Full-Time Consultant, Strategic Advising
Job Description
Use your knowledge of data and communication skills to strengthen the impact of education organizations that are working with communities to eliminate gaps for students furthest from opportunity.
Bellwether is looking for a Consultant to join our team. The ideal candidate for this position will bring a sophisticated understanding of relevant issues in education, proven project management experience in a K-12 district setting, and/or success as a strategy consultant, and possess an entrepreneurial spirit. Our work is national in scope, so our flexible working style allows our professionals to work where they have built their lives. Consequently, Bellwether is able to hire the best person for each role, regardless of geography. Up to approximately 25% travel may be required.
About Bellwether
We are a national nonprofit that exists to transform education to ensure systemically marginalized young people achieve outcomes that lead to fulfilling lives and flourishing communities. We work hand in hand with education leaders and organizations to accelerate their impact, inform and influence policy and program design, and share what we learn along the way.
Our Strategic Advising practice advises leaders and organizations on their most pressing strategic and operational issues. Our work ranges from supporting entrepreneurs through business plan development to partnering with established organizations on growth and performance improvement to assessing new opportunities for impact as the field evolves.
Responsibilities
Consultants work as members of small teams and take high-impact roles in both external and internal capacities. Externally, Consultants play an important role within Bellwether client teams on client engagements by identifying issues, forming hypotheses, designing and conducting qualitative and quantitative analyses, synthesizing conclusions into recommendations, developing work plans, and ultimately helping to implement change with our clients. Throughout an engagement, a Consultant is directly involved in discussions and presentations with senior client leadership. Internally, Consultants work closely with Bellwether Associate Partners, Senior Associate Partners, and Partners and — as needed over time — are assigned the role of overseeing and managing the output of more junior staff members (Analysts, Fellows, and Interns). This role will report to a senior leader on the Strategic Advising team.
In this position, you should expect to:
- Take on client responsibilities, as described above.
- Collaborate with clients and Bellwether team members to support the development of high-impact strategies and implementation plans in response to real-world, time-sensitive challenges brought forward by the client.
- Manage a workstream to research, analyze, and synthesize key questions for the client project, as well as synthesize findings and generate insights to support client impact.
- Generate creative, action-oriented insights and recommendations.
- Develop work plans and execute against these plans with independence and a high degree of ownership.
- Perform quantitative and qualitative analysis on core strategic issues for clients, synthesize insights, and eventually oversee and advance into management roles responsible for team research and analysis.
- Reflect on stakeholder, community, and team input as well as your own power and positionality to understand potential gaps in analysis and additional resource needs.
- Identify key data sources and gather data through interviews and secondary research.
- Manage and/or facilitate client meetings with independence, including strong meeting preparation and follow-up.
- Serve as a thought partner, leveraging internal and external networks to engage in team problem-solving, share evolving trends and best practices, and contribute to knowledge-creation initiatives.
- Write and deliver high-impact presentations, strategic plans, and research briefs.
- Take on internal roles to build out Bellwether’s key capabilities.
Qualifications
Excited? We are too. You should apply if you have:
- A passion for and commitment to transforming education to ensure systemically marginalized young people achieve outcomes that lead to fulfilling lives and flourishing communities in the United States.
- An understanding of and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- At least three years’ professional experience in a role requiring strategic consulting, project management, research, and analytical problem-solving.
- Experience in public K-12 district central offices, especially related to department- and/or district-wide strategic planning, leading or managing cross-departmental projects, and engaging with multiple district stakeholders.
- A well-rounded interpersonal skill set with the capacity to collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including building strong client relationships, working effectively and collaboratively in a team environment, and facilitating joint problem-solving.
- Excellent quantitative analytical skills, such as expertise in financial modeling and data analysis, creativity in problem-solving, and a keen business sense.
- Experience leveraging project management tools, processes, and research to drive extraordinary outcomes.
- Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, and the ability to synthesize large amounts of information into easy-to-digest work products (e.g., slide decks and memos).
- A highly self-motivated work style and willingness to proactively take on roles within project teams and the organization.
- Comfort with and interest in joining a small, entrepreneurial organization with a flexible working environment.
- Ability and experience in thoughtfully giving and receiving feedback.
Compensation
The base salary range for this role, for incoming team members, is $112,500-$118,750 annually. While the final offer amount will be determined by multiple factors — including previous experience and content knowledge — and may vary from the listed range, Bellwether is committed to transparency and all offers are aligned with our compensation philosophy.
Bellwether provides an attractive benefits package that includes a performance bonus based on individual and organizational success, health care coverage, and a 401(k) plan with an employer-matching contribution policy.
Bellwether is committed to building a team that reflects the varied backgrounds and experiences of the students we seek to serve. It is important to us that you use your application materials to clearly surface ways in which your background and experiences align with Bellwether’s core values, including our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Bellwether is committed to providing equal opportunities. It is our policy to ensure that all individuals with whom we are in contact are not discriminated against on the basis of age, race, ethnicity, color, disability, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran’s status.
How to Apply
Use your application (a custom letter of interest and a current résumé) to show us how you’ve got the skills we’ve listed or why the skills you have are the ones we actually need. We’ll review applications as we receive them until the position is filled. Apply via this link.172 total views, 0 today