Associate Consultant @Darwin

Company:MercerDescription: Darwin is part of Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB), a 7,000-person strong community of specialists in health, benefits, and employee wellbeing. This affords us a massive opportunity to impact the lives of tens of millions of people around the world. Darwin is changing benefits for good in eight out of the top ten technology companies in the world and has a wealth of clients across a diverse range of sectors. In fact, more than 2 million people are already using our platform.

Here at Darwin, we dont just get the job done, we go the extra mile. We strive to achieve one extra degree in all we do. We can do this because we have amazing people who do awesome things.

Wherever we are in the world we inspire connections and take great care to make working at Darwin a rewarding and meaningful career experience.

We are now part of Mercer Marsh Benefits (MMB), a 7,000 person strong community of specialists in health, benefits and employee wellbeing. This affords us a massive opportunity to impact the lives of tens of millions of people around the world.

Darwin is a market-leading and specialized global platform that requires specific training and accreditation for consultants to be proficient in delivering programs and projects. Darwin is changing Benefits for Good. Our unique and innovative SaaS (Software as a Service) platform has transformed the employee benefits industry. We are fast paced, ambitious, people-focused and on a journey to innovate and develop products that truly impact peoples lives and the market in which we operate.

ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT

The Associate Consultant (AC) configures and consults on core DarwinTM functionality and configures simple-medium benefits including unit testing. They configure and schedule standard provider reports, perform simple branding and other simple-medium tasks. They are expected to understand basic concepts of benefits and how these are built on DarwinTM, starting to understand end-to-end benefit administration processes including interfacing. They are responsible for delivering project tasks given to them by more senior members of the team / Pod Leads. Will start to provide estimates of own deliverables. They may be asked to knowledge share and buddy new team members after 6-12 months experience

THE ROLE AND YOUR MISSION

Consulting skills:

It is expected that the Associate Consultant has a good understanding of Darwin capabilities and projects flow and makes sure the quality gates are met in order to assure the quality of the product delivered.

• Accountable for ensuring that delivery best practice is followed throughout the project
• Owns project work stream and make sure all stakeholders and Pod Lead are aware of progress in time
• Be able to manage own workload and shifting priorities
• Manage projects by following the internal methodology, using templates and the process flow described on Confluence
• Review the Scoping Document together with the Client Manager in order to make sure that all tasks are covered and understood
• Update internal project tools (eg. Jira, Zendeks, etc.) in line with the project timescales and budget
• Use the Project Management training to create a Project Toolkit. Keep the Project Toolkit updated on a constant frequency and share with all stakeholders as applicable
• Update project documentation and get Sign-Off from the client
• Actively lead the UAT phase of a project to ensure successful completion. Manage the UAT calls and UAT board with the client
• Review the checklists and coordinate all project activities up to transitioning the project back into Business As Usual
• Ensure the successful and timely delivery of projects/tasks assigned

Technical Skills:

Darwin Knowledge - It is expected that the Associate Consultant has basic Darwin skills and will spend half of their time configuring Darwin

• Be able to perform simple configuration tasks with no guidance or supervision
• Be able to perform medium or complex configuration tasks with support or supervision
• Be able to design, build and perform unit testing on simple or medium outbound and inbound interface (eg. Payroll report, provider report)
• Perform unit testing of all configuration assigned before going back to the client
• Perform peer review on projects
• Make the necessary changes on Darwin as agreed within the Scoping Document for projects

Quality Management at project level:

• Responsible for performing checks on in-flight projects to review statues / blockers / ensure quality gates are being fulfilled
• Take necessary measures to ensure no configuration incidents happen after Go Live. In case they do occur, proactively follow up and help restore service.
• Be able to explain and apply the delivery processes and methodologies within the project team as well as reinforcing it as best practice. Keep up to date with changes in the process and understand how the change impacts delivery
• Respect quality metrics targets according to Objectives
• Responsible and accountable for overall quality of own projects. Work closely together with QAG resource in order to assure quality standards as detailed by Confluence material

Communication management

• Input in meetings: Produces clear actions/minutes from meetings and circulates accordingly (where required)
• Owns communication on projects assigned: pro-actively informs project and internal stakeholders about status of work
• Relationship management: establish firm relationship internally with Client Management, Admin Tech, Helpdesk, Full Admin departments, or other internal Darwin teams, as applicable to the projects assigned
• Clients: developing Stakeholder management skills to improve relationships with a variety of client sponsors as well as direct project contacts
• Flag any capacity issues to the Pod Lead and project stakeholders and help provide an alternative solution in order to deliver on time

Growth/Development

• New topics: be able to perform basic research of any work related topics for projects or meetings using internal tools
• Prove responsibility for own development: keep objectives tracker updated, ask 360 feedback from colleagues as agreed with Line Manager, identify new areas of development
• Proactively seek opportunities to get involved in different complexity projects in order to demonstrate and develop new and existing skills
• Actively attend trainings: Darwin Enablement for New Joiners, Delivery Specific Trainings, Darwin and projects related knowledge sessions. Proactively flag training need to Pod Lead / Line Manager

Utilization:

• Client work utilization: 80%
• Remaining utilization: 20% to be used for internal meetings, trainings within Darwin, Line Management activities, knowledge sharing, providing ad hoc support for other collages

YOUR EXPERIENCE AND VALUES

• Consulting skills
• Technical (Darwin) skills
• Quality Management at project level
• Communication management
• Relationship management
• Proactivity
• Responsibility

Our PINK benefits and culture

• An opportunity to work in a fast-growing, innovative company with lots of room for progression;
• A fall-friendly environment that encourages learning and initiative;
• A yearly budget and the opportunity to build your flexible benefits package;
• 25 days off + 1 extra day off on your birthday;
• Matching charity contributions, charity days off, and the Pay it Forward charity challenge;
• Pension, Life and Medical Insurance;
• We champion flexible working, and our mission is to help you find YOUR work-life balance, whether that's standard working, part-time working, flexitime working, compressed hours, or working from home.

Mercer, a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), is a global leader in helping clients realize their investment objectives, shape the future of work and enhance health and retirement outcomes for their people. Marsh McLennan is a global leader in risk, strategy and people, advising clients in 130 countries across four businesses: Marsh, Guy Carpenter, Mercer and Oliver Wyman. With annual revenue of $24 billion and more than 90,000 colleagues, Marsh McLennan helps build the confidence to thrive through the power of perspective. For more information, visit , or follow on LinkedIn and X.Marsh McLennan is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and flexible work environment. We aim to attract and retain the best people and embrace diversity of age, background, disability, ethnic origin, family duties, gender orientation or expression, marital status, nationality, parental status, personal or social status, political affiliation, race, religion and beliefs, sex/gender, sexual orientation or expression, skin color, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.Marsh McLennan is committed to hybrid work, which includes the flexibility of working remotely and the collaboration, connections and professional development benefits of working together in the office. All Marsh McLennan colleagues are expected to be in their local office or working onsite with clients at least three days per week. Office-based teams will identify at least one "anchor day" per week on which their full team will be together in person.

---