Job Description
Oxford Policy Management is seeking a pool of enthusiastic and experienced Consultants, Principal Consultants or Senior Consultants, Education Practice, based across a number of countries including Pakistan, India, the UK, the US, and regions in Africa, on a permanent basis.
These roles will ask the incumbent to lead OPM’s education work across these regions. Your main objectives will be to ensure the leadership, management and implementation of education consultancy projects across these countries and globally.
These are key roles that will set the strategic direction of the team, require you to lead and manage staff and achieve objectives for project impact and quality, business development, learning and external influencing. You will also maintain an active personal practice of high level consulting engagements.
Day to day responsibilities range from (not exhaustive, please check the OPM website for the individual requirements of the four available Consultant roles):
- Work with the Education Practice Leader to develop the strategic direction of OPM’s education projects in the various regions.
- Lead engagements and forge close working relationships with multiple donor counterparts including senior development partners and government officials
- Manage or lead key education projects so that projects are delivered to impact, timetable, and budget.
- Lead, coach and manage education staff in country offices to high levels of technical and consulting performance across geographies
- Represent OPM and education practice externally on key policy questions, through writing, presenting, discussing, hosting roundtables, or meetings
- Maintain an active personal practice of high level education consulting engagements
- Define, develop and deliver business opportunities for key education clients in line with practice acquisition and diversification targets
Successful applicants will be able to demonstrate the following essential skills and experiences (please check OPM’s career page for the specific skills required for each role and location):
- The pre-existing and current right to work in the specific location listed
- Post-graduate qualification in a relevant discipline such as education, international development, economics, or development studies
- Substantial experience and reputation within individual regions in one or more topics within education
- Substantial previous experience working in middle / senior level roles in the consultancy space
- Strong sector and market awareness of key education funders and trends; experience of leading business development in a relevant consulting environment for key clients e.g. FCDO, USAID, UN, EU, Foundations
- Experience in analysing and interpreting qualitative and quantitative data, and drawing out key themes and policy implications; Familiarity with research and evaluation methodologies;
- Strong network within education sector regionally and globally; Experience of directly working with senior donor and government counterparts in delivering technical work; Experience of leading technical and commercial discussions with senior government officials and staff of international aid agencies.
- Project and people management experience, preferably within a relevant consulting environment.
- Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues and clients, both verbally and in writing.
- Experience in one or more fields of education finance, technical and vocational education, early childhood education, girls’ education and learning assessments is desirable
- Preferably, the ability to work in at least one relevant foreign language.
- Significant project and people management experience, within a relevant technical assistance and consulting environment.
- Solid experience in one or more fields of education finance, technical and vocational education, early childhood education, girls’ education and learning assessments
- Familiarity with research and evaluation methodologies
- Excellent attention to detail and analytical rigour
- Switches comfortably between detail and the bigger picture, joined up thinking and approach to providing solutions
- Good at prioritising changing and competing demands and tasks, while consistently delivering quality work
- Excellent problem solving, organising and management skills
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills; collaborative and constructive approach to working with others, builds effective relationships internally and externally
If you meet the above essential skills and criteria, we would really like to hear from you. Please submit an application with a CV via the OPM portal by the closing date on the careers website.
About the Organization
We are an international development consultancy committed to helping low- and middle-income countries achieve growth and reduce poverty and disadvantage through public policy reform.
Working in all areas of social and economic policy and governance, we seek to bring about lasting positive change through analytical and practical policy expertise. Through our global network of offices, we work in partnership with national decision makers to research, design, implement, and evaluate impactful public policy in over 100 countries.
We draw on our local and international sector experts, alongside a network of expert associates and dedicated support staff, to provide the very best evidence-based support.
