Oxford Policy Management is one of the world’s leading international policy development and management consultancies. Since we were initially formed in the 1970s as a research group in the University of Oxford, we’ve been focused on reducing poverty and disadvantage through world class policy research, support and advice.

Our education team is committed to supporting high quality, lifelong learning opportunities for all in low and middle income countries.

We help education systems become adaptive, self-improving, and focused on building the skills, values and attitudes needed to achieve development goals.

We are organised around five technical areas:

• Education systems;
• Learning assessments;
• Education finance;
• Education for marginalised groups; and
• Non-state actors in education

In each technical area, we provide governments and their partners with cutting edge global research and diagnostics, rigorous analytical support to strategy and planning, sensitive technical assistance, and robust monitoring and evaluation.

The education team is one of OPM’s fastest-growing teams. We have completed over 200 education projects in 50 countries over the past 20 years.

We are seeking talented and dynamic individuals to join our technical areas at senior consultant and consultant level.

What you will do

Successful applicants will join a friendly, ambitious and dynamic team passionate about improving education systems in low and middle-income countries.

The purpose of your job will be to make a sizeable impact on education outcomes in low and middle income countries. You will do this by winning and delivering first class consulting projects, and learning lessons from these projects that we can apply internally and share with the world. You will work closely on a day-to-day basis with OPM colleagues from across our global office network and be mentored by specialists in your field.

As part of the recruitment process, we will allocate you to one of our technical areas. You will be managed by the leader of this technical area. You will also engage closely with the education portfolio leader and leaders of the projects you work on.

You will have substantial autonomy and scope for professional growth. Your career at OPM can progress through more complex project and technical work or into internal line management positions, depending on your aptitudes and interests.

You will probably work on several things at once, and the precise mix will change over time. Initially, it is likely to involve the following:

Delivering projects (65-75%)

You will manage or lead project teams of OPM staff and externals to deliver impact, at a level of complexity that stretches you. You will liaise directly with clients and partners and spend time in ministries, schools and communities. You will make important individual contributions to research, analysis, design and the implementation of solutions.

Winning projects (10-20%)

You will lead the planning, conceptualising and delivery of high quality project proposals in your areas of interest. You will put together winning teams and consortia. You will build OPM’s reputation with key clients.

Learning (10%)

You will spend time learning lessons from our work and from your colleagues to build your public policy and consulting skills. We will invest in your development on the job, in training programmes and in mentoring.

Influencing (10%)

You will distil what we have learned to make a positive contribution to public debate through presenting, writing and engagement. This will build your personal profile as an expert.

Who you are

You have a record of high performance in and excellent technical knowledge of at least one of the following: reforming education systems, girls’ education, education for refugees and internally displaced people, monitoring and evaluation in education, regulating non-state actors in education, learning assessments, and education finance.

In common with all ‘OPMers’, you also have

• Intellectual curiosity and academic excellence: a degree and post-graduate qualification (at least a masters) in relevant discipline (such as economics, education or development studies), probably finishing in the top 10% of your cohort.
• A demonstrated passion for development and commitment to achieving results particularly in improving education outcomes in low- and middle-income countries.
• Demonstrated entrepreneurial skills and leadership potential. You take initiative, build networks across cultures and seniorities, are organised and able to manage your own time effectively in a busy environment.
• Proven problem-solving skills applied to real-world practical challenges, and
• An approach that is flexible, consultative, adaptable yet perfectionist. You will be an excellent communicator and listener across different cultures, and can demonstrate this.

You have at least four years full-time professional experience as a development or public policy professional or researcher, including working on low- and middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and South East Asia, where you will have spent substantial amounts of time. Ideally, you have experience working with DFID, the World Bank, UNICEF or the Asian Development Bank.

You have the ability and ideally proven experience in your areas of specialism to develop winning project proposals, manage excellent delivery or consulting projects, generate and share learning, and contribute to public debate.

You want to work in an office in Yangon, Islamabad, New Delhi, Abuja, Dar es Salaam, Pretoria, or Oxford.

You are fluent in English and ideally, you can work in other relevant languages as well.

You are happy to travel extensively to locations where we deliver projects.