About Us
Adam Smith International is an award-winning professional services business that delivers real impact, value and lasting change through projects supporting economic growth and government reform internationally. Our reputation as a global leader has been built on the positive results our projects have achieved in many of the world’s most challenging environments.
About the Private Sector Development team
Private Sector Development is one of our core areas of expertise. We specialise in the design and implementation of programmes that adopt a market systems approach (often referred to as “Making Markets Work for the Poor”), and work on numerous projects related to agriculture, public-private dialogue, business environment reform, business for development, and trade across the world.
About the ENABLE project
ENABLE2 is a 5 year, £17m Department for International Development-funded business advocacy programme. ENABLE2 is unique in that it is the first donor programme to apply the principles of M4P and systems thinking to business environment reform. ENABLE2 aims to create sustainable, systemic change in the business environment in Northern Nigeria. To achieve this goal, we support a variety of public and private sector organisations. These include business membership organisations, which engage in effective advocacy on behalf of the private sector, government ministries, departments and agencies, to create a more effective dialogue with the private sector media houses, to establish and sustain investigative business coverage that provides a platform for debate and creates pressure for reform and research institutions, to improve the provision of information and research on business environment issues. This leads to more substantive debate and more informed policy making.
About the Role
Managers perform a key role in Adam Smith International’s consulting model and play a central part in managing project technical and financial performance. Similarly, a member of the Professional Development Scheme will also perform project management activities, collaborating with, supporting and learning from more experienced Managers in the team. A member of the Professional Development Scheme will also support and prepare technical and financial proposals and expressions of interest.
The successful candidate will spend 9 months working in ENABLE2. Subject to strong performance and mutual fit, it is the hope and expectation that the candidate will transition to a Manager in the Private Sector Development team. In this event, it will be expected that the candidate will complete a further 15 months with ASI Nigeria as a Manager before taking another role within Adam Smith International.
About you
A member of the Professional Development Scheme should have the ability to build effective relationships with clients from a wide range of professional and cultural backgrounds, and to work effectively in politically sensitive and challenging environments. He/she should relish working in a team, should be innovative, energetic, positive, and genuinely committed to achieving lasting change in their work. Adam Smith International seeks the following skills and experience:
· A post-graduate degree in economics, international development or other relevant fields from top class and internationally recognised universities;
· Enthusiasm for travel;
· Strong interest in the Private Sector Development and working in developing countries;
· Demonstrated experience of initiative, client-orientation, risk taking, and working in complex and time-pressured contexts;
· Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project and Visio.
· Outstanding English written and oral communication skills with additional languages;
· Excellent inter-personal skills and team-work;
· Strong attention to detail;
· Enthusiasm and flexibility along with a willingness to travel at short notice and work in developing countries for a significant time; and
· Be eligible to work in the UK.
What We Offer You
We offer you a dynamic and friendly team environment and the opportunity to work on a highly successful portfolio of programmes. We have a strong commitment to our people and strive to live by our principles:
· Take responsibility (Accountability)
We are individually and collectively accountable for what we do.
· Always find a way (Resourcefulness)
We think innovatively to reach a solution.
· Promote Quality (Excellence)
We maintain and promote professional standards in everything we do.
· Commit to the Outcome (Achievement)
We take pride in delivering our best to achieve results
We’ve built a culture to reflect our principles, full of like-minded professionals who are smart, passionate and great at what they do. We offer £24,000 per annum plus overseas package uplift.
HOW TO APPLY:
Heard Enough? Ready to Apply?
We would love to hear from you. Please submit a CV (no more than 3 pages) and short cover letter torecruitment@adamsmithinternational.com with a subject line of “Professional Development Scheme – ENABLE”. You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this position. Shortlisted applicants only will be contacted. Thank you for your consideration.
