Companies label associate differently sometimes, but at my company they are at the manager level. They basically manage staff, but not always, can be a team lead, project manager, involved with selling work to clients, working on proposals and new marketing efforts. They are in the nitty gritty of things as well, they are the ones doing the work, acting as subject matter experts when necessary, selling the work, and maintaining the client relationships. However many just only do the work, varies on the person and his/her ambition.