Consultant or Senior Consultant, Intelligence and Analysis
Location: London
read moreConsultant or Senior Consultant, Intelligence and Analysis
Location: London
Position: Consultant or Senior Consultant, Intelligence and Analysis
Location: London, UK
Line manager: Head of Intelligence and Analysis
Type of contract: Full-time, permanent and pensionable
The company
Africa Practice is a pan-African advisory firm operating at the nexus of government and industry. We work with high-profile public and private sector clients to help them manage risks and reputation in complex contexts. Our work is increasingly geared towards the development community, with a focus on sustainability and impact investment.
We specialise in political and regulatory risk advisory, business intelligence, advocacy and strategic communications. With offices in London, Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Lagos, and Gaborone, Africa Practice is uniquely positioned to assist our clients to identify, evaluate and pursue opportunities in Africa.
The position
The Consultant or Senior Consultant will play a key role in our Intelligence and Analysis practice, advising clients across the continent, with a focus on Francophone Africa. The Consultant or Senior Consultant will run complex intelligence and risk consulting projects; provide expert political insight; help develop effective market-entry, government relations and communications strategies; build and maintain a network of government, industry and civil society sources; and develop new business. Travel across the continent is an integral part of this position.
Responsibilities
Consulting services
- Run complex political and commercial intelligence projects and own the client deliverables
- Develop creative consulting solutions for clients facing specific challenges or opportunities
- Participate in client briefings on political, regulatory and commercial developments across sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular specialisation in Francophone Africa
- Develop, manage and advise on relationships with key stakeholders, stakeholder engagement plans, while overseeing and co-ordinating mutually beneficial relationships built on a firm understanding of strategic priorities
- Network with key stakeholders to gather insights and formulate a robust analytical perspective on critical issues for our clients
- Ensure that consulting projects are conducted and delivered within the required timeframe, while simultaneously satisfying Africa Practice’s quality standards
- Provide peer-to-peer editing support whenever needed
- Build strong and profitable client relationships
Research and analysis
- Produce regular, high-quality analysis on political, regulatory and commercial developments in Francophone Africa and elsewhere across the continent
- Maintain a high level of regional expertise through desktop research, attendance of relevant fora, conversations with well-placed sources and in-country intelligence gathering
- Develop and maintain a network of expert contacts and subcontractors in the region
Marketing and business development
- Prepare and contribute to the elaboration of proposals for both ad hoc and retainer-based projects
- Support business development for Africa Practice in London
- Produce innovative marketing collateral
- Liaise regularly with Africa Practice’s offices in Nairobi, Lagos, Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam and Gaborone
- Support marketing initiatives to generate new business leads
- Represent Africa Practice at relevant conferences and seminars
Media work
- Develop strong relationships with regional and trade journalists and publications
- Provide expert comment to media and undertake broadcast work as requested
Role requirements
- Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline, postgraduate degree preferred
Minimum 3 years’ experience working on and analysing African politics. Detailed knowledge of the political, operational and commercial dynamics on the continent.
- Outstanding verbal and written communication. An ability to write clearly, concisely and authoritatively to tight deadlines, with little editorial assistance is crucial for this role
- Excellent investigative and analytical skills, combined with a genuine interest in current African affairs
- Proven ability to manage account delivery on highly dynamic, sensitive and challenging briefs
- A robust network of contacts with local and foreign political experts, government officials and private sector players, as well as enthusiasm about expanding these contacts
- Aptitude for problem solving, attention to detail and collaborating with subject matter experts to address clients’ issues beyond the deployment of standard industry solutions
- Excellent, influencing, persuasion and engagement skills
- A self-starter, able to work on their own initiative on complex issues
- Diplomacy, tact and understanding of priorities to achieve common goals
- Ability to adapt well to changing demands or ambiguous situations, with an eagerness to seize opportunities
- Ability to cultivate strong trust-based relationships with people at all levels within the company and its regional hubs, as well as client organisations and the wider business and political ecosystem
- Professional proficiency in French and/or Portuguese highly desirable
- Experience in business development preferred
What we offer
- Rewarding, intellectually stimulating project work that benefits from creative thinking and allows for ownership and direct client contact
- Client base comprising global leaders across a truly diverse set of sectors, including tech, renewable energy, development, financial institutions, healthcare, agriculture and infrastructure, among others
- Opportunity for frequent travel across sub-Saharan Africa
- Direct mentorship from multi-disciplinary experts with established track records in the industry
- Collaboration with a diverse dynamic cross-border team, which is 82% African and 52% female
- Training support in areas of particular interest and/or of expected future impact and salience on the continent
- Competitive remuneration and comprehensive pension and healthcare packages
If Interested please send us a detailed CV, together with a cover letter specifying your suitability and availability.
Deadline- 13/03/2020
