Director, Middle East

Focus of the Role

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) advises reforming political leaders and governments on strategy, policy and delivery, with technology as an enabler across all three functions.  In so doing we make a significant and positive impact for citizens around the world. 

The Director leads client-facing engagments (both in-country or supporting from our UAE hub), engages in business development activities, and develops the next generation of advisory leaders for TBI.

This is an exciting senior leadership opportunity requiring exceptional candidates with relevant experiences and competencies.

Key Responsibilities

Directors possesses the following accountabilities:

• Final accountability for the quality, timeliness and scope alignment of client-facing deliverables
• Operational accountability for the effective management of client relationships with co-development (with Senior Directors) of account prospects possible
• Final accountability for the efficacy and efficiency of project teaming, incl. management of performance reviews for the project team
• Ensuring projects bring the very best of TBI to clients by harnessing the skills, knowledge and capacity of political, policy and research functions across TBI in close collaboration with the Global Client Solutions team.
• Ownership of business/practice building activities targeted at making TBI a more efficient, effective and attractive place to work for all employees.
• Participation in regional and global business building activities incl. leadership of internal special projects

The Project Director will be accountable to the Senior Director (N-1 regionally) who will own the Project Director’s downward feedback

Person Specification

We are looking for consulting leaders in policy, strategy, and delivery or senior level professionals with relevant backgrounds:

• Consulting specialists with at least 4-5 years’ post-MBA level experience working at a top tier consulting firm
• Track record of delivery in the requisite career step of Senior Engagement Manager, Project Leader or the equivalent within market leading strategy consulting and advisory firms
• Public policy specialists with at least 10-12 years of professional experience working for governments, think tanks or international organizations. Policy specialists should possess depth in international relations, economic development, climate policy/finance, social policy, digital transformation and urban affairs/management.
• Proven ability to lead engagement with public sector clients with experience in MENA a distinct advantage
• Ability to effectively manage small-to-mid sized teams comprising a variety of skill-sets, nationalities and cultural backgrounds
• Undergraduate and graduate degrees from globally reputable institutions (MBA, MPA/MPP, JD, PhD preferred)
• Business fluency in English required with business competency in a second language advantageous

It is expected that a TBI Project Director’s average work week will require 50 hours or less as part of TBI’s commitment to offering industry leading work-life balance to its front-line project teams.

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 Government Advisory teams work directly with political leaders and governments around the world to implement reforms that improve the lives of their citizens. It has a variety of partners and  its outputs cover a range of disciplines and projects across countries in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia.

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 Changemakers: you’ll be focused on results