Associate

Focus of the Role

In Sierra Leone, we work in the Office of the President, in the Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation, in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, in the COVID response and in the Freetown City Council.

Our work is shaped by national priorities around education, agriculture, technology for development, innovation, infrastructure, and sanitation.

We are seeking an Analyst to join our existing team who will be responsible for:

· Managing and leading the Institute’s advisory support to at least one of the workstream areas mentioned above independently and with support from an Analyst

· Undertaking projects/studies including policy & regulatory analysis/advisory brief; sectoral & industry advisory brief as required by TBI’s Country Head, Advisors and Senior Government counterparts

· Learning and development of at least one Analyst within TBI as part of the institute’s internal efforts to attract and mentor the best talents in the development space

Key Responsibilities

Deliver workstream objectives working closely with a TBI Analyst and government counterparts, as per assignment by the Country Head and needs from the Sierra Leone project

· Engage senior government counterparts and represent TBI in high level meetings as needed for workstream advancement or as assigned by Country Head

· Provide technical assistance and advise to the implementation of activities within their assigned workstream

· Work with an Analyst to identify and structure problems, develop and apply appropriate analytical frameworks and approaches, and synthesize critical hypothesis

· Provide guidance and supervision to Analyst and review relevant research and data, and perform quality control to ensure validity and accuracy of data

· Proactively identify risks and issues affecting task or work stream delivery, and promptly work on mitigation strategies independently and/or with input from the Country Head

· Organize and coordinate meetings with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate the timely delivery of workstream objectives

· Produce high-quality written documents/briefs and/or presentations

· Review documents and presentations developed by Analyst to ensure they clearly articulate the ideas intended for conveying and provide constructive feedback as needed

· Support TBI staff and government counterparts in mapping, engaging and managing key stakeholders, including foreign and domestic investors, development partners and various government institutions

· As part of internal capacity building, work with at least one Analyst to write out their learning and development plan and provide guidance for the attainment of those goals

· Support the Country Head and other team members with fundraising, quarterly and annual reporting; strategic and management programmes

· Plan, prioritize and manage your time and assigned Analyst’s time and deliverables from start to finish, including timelines, content, and deliverables

Person Specification

We are looking for outstanding individuals with a proven track record of delivery, with strong analytical and communication skills, and with a clear will to keep learning.

We seek to create local and international multi-disciplinary teams and are looking for individuals who are keen to develop their own skills and careers in a fast pace, motivating, multi-cultural environment.

Candidates should be able to demonstrate the majority of the following:

· At least five years of work experience in government advisory or management consulting

· Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (preferred areas of study: Political Science, International Development, MBA, Economics, Law and other related Social Sciences) would be advantageous

· Exceptional management, analytical and problem-solving skills

· Excellent writing, presentation and verbal communication skills

· Ability to work without supervision on multiple tasks simultaneously while meeting deadlines

· Be politically savvy in managing relationships with government counterparts at all levels

· Ability to work collaboratively with people at all levels, with an emphasis on high- performance, results and accountability

· Prior extracurricular activity is highly desired, i.e, Youth Association, Community Service etc

· Proven ability to manage themselves, willingness to learn, and ability to be a real team player

Above all, we are looking for individuals with high levels of enthusiasm, resilience, a can-do attitude, resourcefulness; tenacity; independence; self-confident; integrity and ability to consistently achieve results in a fast-paced environment.

About The Institute

The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) is a mission-driven not for profit organisation. We exist to equip political leaders and governments to build open, inclusive and prosperous societies. We work hard, every day, to make a difference. When governments work well they are able to create economic and social change in a way that promotes fairness, social justice and opportunity. We work relentlessly to support leader and governments with the challenges they face. Giving them practical solutions and actionable insights, that once implemented, can be transformative for their people  

We do this within two connected divisions: 

 Government Advisory 

Our Advisory Practice works directly with political leaders and governments around the world to implement reforms that improve the lives of their citizens. It has both non-profit partners and a client base and its outputs cover a range of disciplines and projects across countries in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and South Asia. We are currently in a rapid expansion phase from c. 18 countries at present, to 30 by December 2022.

 Policy Futures 

Our Policy Futures work encompasses three broad areas: 

• Renewing the Centre: developing a bold and innovative domestic policy programme to help renew the centre ground of British politics; 
• Tech and Public Policy: exploring the policy challenges and opportunities presented by the technological revolution; and 
• Extremism Policy Unit: creating solutions designed to tackle the threat of extremist ideologies in the UK and around the world. 

As an organisation, the core beliefs we all embrace are: 

• Open and Progressive: you’ll believe in the value of teamwork 
• Bold and Pragmatic: you’ll approach everything you do with integrity and authenticity 
• Optimistic Changemaker: you’ll be focused on results 

TBI believes embracing diversity and inclusion make us a better place to work.  It’s our goal to reflect everyone in society and we actively welcome applications from individuals and groups who are under-represented in the workplace. We celebrate difference be it ethnicity, religion, age, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation or disability. We will only ever assess you on your abilities and fit for a role. We’re happy to discuss any adjustments you need to ensure a level playing field during recruitment and, if you\'re successful, discuss any adjustments you might need to thrive in your role.