How to get a senior consulting post

They are key to any international development project. Chiefs of party, project managers and other senior officials not only supervise staff, they also represent implementers and their partners in country and beyond. How does a consultant win one of these coveted senior posts? We asked three top recruiters from DAI, a top consultancy, a series of questions gathered from participants of our webinar “How to Succeed as a Development Consultant.” The webinar features Daniel Head, senior international recruiter at DAI’s economic growth division, as well as Katie Levy, recruitment manager, and Sophie Montmey, associate recruiter, both of DAI Europe. Watch the webinar here. Here are some of their answers to questions posed yet not addressed during the 1-hour online event: Most chief of party or deputy chief of party jobs require previous experience in “a similar position.” Would program manager, country director and other senior posts count as “similar”? For most purposes, yes. The bidder will have to use their knowledge of the client – in this case, USAID – to assess whether or not the mission would accept that experience. In some cases even, we can accept CEOtype work as “a similar position.” I would say team leader of a large program, or country director with a robust portfolio would be sufficient. Senior posts which are technical in nature might not. How can a head of programs in a smaller international nongovermental organization make themselves marketable for larger iNGOs, say for a program officer position? Experience in a smaller organization is oftentimes very valuable to larger ones. You bring not only a fresh and unique perspective, but you also have most likely worked at more levels (both administrative and big picture) than your larger NGO counterparts, so be sure and play that up in your CV and interviews. Would someone who used to be a project manager but has since done other work – for instance, in procurement – be a realistic choice for project manager when the job description requires experience in project management? How can you make yourself more marketable for a project manager post? Procurement is an essential component of any project management job, so it is very valuable experience. There seem to be more managerial jobs than technical ones (e.g., engineering) in international development. Do you prefer to recruit water engineers and similar experts locally? You’re right there are many more managerial openings than technical ones in this sector. For example, we often use engineers already on staff to do short-term assignments, or don’t advertise these as we might have a list of go-to experts already. A position like a water engineer would typically be rather defined, rather than broad management, so obviously there will be fewer opportunities. I’d recommend getting in a few good assignments – even if you take a pay cut – with some of the more well-known environment development firms, so you’re on their go-to lists. Read more: - Consulting opportunities with DAI: FAQs (followup Q&A) - Contract negotiation FAQs for development consultants (followup Q&A) - How to Succeed as a Development Consultant(full webinar recording) - Individual consulting: Where the jobs are(webinar excerpt) - Individual consultant CVs: Tips and tricks (webinar excerpt) - Global development consulting: How to gain the right experience - How to transition to development consulting - Global development consulting: How to gain the right experience - CV writing for foreign aid consultants: Your FAQs On consulting: - Individual Consulting: A Primer - A Survival Guide to Consulting - UN to Introduce Online Application Tool for Consultants - A Global Consultant’s Daily Routine - Independent Consulting = Freedom + Flexibility - Administrative Expenses for Contractors - Basic Skills of Independent Consultants - Coping with Frequent Travel - How to Get Away from the Home Office Other career coverage: - Salary Negotiation Strategies for Aid Workers and Consultants: A Primer - Career Transitions: How to Figure Out if an Aid Job is Right for You - Secrets to a Successful Phone Interview for Development Aid Job Seekers - Resume Formats for International Development Professionals Read more international development career advice.