Charles River Associates Overview

CRA’s consultants and corporate professionals thrive on the challenges that are intrinsic to our work. We’re highly motivated, intellectually curious people 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 where the work is always interesting and the opportunities diverse. Anyone, at any level, can take the initiative to do great things.

We don’t believe in a sink or swim mentality. Extensive on-the-job training will ensure you develop the professional skills required to excel. You’ll gain an understanding of finance, analytics, graphics, and issues analysis as well as industry- and practice-specific knowledge, giving you the foundation to succeed at CRA or on the next step of your career path.

A typical day at CRA depends largely 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 you’ll always have the project team as a resource.

Your work also depends on whether you work in the litigation or management consulting field. Here are a few differences:

Litigation 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. Our alumni work at Fortune 500 companies, with all levels of government, and for prestigious universities.
• Culture.Collegial, diverse, and supportive work environment.
• Colleagues.Work alongside and learn from acclaimed industry experts.
• 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, taking ownership of individual tasks and work streams, contributing to the case discussion with the team leadership, and immediately interacting with the client team, including client executives.
• Training.Interaction with partners, experts, and client executives as well as a formal training program that includes week-long sessions at each career stage and focused sessions throughout the year.
•  Culture.Collegial and team-oriented.
• Client interaction.Optimal level and amount of client interaction.
• Advancement.Rapidly growing firm with entrepreneurial opportunities (such as client development).
• Optimal work/life balance.Travel varies with the type of work but at less than 40% of time, it is less than at our competitors’.

We also encourage extracurricular activities that build camaraderie and stronger bonds. Each office regularly holds various social events, including gathering for sports teams such as kick ball and softball, summer outings, and informal happy hours. Offices also regularly participate in activities like road races and volunteer opportunities together.  

A large part of our activities involves volunteering in the communities where CRA employees work and live, giving you the opportunity to interact with colleagues outside of a work setting. Giving back is an essential part of CRA’s culture year-round. For more than a decade, the CRA Corporate Volunteer Committee has organized and promoted volunteer activities, including holding clothing and toy drives, preparing meals, and conducting workshops for job-seeking high school students.

CRA’s Corporate Giving Committee enables us to support local organizations through charitable contributions. In fiscal year 2011, CRA contributed to more than 50 charitable and other not-for-profit organizations. Staff in each office—many with personal ties to the organizations—make nominations. Some charities that have received contributions include the American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and Relay for Life.

CRA is also environmentally conscious. Our Green Office Initiative (GO) aims to make CRA a “greener” workplace through individual action and companywide initiatives. GO has become firmly established in the operations and culture of the company, with 30 representatives leading activities in nearly every office. GO initiatives include disposable waste reduction programs, recycling programs, e-waste recycling drives, the development of alternative transportation options, and promoting tips for being green. GO also hosts a “Lunch & Learn” series where client projects with environmental interest are presented to employees.

CRA recognizes and rewards individuals for performance and actively drives professional growth. We offer a formal training program that includes week-long sessions at each career stage and focused sessions throughout the year on a variety of subjects, from developing a business plan to project management to effective management to third-party data sets such as Bloomberg, CRSP, Lexis-Nexis, and Factiva. We’ll also support your efforts to gain professional certifications such as Chartered Financial Analyst.

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

CRA has offices throughout the world, giving you the chance to work in your preferred location. Our Boston headquarters, for example, are located in the John Hancock Tower, the tallest building in Boston, giving us amazing views of the city in a prime location. We also offer international work opportunities. There are numerous staff at all levels that have transferred to international locations within our global network of offices.

Graduate school

If you’re considering grad school in the future but want to gain some valuable work experience first, spend a couple years with us. We’re dedicated to your professional growth, so you won’t ever have to hide your aspirations. Best of all, our senior staff has connections to prestigious universities and will guide you through the enrollment process, helping you get into the program or school of your choice.

Each year during the late summer/early fall, CRA brings in representatives from about five graduate school programs—including representatives from MBA, law school, and public policy programs—to discuss the school’s programs and application process. 

The caliber of the schools and programs in which CRA consultants are admitted is a testament to CRA’s commitment to develop high-quality skills in its people and is a valuable asset in both recruiting and marketing. Some of the graduate schools and degree programs where recent CRA consultants enrolled for the 2011–2012 academic year include Columbia Business School, London Business School, MIT, NYU Stern School of Business, University of Chicago Law School, and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, among others.

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, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)
• Employee at Google responsible for launching new business
• 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
• Vice President with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
• Special advisor to the CFO of the FBI
• Energy & Environment Practice in DC before receiving a company-wide e-mail announcing opportunities to work in the new Bahrain office. Left to go to business school and became a freelance consultant.
• Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Initiatives for IHS Inc.  
• 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.

A diverse experience

On any given day, we have teams working in sectors as diverse as energy, mining, life sciences, and financial markets. Our clients may be CEOs, lawyers, government representatives, or regulators, and we might be providing guidance on everything from global business strategy to analysis that will be defended before regulatory commissions or in court.  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

Camaraderie and collaboration

We work collaboratively with other team members and with 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

Business and academic 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 an entrepreneurial spirit 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

CRA offers a competitive salary and benefits program. We provide our employees and their families with the security and flexibility that come with a world-class benefits program that’s among the best in our industry. We listened to our employees and responded by making it a top priority to offer the most comprehensive package possible. Highlights of some of our offerings for employees working in North America include:

Paid time off– Each employee receives a vacation day allotment plus 10 paid holidays and 10 sick days per year.

Medical/Dental– PPO offerings with Blue Cross Blue Shield and Delta Dental, effective the first day of employment.

Vision plan– Both in-network and out-of-network options are available to cover exams and eyeglasses or contacts, effective the first day of employment.

Life/LTD/STD– Employer-paid and additional optional life insurance coverage is offered as well as the ability to purchase additional coverage for family members. We also offer employer-paid, long-term and short-term disability coverage.

401(k)/Employer match– CRA offers a 401(k) plan, including a ROTH 401(k) option. We match 50% of the first 6% of employee contributions. Any match is immediately vested upon contribution, and employees are eligible to participate immediately.

Profit-sharing– On an annual basis, employees are eligible to receive an additional, discretionary employer contribution to their retirement plan with vesting based upon tenure.

Flexible spending accounts– Employees may set aside up to $3,750 tax-exempt per year to pay for eligible out-of-pocket health care expenses (for example, any co-pays or deductibles). Tax-exempt dollars may also be set aside for eligible dependent care expenses up to IRS annual limits.

Transit and parking– Our Qualified Transportation Expense Program allows employees to pay for eligible transportation expenses to and from work with tax-exempt dollars up to IRS monthly limits. In addition, CRA offers a transportation subsidy to employees based upon their tenure and level.

Life event services– CRA provides employees life event management services at no cost. These include 24/7 telephone counseling sessions, face-to-face counseling, resource and referral services, and an employee discount center.

Identity theft protection– CRA partners with St. Paul/Travelers to support and assist employees and their family members in dealing with the challenges, including legal fees, associated with reclaiming their credit standing.