Careers
Join Wellspring in partnering with social sector leaders to answer their most critical strategic questions
How to apply
What we look for
We seek candidates with:
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A drive to make a difference
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An ability to creatively and flexibly solve problems while attending to both the big picture and key details
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Conceptual and analytical capabilities, including logic and numerical analysis
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Strong interpersonal skills that lead to strong working relationships and effective teamwork
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An aptitude for deep listening, including an ability to tune in quickly and grasp the essentials in unfamiliar territory
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Clarity in verbal and written communication
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Experience with and/or understanding of the societal issues our clients seek to address
We encourage candidates of all backgrounds and experiences who are passionate about Wellspring and what we do to apply. We expect that most staff we hire will have to grow in different areas in order to excel at our work.
Please note that we do not offer summer internships. We are not able to interview candidates who require visa sponsorship now or in the future. Candidates must be eligible to work in the US at the time of their application. We ask candidates who have applied to work with us in the past to wait twelve months before reapplying. Associate candidates are expected to have at least a year of work experience. More information is available in our job descriptions.
The process
Our recruiting process begins with your application. We review every application that is submitted. Those invited to first round interviews do two interviews with senior members of our consulting staff. Those selected for second round interviews do two more interviews with Partners at our firm. We then confer and decide who will receive offers of employment at Wellspring.
Each interview includes both a behavioral and case component. The behavioral component allows us time to get to know each other. We ask questions about each candidate’s experience, skills, interests, and perspectives and offer the candidate time to ask any questions they have. Second, the case component gives candidates an opportunity to demonstrate how they solve problems and gives them insight into the types of challenges we address in our work. A webinar below offers more detail on our approach to case interviews and how to prepare.
Key dates
We have a structured recruiting process for Associate and Consultant candidates who are aiming for a summer / fall 2025 start date on the following timeline:
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Candidates can submit applications starting Monday August 12, with a deadline of Sunday, September 15, 2024
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Wellspring will send interview invitations no later than Tuesday, October 1
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Candidates will participate in first round interviews October 2 - 18
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Wellspring will send final round interview invitations no later than Friday, October 19
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Candidates will participate in final round interviews the weeks of October 21 and October 28
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Wellspring will extend offers no later than Friday, November 22
We also welcome off-cycle applications at any time, and will review those applications as we receive them.
Why Wellspring?
We are driven to make a difference.
Our work addresses complex issues of vital importance for society across many sectors: education, the environment, economic and social justice, healthcare, human rights, spirituality and religion, philanthropy, etc. Because we work across the nonprofit sector, every project is different. While the questions we tackle are unique to each engagement, they are always fundamental to our clients’ long-term impact, and relate to mission, strategies for creating change, financial viability, or organizational design.
Through rigorous research and data analysis, intensive collaboration between our case teams and clients, and experience from diverse projects, we make a real difference for our clients in service of their missions. Over 95% of our projects are implemented by our clients, showing that our work is actionable and makes a difference in the world. And almost half of our engagements are with organizations that have worked with us in the past, showing they value the service we provide.
We are focused on bringing out the best in who you are.
Within Wellspring, we work in small teams to tackle our clients’ most intellectually challenging questions. We use a wide variety of skills, from primary research and data analysis to meeting facilitation and strategic storytelling. Consultants learn on the job from Partners and peers on their teams. Every consultant is also paired with a Partner and peer mentor, both of whom will meet with you regularly and be invested in your success. Staff retreats, trainings, and case debriefs further support professional development and relationship-building within the firm. Consultants are typically staffed on two projects at once, resulting in broad exposure to the social sector in a short period of time.
Wellspring consultants have varied backgrounds, skills, and interests. Everyone is called on to play important roles in our client work and is supported and encouraged to make their mark on Wellspring. Each member of our staff can choose to take on internal projects and contribute to, or even pioneer, initiatives that shape and advance the firm.
We share responsibility to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Each member of our firm is expected to participate in upholding Wellspring’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion – in our firm and in our work with clients. We each take responsibility for self-reflection, listening, learning, and sharing to enhance our understanding of these complex issues. We work together as a team to set firm-wide priorities related to DEI and carry out work needed to improve our practice. In our work with clients, we take extra care to consider factors like race and socioeconomic status when undertaking research and developing recommendations. We value continuous learning, and make changes to how we work every year based on our experiences with our clients and with one another.
We set our people up to deliver a lifetime of impact.
We seek to achieve impact not only through our work with clients but also by preparing our staff to be make a difference wherever they are, throughout their careers. Each person we hire has the potential to become a partner at Wellspring, and some have chosen this path. Others have gone on to pursue a range of meaningful careers outside Wellspring. The alumni section of our website shares some of their stories.
Webinars
Wellspring Information Session: What Makes Wellspring Special?
To get to know some of our Partners and Consultants and learn firsthand why Wellspring Consulting is a great place to work, watch a recording of one of our past Information Sessions.
Wellspring Case Workshop
To hear about real Wellspring client cases and learn the basics of our case interviews, watch a recording of one of our past Case Workshops.
Alumni
Wellspring staff have gone on to do great things across the nonprofit, public, and private sectors. Their stories give a sense of their experience with Wellspring and how the firm helped them develop their careers.
Mike Alimurung
Mike was with Wellspring for almost eight years, most recently as a Senior Principal.
On working at Wellspring: “The coaching at Wellspring was the best I could have gotten. I was fortunate to have had people who really cared about my growth as a Consultant and about the nonprofits we were working with”
On life after Wellspring: "Wellspring was great. But I am not American. So, at the end of the day, I had to go back and help where I came from. I first worked for the Philippines government as a Commissioner, and ended up on the Board of a mining company and a large bank. Then I hosted a business show for Bloomberg TV. Now I am the City Manager – of Quezon City, the largest city in the Philippines, with 3.1 million people and 19,000 government employees. There was probably no better job than management consulting to prepare me for this role."
Elizabeth Brook Garrity
Elizabeth was with Wellspring for two years, as an Associate.
On working at Wellspring:
“The unique value that Wellspring brings to its clients is the strategic rigor. ‘Why, why, why’ is part of the team’s culture. There is an art in the way Wellspring can appropriately push its clients to get to the bottom of the question.”
On life after Wellspring: “When I left Wellspring, I wanted to shift from being an advisor to an executor, and through our work, I learned the importance of the development team in actually carrying out a strategic plan. So, I joined CCS [a leading fundraising firm] for five years. Wellspring is a unique place to learn deeply about the nonprofit ecosystem and figure out which mission you’re most drawn to and which skills you want to develop.”
In my current role as a Product Manager, it’s really important to have friendly, structured conversations with customers. Wellspring taught me how to conduct valuable qualitative interviews. I learned to talk to and build trust with a variety of people in a semi-structured format.”
Spencer Munroe
Spencer was with Wellspring for almost two years as an Associate.
On working at Wellspring:
"Associates at Wellspring make a larger contribution than Associates at other firms would. As an Associate, I spoke to Board executives and ran interviews with C-suite stakeholders. The level of mentorship at Wellspring is also very high. You can easily go to someone to ask for help and guidance. Wellspring is an amazing place to develop and grow."
On life after Wellspring: "I joined Google, and after two years in the Associate role jumped to a fully strategic role. I carried over a lot of skills from Wellspring – how to engage with stakeholders, gather market insights, and bring insights back to the client."
Mike Foote
Mike was with Wellspring for almost three years as a Consultant.
On working at Wellspring: "Each Wellspring project was so different… education, healthcare, LGBTQ organizations. It was exciting and fast paced. There was a breadth of clients, and many different types of people coming together on staff. The depth of thinking that the firm and our clients demanded from us catapulted my growth. Wellspring gives you hard skills, but also intangibles like the confidence to work with and speak in front of groups of passionate and talented people, and the ability to think strategically in real time."
On life after Wellspring: "I started DREAM as an undergrad. We were working with kids in affordable housing developments. It replicated really well, so we built it across a few sites and improved the model. I felt confident in the education I got from Wellspring, so I went back and became DREAM’s Director. Now we're a sizable nonprofit bringing a range of mentoring and enrichment programming to young people."