Associate, Human Development, ECED
Genesis
2023-07-14 Global
Job Ref #: HDCRJJ02030707
Industry: Management Consulting
Job Type: Permanent
Positions Available: 1
Are you passionate about early education? Genesis Human Development team is recruiting an Associate to join the Early Childhood Education and Development workstream. As part of our consulting teams, you will work on innovative projects that shape the future of children in the Young World.
Job Description
Genesis Analytics is a leading global African firm that has worked in more than 100 countries across the world. Our purpose is to unlock value in the Young World and beyond for our clients and its citizens by helping them to make better decisions that are creative and optimistic, and sustainable and defensible over time.
We have forged relationships with government, regulators, corporates, banks, development finance institutions, law firms, foundations, NGOs as well as regional and international organisations including development agencies.
Our style of working is distinctive. We work collaboratively and with rigour. We like solutions that have a creative, practical bent. We aim to leave the individuals and institutions with whom we work stronger and more confident than they were before meeting us. We don’t pretend to have a lock on wisdom, but there is strength in our humility.
LOCATION: please note Genesis currently has a presence in: UK, South Africa, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya and Ethiopia.
PRACTICE AREA DESCRIPTION:
Our Human Development Team works for a world where everyone can develop to their full potential. We are focused on expanding meaningful rights and opportunities for people who are marginalised. Part of a Global African firm, we are particularly committed to children, women, and young people in the Young World. We help governments, their global partners, and private and non-state clients to improve the delivery of key human development services while navigating rapid changes in demography, climate, and technology, and the shock of Covid-19. We work in education and early childhood education (ECE) and development (ECD), school to work transition; health, nutrition, and WaSH; social protection and social care.
Rapid changes in demography, climate and technology are generating massive challenges and tremendous opportunities for human development. At the same time, Covid-19 has caused a severe shock to human development from which people and systems need to recover.
We help governments, their global partners, and private and non-state clients to improve the delivery of key human development services while navigating these changes. To do so, we provide services in diagnostics; regulation, governance and oversight; strategy, planning and implementation; financing and budgeting; service delivery; and monitoring and evaluation.
As an Associate in this role you will partner with our clients to support them to solve some of the most complex and pressing issues with a view of providing quality and equitable early childhood education (ECE) and development (ECD) services. Therefore, we are looking for candidates who have prior experience in the Education, ECE and/or ECD space. We are seeking a candidate who will contribute to, and occasionally to take a leadership role (with support from senior staff) on a range of business development, technical work, and client management activities.
Job Requirements
As part of our consulting teams, you will work on innovative projects that shape the future of children in the Young World. You will collaborate with governments, policymakers, and multilateral organizations to design, implement, and manage innovative solutions that address some of the most pressing development opportunities and challenges created by the demographic dividend and rapid technological change. You will help our clients understand and provide for the needs of very young children to help them and their families develop to their full potential; as well as supporting clients improve the quality and coverage of early childhood education.
Examples of projects that you could work on include:
1. Developing an investment case for Early Childhood Education for a Ministry of Education as part of their advocacy package in a Young World country.
2. Creating costing scenarios for implementing different integrated Early Childhood Development service delivery packages in an Eastern African country.
3. Conducting a fiscal space analysis to determine the pathways for increasing access to Early Childhood Education in a country in the Middle East.
4. Supporting Young World government to scale up ECE provision towards universal enrolment at high quality, while working within available fiscal space
5. Understanding links between costing and structural and process quality in Young World Classrooms
6. Support young mother to re-enter the workforce in informal childcare centres, providing livelihoods for families and improving developmental outcomes for children.
You will work with Genesis colleagues in consulting teams to help our clients unlock and realise value in human development. In some projects, you will play a leadership and management role for particular workstreams or junior staff, working closely with and supported by project leaders.
In each project, you will:
7. assess and structure the problem to be solved;
8. collect, organise, interpret, and analyse data and information;
9. test and refine hypotheses; and
10. draft and communicate conclusions and recommendations, often directly to the client.
In some cases, you will be asked to travel to do this, usually with colleagues.
You will also play a role in:
11. business development, including progressive responsibility for leading and managing proposals;
12. turning new ideas into concrete products, such as blogposts, academic articles, conference presentations, or innovative products for clients.
13. practice organisation, including working on practice strategy, business systems, and recruiting, nurturing and training junior consultants.
EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND PERSONAL COMPETENCIES:
The ideal Genesis candidate carries a balanced combination of powerful intellect, strong technical skills, and a consulting character to match. Such candidates:
14. Are passionate, self-motivated and energetic problem-solvers
15. Value integrity and exhibit ethical behaviour
16. Are analytical thinkers and fast learners with an excellent academic record.
For this role, the preferred candidate will possess the following essential skills and competencies
17. · Master’s degree in Education, Economics, Development Studies, or similar
18. 2-3 years’ relevant professional experience in education and early childhood education and/or development.
19. Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams in changing environments
20. Leadership potential, and the capability to lead and manage projects
21. Ability to solve problems through clear thinking, and strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, including attention to detail.
22. Strong communication, writing, and presentation skills in English
23. Strong interpersonal skills
24. Proficiency in Excel
Other desirable skills and competencies include:
25. Consulting experience
26. Proficiency in advanced software packages, such as STATA, R, Python, data visualisation, presentation or design software, and GIS
27. Languages relevant to Genesis’ geographies
Additional information
28. All applications must be made online on the Genesis website
29. It is preferable for applicants to work from one of our hubs in South Africa, Cote D’Ivoire or Kenya where they must be eligible to work. We would also consider candidates living and working in non-hub locations within the Young World.
30. Candidates should be willing to travel for short periods of time (1-4 weeks at a time) to countries to conduct fieldwork depending on project requirements
31. Candidates should be comfortable to work with colleagues in a face-to-face and virtual setting.
32. Applications will be reviewed on a regular basis: we recommend interested candidates submit their applications now.
HOW TO APPLY:
33. Our system is an easy tool to use with a maximum of 10 single line fields to complete and 2 compulsory document uploads
34. Please follow the online application process on the career portal of the Genesis website
35. We use an automated applicant tracking system in order to receive and manage all applications in one central point, and for this reason, we also do not accept any e-mailed CVs or applications
36. Please note that your application will primarily be considered for this role. In the event that that are multiple roles that you are interested in, please submit your application as outlined on the opportunity description, as advertised roles each have their own pools of applications
37. Once you have applied via our career portal, you will receive a system generated confirmation e-mail that your application was received
38. NOTE: Please be advised that uploaded documents/attachments cannot be bigger than 4MB in total, as the system will not accept your application if the uploaded documents exceed 4MB
39. Applications can only be made online – no other means of application will be accepted this is due to emails not being an application tracking system and data protection regulations.
DISCLAIMER:
40. Relevant previous experience is essential
41. Communication will be with short-listed candidates only - if you do not receive any feedback on your application within 3 weeks, please consider your application unsuccessful
42. Genesis Analytics reserves the right not to proceed with an appointment of any advertised role
43. All appointments will be made in line with Genesis Analytics’ Employment Equity Plan and Transformation Policies
All applications will be treated confidentially