Senior Associate - Materials

Company Description: Systemiq is a system-change company committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement by transforming markets and business models across five key systems: nature and food, materials and circularity, energy, urban areas, and sustainable finance.

As a certified B Corp, we combine strategic advisory with high-impact, on-the-ground work, partnering with business, finance, policymakers and civil society to deliver system change. With offices across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, we are dedicated exclusively to sustainability-focused work.

Strategy Associate, Materials & Circular Economy

Location: London preferred. Amsterdam also possible

Systemiq is looking for a Strategy Associate to join our Materials & Circular Economy team. This role is suited to someone who combines strong strategic thinking with the intellectual curiosity to tackle complex sustainability challenges.

You will work on some of the most important questions facing companies, governments and wider society as they shift towards more circular and sustainable models. Projects can range from shaping corporate strategy and identifying new business opportunities to assessing value chains, developing policy recommendations and designing system-level interventions.

We are looking for someone who can bring the core toolkit and pace of a strong strategy consultant: structured problem-solving, analytical rigour, clear communication and sound judgement. Strategy consulting experience is one route to demonstrating this. We are equally interested in candidates from other demanding analytical environments who can show the same quality of thinking and ability to turn complexity into clear recommendations.

You will join small, senior-led project teams and take meaningful responsibility from the outset. You will structure problems, conduct analysis, develop insights and work directly with clients to translate those insights into practical strategic choices.

Responsibilities

You will:

Structure complex problems: break ambiguous questions into clear workstreams, hypotheses and analytical priorities.

Generate insights: conduct rigorous qualitative and quantitative analysis, drawing conclusions from incomplete or complex information.

Shape recommendations: translate analysis into clear, concise and practical strategic recommendations.

Develop client materials: produce high-quality presentations, briefings and other client-ready outputs.

Engage with clients: work directly with senior stakeholders across businesses, governments, foundations and non-governmental organisations.

Contribute to project direction: help shape project approaches, hypotheses and emerging strategic conclusions.

Build trusted relationships: work effectively with clients, partners and stakeholders across multi-organisation initiatives.

About the team

You will be part of Systemiq's Materials & Circular Economy platform, led by Partner Ben Dixon.

Ben works across circular economy and energy topics and has advised organisations including the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the United Nations International Resource Panel and multinational companies across packaging, chemicals and related sectors. He also leads Systemiq's work on plastics, focused on accelerating the transition towards a more circular and resource-efficient plastics system.

What we are looking for

Strategy and analytical capability

We are looking for candidates who already demonstrate, or can quickly operate with, the core toolkit expected in strategy consulting. You should be able to:

Structure complex and ambiguous problems into clear components, hypotheses and analytical questions.

Apply strong analytical judgement to qualitative and quantitative information.

Synthesize complex material into concise insights and decision-relevant recommendations.

Communicate clearly in writing and verbally, including through high-quality presentation materials.

Work effectively at pace, managing changing priorities and imperfect information.

Move comfortably between detailed analysis and the broader strategic question.

Experience and background

You will typically bring:

At least two years of experience in strategy consulting, advisory or another analytically demanding environment.

Evidence of strong performance and increasing responsibility in your previous roles.

Experience contributing to strategy, investment, commercial or other decision-focused work.

Strong academic achievement, typically including a Master's degree or equivalent experience.

We particularly welcome candidates from strategy consulting, but relevant experience could also come from corporate strategy, investing, high-growth businesses, specialist advisory firms or other project-based environments where structured thinking and analytical rigour are central to the role.

Sector interest and understanding

You do not need to be a specialist across every part of the Materials & Circular Economy agenda. You should, however, bring:

An understanding of, or demonstrated ability to learn, complex industrial and consumer value chains.

Exposure to sectors such as plastics, petrochemicals, chemicals, consumer goods, manufacturing, mobility, energy or waste management.

A strong interest in sustainability, circular economy and the economic and strategic questions involved in system change.

Location

London is the preferred location for this role. We would also consider Amsterdam for candidates whose experience and capabilities are an especially strong match for the position.

Diversity & Inclusion At Systemiq, we absolutely believe diverse perspectives are essential to driving system change. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where people feel respected, supported and able to do their best work.

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