Strategy Development Consultant at Old Mutual

As part of the Group Strategy team, the successful candidate will be reporting to the Group Strategy Manager, and will be expected to;

• Support the strategy development process by shaping and driving analysis in order to produce insights that give direction to the business.
• Support the Strategy Managers by ensuring quality delivery of specific strands of work for complex projects.
• Be accountable for small to medium sized projects as appropriate.
• Assist with business case development, facilitation, encourage acceptance and commitment to strategic goals and drive communication of the strategic direction to the business.
• Provide a supporting role to the analysts in the team, sharing their knowledge of strategy development and approach to analysis.

KRA's

Strategy Development

• Supporting Strategy Managers in delivering strategy development projects and regular reporting for the Old Mutual Limited Exco and Board, including environmental scans, competitor reports and market share analysis
• Responsible for delivering on problem based work streams, at times through others, as input to initiatives to understand and address strategic issues
• Understanding and implementing approaches, methodologies and frameworks to generate strategic insights, to communicate complex issues easily and to build alignment
• Taking responsibility for end-to-end delivery of smaller strategy projects and areas of environmental analysis
• Providing credible input and challenge to business strategies
• Building knowledge of the broader business and the financial services industry and seeks to develop areas of thought leadership
• Facilitating efforts of the Strategy Managers, leadership and business units to link strategies and tactics of individual units to those of the broader organization

Problem Solving

• Ability to analyse and recognize client needs and propose ways to solve them
• Takes ownership of focused problems or complex work streams from hypothesis to conclusion
• Develops project approach with Strategy Manager, demonstrates ability to plan, manage and organize complex/large volumes of work
• Demonstrates an organized, structured, methodical approach to all tasks
• Coaches others on methodologies/problem-solving techniques

Delivery and Quality Analysis

• Numerical Analysis: Makes appropriate use of technical tools, uses appropriate structuring, clear formatting, transparent formulae and sourcing; embedded quality checks
• Financial Modelling & Analysis: Structures and builds complex financial models (integrated statements, activity based costing etc.); capable of scenario modelling/forecasting; capable of interrogating financial statements
• Research: Run a research-based assignment, managing analysts with minimal supervision; research is thorough (applicability and limitations are clearly articulated, output is consistent in the face of incomplete data), data is drawn to a clear appropriate picture; can do complex interviews, summarize interview programme and feed insight into slide structure; identifies trends and highlights insights

Industry & Company Analysis:

• Develops compelling analysis of competitive environment and market situation, highlighting key conclusions; presents compelling and appropriate picture of competitive/target environment, identifies trends, highlighting interesting companies, strategies etc.; identifies and explains anomalies.
• Develops the storyline to explain findings of work. Draws clear conclusions from research and analysis. Conclusions based on an understanding of industry trends, client positioning, business model etc.
• Delivers work of a quality equal to international consultancies. Maintains intensity through project.
• Meets deadlines and manages analyst deliverables to plan, maintaining an understanding of dependencies across multiple related work items. Resourceful and suggests ways to overcome task-related obstacles.

Team Focus

• Contributes to the development of and helps lead a focused team of ambitious, intelligent and analytical people.
• Provides quality checks and coach for work completed on initiatives
   

Job Requirements

• Top academics; preference for relevant Post Graduate degree such as Engineering, Business administration, Charted Accountant, Finance, etc.
• Extensive experience in specific discipline/profession/related industry - prior strategy development experience advantageous such as business consulting, working in strategy roles in financial services business, etc.
• Prior project and people management experience
• Structured, logical thinker with exceptional analytical skills
• Excellent communication, planning, organising and relationship building skills
• Sound business acumen
• Initiative to work independently
• Ability to recognize client needs and propose ways to solve them
   

Additional Details
COMPETENCIES

• Leading with Influence
• Collaboration
• Customer First
• Analysis
• Lateral thinking
• Strategic
• Innovation
• Personal Mastery
• Execution