Strategy & Innovation Associate

6 days ago

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa Allied Talent Partners Full time
Strategy & Innovation Associate

Department: Strategy

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: South Africa

Reporting To: Chief Strategy Officer


Description
About Allied Talent Partners    Founded by Three Cairns Group in 2023, Allied Talent Partners (ATP) is a mission-driven, not-for-profit talent marketplace focused on overcoming human capital bottlenecks that hinder sustainable development in emerging economies, with an initial focus on Africa. We connect vetted professionals to high-impact opportunities in energy access and sustainability, strengthening local capacity and driving economic growth. Specializing in fixed-term, deliverable-based engagements, the organization manages project scoping, talent matching, contracting, payroll, and compliance - allowing partners to focus on impact.    ATP currently has 11 full-time team members across Nairobi, Johannesburg, and the US.   
Position Overview  This role supports the Chief Strategy Officer in driving strategic planning, innovation initiatives, and data-driven decision-making. The Strategy & Innovation Analyst will be instrumental in translating strategic vision into actionable plans, optimizing operations, measuring impact, and identifying growth opportunities. This position combines analytical rigor with practical problem-solving to enhance ATP's efficiency, innovation capacity, and strategic execution. 

Key Responsibilities
1. Data, Insights & Impact Measurement (20%)
  • Metric Development & Tracking: Support the establishment and monitoring of key business metrics (e.g., project delivery metrics, operational efficiency ratios etc) 
  • Dashboard Management: Maintain and refine performance dashboards for leadership review 
  • Impact Analysis: Analyze data to assess project outcomes, client impact, and operational effectiveness 
  • Reporting Support: Prepare data visualizations and insights for board, leadership, and funder communications 
 
2. Strategic Analysis & Planning Support (15%)
  • Market Intelligence: Conduct research on industry trends, competitors, and emerging opportunities 
  • Scenario Modeling: Build models to evaluate strategic options, investment decisions, and growth scenarios 
  • Strategic Planning: Assist in developing and refining ATP's multi-year roadmap and annual priorities 
  • Meeting Preparation: Support preparation for strategy sessions, leadership and board meetings, and partner discussions 
 
3. Innovation & New Opportunities (30%)
  • Experiment Design: Help design and document innovation experiments, including success metrics and learning objectives 
  • Technology Assessment: Research and analyze emerging technologies relevant to ATP's mission 
  • Innovation Pipeline Management: Track and evaluate new service models, partnership structures, and revenue pathways 
  • Best Practice Research: Lead structured research into emerging delivery models, talent marketplace innovation, and future-of-work trends and identify innovative approaches that ATP could adapt 
 
4. Operational Efficiency & Business Optimization (20%)
  • Process Mapping & Analysis: Assess current processes and identify improvement opportunities 
  • Optimization Initiatives: Support cross-functional projects to streamline workflows and eliminate inefficiencies 
  • Capacity Analysis: Help identify resource allocation opportunities and bottlenecks. 
 
5. Special Projects & Cross-Functional Delivery (15%)
  • Strategic Initiatives: Support high-priority projects led by the CSO or leadership team 
  • Problem-Solving: Apply structured analysis to complex organizational challenges 
  • Cross-Team Collaboration: Work with BD, operations, and marketing teams to implement strategic priorities 

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Core Competencies:
  • Strategic Communication: Superior written and verbal communication skills. Ability to distill complex analysis into clear insights, strategic narratives, and executive-ready recommendations. 
  • Executive Presentation: Advanced proficiency in PowerPoint/Google Slides. A keen eye for visual storytelling and creating polished, persuasive board and leadership presentations. 
  • Analytical Rigor: Strong quantitative and data analysis skills, with experience in modelling, metric development, and business intelligence. 
  • Project & Stakeholder Management: Excellent organizational skills and the ability to drive projects forward in a collaborative environment.


Experience: 3-5 years in consulting, strategy, business analytics, or a related field. Top-tier consulting experience (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) is highly preferred.
  • Technical Proficiency: Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) and advanced Excel is a strong plus. 
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in business, economics, engineering, or a related field 

Reporting & Collaboration
  • Location: Johannesburg, Hybrid role with 3 in-office days per week 
  • Reports to: Director of Strategy & Innovation 
  • Key Collaborators: Managing Director, Brand & Partnerships Enablement Manager, Business Development team, Operations team. 

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