Assistant Consultant

Oxford Policy Management (OPM) is a leading development consultancy with offices in Oxford, Islamabad, Delhi, Pretoria, Dhaka and Jakarta. We provide rigorous analysis, policy advice, management and training services to governments, international aid agencies and other public sector and non-government organisations. OPM aims to contribute in innovative ways to enhance economic and social progress in developing and transition economies, with a focus on the needs of the poorest people. We have worked in over 90 low and middle income countries over the last 30 years. OPM is seeking to recruit an Assistant Consultant to work in its cross-cutting portfolio. The cross-cutting team is OPM's entry point for talented and passionate individuals with limited experience or no particular specialisation to work in development consultancy, and progress by either specialising in one of the other technical areas or remaining generalist. Skills are learnt through project work with senior consultants (including overseas fieldwork and ministry work as possible), a year-round training programme, and mentorship from an experienced senior consultant. We expect high performance, and reward it with promotions, salary increments and responsibility. The cross-cutting portfolio currently contains four assistant consultants and four consultants who work on and sometimes lead consulting and research projects across the rest of OPM’s specialist portfolios. Successful applicants could expect to provide wide-ranging support to both project acquisition and implementation across all subject areas:

• Social policy, including teams in poverty reduction and social protection, health, and education; 
• Economic policy, including teams in private sector development, financial sector development, trade, aid, microfinance, macroeconomic policy, climate change, and natural resource policy; 
• Statistics, evidence and accountability, including teams in social development, official statistics, and political economy analysis; and 
• Public sector finance and management, including team in public financial management, public management and accountability, debt management, and regional development and local government.

Other areas of work (including food security and agricultural development) are developing. Much more information is available on our website at www.opml.co.uk Assistant consultants in the cross-cutting portfolio can expect to build:

• general consultancy and development skills;
• primary and secondary quantitative and qualitative research and analysis skills;
• public finance, costing and public financial management skills;
• writing, presentation and language skills;
• project and people management and leadership skills; and
• an (optional) specialisation in the work of one of OPM’s sectoral portfolios.

We expect assistant consultants to be promoted to consultants within two or three years, depending on performance. After promotion, consultants are expected to start progressively to manage their own projects, more frequently interacting directly with clients, and taking on greater autonomy and responsibility for providing advice to development policymakers. They may also take on greater people management responsibility, either for our regular interns or for other junior staff members. Applicants must have:

• An excellent academic record including a Masters in Social Science, Development Studies or a related field (to be completed by October 2012), and a minimum 2:1 degree in Social Science. Candidates with first class degrees, predicted first class masters, and some graduate-level economics are preferred;
• Strong quantitative and statistical skills;
• Strong and demonstrated written and verbal communication skills;
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team; and
• An awareness of and enthusiasm for policy issues relating to international development.

Skills or experience that would be advantageous include: 

• International or overseas experience, perhaps as voluntary work or through field work as part of a thesis; 
• A demonstrated commitment to development, ideally evidenced by some voluntary or other work related to development;
• The ability to work in at least one relevant foreign language (such as French, Spanish, Russian, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Portuguese or Arabic);
• The ability to multi-task well and manage multiple deadlines; and
• We do expect high performance

This role is full-time based in our Oxford office and the anticipated salary range is between £20,000 and £23,000. In addition OPM offer a contributory pension scheme and a generous holiday entitlement. Applicants should have the right to work in the UK.

A job description is available and candidates should apply by completing our application form, sending this together with their CV and a covering letter to recruitment.ac@opml.co.uk.

Closing date is 01 April 2012

Interviews expected during April 2012 with appointment between July and October 2012.

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