• interesting work and diverse opportunities
• extensive on-the-job training to ensure you develop the professional skills required to excel 

A typical day at CRA depends on the practice you work for, but there are a few universals. Whether the assignment involves restructuring a petrochemical business in Bahrain or supporting expert witness testimony in a contested merger case in New York, you’ll conduct research and use statistical software to organize, analyze, and deliver data-driven insights. You’ll have frequent contact with senior leadership and always have the project team as a resource. 

Here a few differences between the litigation and management consulting fields:  

Litigation, Regulatory & Financial Consulting

• Opportunities for success. Responsibility on small, collaborative project teams. Using a combination of economic, financial, and managerial skill sets allows consultants to advance within CRA and become highly marketable to top graduate programs and other career paths. 
• Training. Interaction with partners, experts, and client executives as well as a formal training program that includes sessions at each career stage. 
• Advancement. Recognition and reward for individual performance. 
• Work. Research-oriented, degree-relevant work on a variety of projects with the opportunity to specialize. Exposure to a wide variety of issues and industries.  

Management consulting

• Opportunities for success. Exposure to a high-level of responsibility, ownership of individual tasks and work streams, contributing to the case discussion with leadership, and immediately interacting with the client team. 
• Training. Interaction with partners, experts, and client executives as well as a formal training program that includes sessions at each career stage. 
• Advancement. Rapidly growing firm with entrepreneurial opportunities  
• Optimal work/life balance. Travel varies with the type of work but at less than 40% of time, it is less than our competitors.

We also encourage extracurricular activities that build camaraderie and stronger bonds. There are many ways to make your mark at CRA and stay involved: 

• Committees (Alumni, Corporate Giving, Social, Volunteer, Wellness) 
• Junior Class Council 
• Recruiting
• Tech Labs 
• Diversity & Inclusion Taskforce 

CRA recognizes and rewards individuals for performance and actively drives professional growth. We offer a formal training program that includes sessions at each career stage, from developing a business plan to project management to effective management to technical tools. We’ll also support your efforts to gain professional certifications. 

A typical career path at CRA is: Analyst -> Associate -> Consulting Associate - > Senior Associate - > Associate Principal -> Principal - > Vice President. One success story of advancement within the company is Paul Maleh. He joined the firm in 1989 as an associate with the Energy Practice and rose through the ranks to lead the Finance Practice before becoming the Chief Operating Officer. Today he is CRA’s President and CEO. 

Graduate school

We’re dedicated to your professional growth, if you’re considering grad school in the future but want to gain valuable work experience first, spend a few years with us. Each year, CRA hosts representatives from top graduate schools to discuss the school’s programs and application process. 

The caliber of the schools and programs into which CRA consultants are admitted is a testament to CRA’s commitment to developing high-quality skills in its people. After you’ve completed your PhD or MBA and decided you’d like to come back to CRA, we would be happy to welcome you back! 

Alumni network

CRA also has an impressive alumni network and stays connected on LinkedIn. The firm’s alumni have moved on to new roles such as: 

• Employees at Fortune 100 companies 
• Senior economist with Australia’s antitrust and utility regulator 
• Professorship appointments at such prestigious school as Johns Hopkins, Harvard, MIT, and Boston College
• Deputy Assistant Attorney General with the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice
• Chief Financial Officer of an investment bank that ranks among the top 10 financial restructuring advisors in Europe 

CRA’s professional teams share a common aim—to deliver high-quality results to our clients while collaborating and learning from each other. We are a company that values initiative, integrity, and open, inquisitive minds. 

Diverse and challenging project work  

Our teams work in sectors ranging from energy and mining to life sciences and financial markets. Our clients may be CEOs, lawyers, government representatives, or regulators. The diverse array of industries and clients we serve provides opportunities to apply current knowledge and continually broaden professional expertise. 

“I've been exposed to many different industries, from consumer products and toys to software, telecommunications, and medical devices.”—Associate Principal, Intellectual Property, Chicago 

“What’s really appealing is the diversity of expertise in the office and knowing that you’ll be fitted to a whole range of assignments. Your interests—not necessarily what stems from your background—have a role in that.”—Associate, Financial Markets, New York City 

Collegiality and collaboration 

We work collaboratively with other team members and our clients who often take note and express appreciation for our team approach. 

“In competition cases, I really enjoy working with antitrust attorneys because we share a strong interest in the same subject, but we approach it from different perspectives. I nearly always learn something from working with lawyers on a case, no matter what the outcome is.”—Vice President, Competition, Boston 

Academically rigorous environment 

What we do for clients has a direct connection to what’s happening in the real world. It’s exciting to work with preeminent economists and business strategists on high-stakes cases for high-profile clients. 

“Often when I’m working on a case and talking with different people, I feel like I’m in class learning.”—Associate, Financial Accounting and Valuation, Boston 

Entrepreneurial spirit 

People come to CRA and make a difference. We have a culture of innovation and corporate citizenship within the framework of an established organization that has a strong reputation, global operations, and a professional administrative infrastructure. 

"Although we are a global, publicly owned company, we still promote and value an entrepreneurial spirit that contributes significantly to our continuing success.”—Vice President, Transfer Pricing, Boston 

The CRA junior experience 

Working closely with senior staff on project teams across a variety of industries, junior staff apply economic, financial, and business principles to real-world problems.  

Junior staff at CRA receive: 

• Exposure to a wide variety of issues, industries, and experts 
• Shared responsibility on small, collaborative project teams in a diverse and supportive environment 
• Recognition and reward for individual performance
• Connections to top universities and Fortune 500 companies 

Junior staff responsibilities 

 Junior staff at CRA typically: 

• Analyze economic and financial data using spreadsheets, programming, model building, and regression analysis 
• Conduct industry, market structure, and competitor-positioning studies 
• Review and summarize analyst reports, client documents, and industry trade press
• Perform interview-based research through clients, government representatives, and industry associations
• Assist in the production and development of research summaries, expert reports, and the presentation of our findings
• Ensure the integrity and accuracy of analyses 

Beyond project work, juniors can get involved in recruiting activities, training and mentoring programs, marketing efforts, and community/social events. 

Junior staff qualifications 

Whilst each practice at CRA looks for some specific skills and knowledge sets, commonly sought capabilities include:   

• command of a broad range of research and quantitative skills 
• strong communication, writing and presentation skills
• high level of initiative  
• exceptional attention to detail and taking pride in your work 
• a natural curiosity coupled with analytical mindset  

Above all, CRA seeks highly motivated and energetic undergraduate and master’s candidates who can learn quickly, apply prior knowledge to current situations, solve problems, manage time wisely, prioritize tasks, and communicate well with peers, senior staff, and clients. 

Process 

Application submission 

CRA receives applications via on-campus recruiting, college consortia, referrals, and direct applications. To apply:  

• submit your resume, cover letter, and unofficial transcript by selecting the “Apply Now” link from the menu on the right 
• note your office preference(s) in your cover letter and application
• certain offices may request a three- to five-page writing sample demonstrating analytical and quantitative abilities 

Please contact your school’s career services office for resume drop deadlines. 

First interview 

Successful applicants are invited for a first-round interview of approximately 30 minutes to perform a preliminary evaluation of skills, experience, and interest. At this stage, we expect all applicants to have a basic understanding of both the firm’s services and the analyst position.  

Second interview 

Second-round interviews will be scheduled by the hiring office. During this round, applicants complete a series of 30- to 45-minute interviews with consulting staff across all levels. Interview formats range from evaluative case studies to personal interviews. 

Offer notification 

All applicants will be notified of the status of their candidacy shortly after the second-round interview. Applicants may be offered a position with the firm, declined a position, or may be invited to be placed on a temporary hold list. Offers are linked to specific CRA offices. 

Onsite visit 

In some locations, applicants offered a position may be invited to visit the office to meet additional staff and tour the facilities.