Manager: Early Childhood Development at Genesis Analytics

COMPANY DESCRIPTION:

Genesis Analytics is a global firm that has worked in more than 84 countries across the world. Our roots are firmly in Africa, having worked in 42 of the 54 countries on the continent, making us a truly global African firm. Established in 1998, Genesis is headquartered in Johannesburg and has offices in Abidjan, Nairobi, Lagos and London. We also have representation in India, the UAE and Canada so we can work closely with our clients to find scalable solutions that work.

Our purpose as a firm is to unlock and realise value through jointly creating solutions with our clients. The foundation of our distinctive delivery lies in our technical skills and deep sector knowledge developed through our work within both the private and public sectors.

We have expertise in human development, youth employment, public health and financing, behavioural economics, competition economics and regulation, the digital economy, financial services strategy, monitoring & evaluation as well as shared value and corporate impact. Some of our best work has been through leveraging our complementary areas of expertise to find bespoke solutions.

Our clients include all levels of government, development agencies, foundations, regulators, banks, development finance institutions, non-government organisations, social businesses, and private companies.

The 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 Africa and the Middle East. 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 health, nutrition, and WaSH; youth, education and early childhood development; and social protection and social care. We provide services in diagnostics; regulation; strategy, planning and implementation; financing; service delivery; and monitoring and evaluation.

The Human Development team is constantly seeking to recruit and develop exceptional talent in human development.

We are seeking a Manager to work on early childhood development.

What you will do

You will work with Genesis colleagues to acquire, lead and deliver consulting projects to help our clients unlock and realise value in human development, through helping clients understand and provide for the needs of very young children to help them and their families to develop to their full potential. We expect this will lead to improved outcomes for young children. 

In each project, you will:

• Ensure service excellent and delivery;

• Manage interactions and negotiations with clients;

• Performance manage the team and team members;

• Ensure project profitability and efficiency;

• Work across relevant sectors to ECD

• Assess and structure the problem to be solved, and approach to the analysis of data and information, testing and refining hypotheses, and drafting and communicating conclusions and recommendations to the client.

In some cases, you will travel to do this, usually with colleagues.

• Business development in early childhood development, including responsibility for leading and managing proposals. 

• Turning new ideas on early childhood development into concrete products, such as blogposts, academic articles, conference presentations, or innovative products for clients

• Practice, nurturing, and managing consultants, and leading and building new specialisms in early childhood development.

We offer you a steep learning curve while providing an opportunity to make a difference. We will invest in your professional development. We offer meaningful work with professional, talented and supportive teams; mentoring and regular feedback from partners; structured training and coaching programmes; and a career ladder. You will learn:

• How to structure and solve problems in a rigorous and collaborative way that actually leads to realising value.

• How to work effectively in diverse, lean, agile and professional teams.

• How to communicate effectively with colleagues and clients.

• About your own work and leadership styles and preferences.

• Specialist technical skills in early childhood development.

We hire managers with the expectation that they can become partners at Genesis. Genesis offers a highly rewarding, challenging and flexible career. Working with your mentor, we encourage you to explore living and working in different locations, and deepening and complementing your specialised skills and knowledge in early childhood development.

Requirements

Who you are

The ideal Genesis candidate carries a balanced combination of powerful intellect, strong technical skills, and a consulting character to match. Such candidates:

• Are passionate, self-motivated and energetic problem-solvers

• Value integrity and exhibit ethical behaviour

• 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:

• Master’s degree in Economics, Development Studies, Maths, Statistics or similar

• At least 5 years’ relevant professional experience in early childhood development, education, heath, social protection or other social sectors.

• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams in changing environments

• Leadership skills, and the capability to lead teams and projects

• Ability to solve problems through clear thinking, and strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, including attention to detail.

• Strong communication, writing, and presentation skills in English

• Strong interpersonal skills

• Proficiency in Excel.

Other desirable skills and competencies include:

• Consulting experience

• Experience as an early childhood carer or administrator, or teacher.

• Proficiency in other advanced software packages, such as STATA, R, Python, data visualisation, presentation or design software, and GIS

• Languages relevant to Genesis’ geographies, especially French.

Additional information:

• All applications must be made online on the Genesis website

• Applicants must be eligible to work and willing to be based in any one of the following countries: South Africa, Kenya, Côte d’ Ivoire, United Kingdom, and India, or from home in other countries.

• 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

• Candidates should be comfortable to work with colleagues in a face-to-face and virtual setting.

• Applications will be reviewed on a regular basis: we recommend interested candidates submit their applications now.

Applications must consist of:

• An updated and comprehensive CV

• A motivational letter

• University copies of your progress report and transcripts for every year of study, attached as a single document

• A copy of your ID or Passport

• A writing sample which can be in the form of a section of your current or most recent research paper, assignment or published journal entry

DISCLAIMER:

• Communication will be with short-listed candidates only – if you do not receive any feedback on your application within 6 weeks, please consider your application unsuccessful

• Genesis Analytics reserves the right not to proceed with an appointment of any advertised role

• All appointments will be made in line with Genesis Analytics’ Employment Equity Plan and Policies

• All applications will be treated confidentially