Job Description

Two Consultants for Financial and Private Sector Development

OPM’s Financial and Private Sector Development Portfolio is growing and works across three rapidly changing markets - financial sector development, market development and business environment reform. We are looking to recruit dynamic and talented consultants into two different roles, one focusing upon business development and a second with a focus on the monitoring and evaluation of private sector development. In both cases, consultants will be expected to immerse themselves in much more technical work than is normal in the development consultancy sector. This is the job in development for which you have been waiting!

This role will provide the opportunity to work across projects in this dynamic and diverse sector, providing technical input whilst also having the opportunity to strengthen essential consulting skills such as project management and business development.

Your key responsibilities and tasks as a Consultant

• Engage in highly technical role across at least two of our market areas (financial sector development, market development and business environment reform).
• Deliver technical consultancy products (for example by undertaking overseas trips, meeting clients and writing reports to a high standard).
• Have a particular strength either in business development, including writing technical proposals and using networks effectively. Or in monitoring and evaluating the impact of private sector development interventions innovatively and credibly.
• Work with flexibility in a dynamic environment, sensitivity and strong financial acumen, communications flair and people skills.
• Contribute to the development of OPM more widely through sharing knowledge and expertise and contributing ideas to a dynamic knowledge base that promotes more efficient and effective development.

Background
We offer you exciting projects, competent and highly motivated colleagues in a unique and inspiring work place. We run a number of large impactful development programmes alongside smaller study pieces. Our flagship programmes are:

• Savings at the Frontier (SatF): is a five year $19m programme from the MasterCard Foundation that aims to bring formal financial services to at least 300,000 rural or peri-urban residents in Tanzania, Zambia and Ghana. The project works closely with banks and mobile network companies to deliver financially sustainable products to Bottom of the Pyramid customers;
• Decision Support Service: a 7 year £3.5m programme to support DFID and two large private sector development projects (ELAN a £50 M4P project and Essor a £35m business environment reform project). We conduct annual reviews, verification of project results and have completed a detailed Mid-Term Review. In addition, we support the projects with advice to perform more effectively; and
• Deepening Financial Markets in Africa: an 18 month £1.3m project for Financial Sector Development Africa to provide detailed analytical information to Financial Sector Providers in order to design products for low-income consumers.

Our team has a strong background in delivering projects for a range of organisations including donors, governments and the private sector. The portfolio design, review and implement effective policies, strategies and plans in financial and private sector development. We believe our success is based on a unique combination of analytical and practical support across the policy cycle, from planning to investment options and further to impact evaluation.

FPSD is a diverse portfolio and celebrates this diversity. More than half the staff are women including several managers. Staff come from America, the Philippines and South Africa. Amongst the Europeans, there is currently an equal number of UK and non-UK EU nationals in the portfolio. In this recruitment process, we welcome applications from candidates that will further enhance our diversity.

Your qualifications

• A degree and post-graduate qualification in a relevant discipline, (private sector development, economics, development economics);
• Good understanding of donor markets such as DFID, World Bank, IFC, MCC, SIDA, NORAD, etc.
• Experience and understanding of private sector development issues relevant to economic and social development;
• Excellent research and analytical skills to provide effective technical inputs into projects, programmes and work streams;
• Experience in business development and/or monitoring and evaluation of private sector development projects would be particularly welcome; and
• Experience working in developing countries.

Your approach to work

• A structured and communicative approach to managing projects;
• Use initiative and approach problems in a positive and constructive way, such as high levels of flexibility to changing demands and shifting priorities;
• Be an effective communicator in relation to your areas of expertise – be able to communicate your knowledge in a clear, persuasive, confident and convincing manner in writing and verbally to internal and external stakeholders;
• Sensitivity to the clients’ needs and expectations to foster constructive working relations;
• Work collaboratively, supportively and effectively with other team members towards a common goal; and
• Use time effectively, able to manage competing priorities with a focus on delivery.

Conditions for the employment

The position is full-time and based in our office in Oxford, UK, and will require work-related travel to Africa, Asia and other international locations. We offer a very flexible working environment where remote working is possible, as well as the level of travel vary from position to position.

As well as a competitive salary, OPM offer a rewarding, interesting and collaborative work environment, with excellent benefits including 30 days holiday entitlement and a good pension scheme. But don’t take our word for it, listen to what our colleagues have to say (link) !

About the Organization

Oxford Policy Management (OPM) enables strategic decision-makers to reduce social and economic disadvantage in low- and middle-income countries through a unique combination of high-quality analysis and more than 35 years’ practical experience in over 120 countries worldwide.

Supported by a multinational team of more than 400 specialists on four continents, our success is based on a unique combination of high-quality analysis and 30 years’ practical experience of facilitating positive change in over 120 countries worldwide. OPM’s expertise, which is underpinned by a strong commitment to capacity building, ranges from social and economic policy to public finance and management, political economy analysis and statistics.

Clients range from bilateral and multilateral organisations such as DFID, UNICEF and the World Bank through to governments, NGOs and private-sector organisations.

With offices in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Tanzania and the United Kingdom, we can provide our clients with rapid, local support and context-specific solutions.

If you are interested in opportunities at Oxford Policy Management, please see our careers page or email us at recruitment@opml.co.uk

What’s it like working at OPM, and why should you join our growing global organisation? Watch this video to see what our colleagues have to say.