Job Description

Strategy & Program Design Consultant (SME & Enterprise Development)

Department: Strategy

Employment Type: Contract / Temp

Location: Africa

Allied Talent Partners (ATP), a Three Cairns Group initiative, is a mission-driven, not-for-profit talent marketplace focused on solving the human capital bottlenecks slowing down sustainable development efforts in emerging economies, with an initial focus on Africa. ATP connects vetted, experienced, context-relevant professionals to high-impact opportunities in energy access and sustainable development – strengthening local capacity and fuelling economic vitality. We specialize in fixed-term, deliverable-driven engagements – from interim leadership and generalist projects to niche technical expertise – handling project scoping, talent vetting and matching, contracting, payroll, and compliance so that our clients can focus on impact.

High-Level Overview
The client is seeking a Strategy Associate to provide flexible strategy capacity across program design and impact reporting for SME development initiatives. The role will support increasingly complex enterprise and supplier development engagements where clients require more rigorous program design, commercial logic, and measurable impact outcomes. The ideal candidate will bring strong strategy capability, experience operating within SME support environments, and the ability to independently produce compelling client-ready concepts, proposals, and reporting materials with minimal oversight.

Role and Responsibilities

Role: Strategy & Program Design Consultant (SME & Enterprise Development)
Direct Report: TBC
Candidates Required: 1

Key Deliverables:

• Lead end-to-end design of SME development programs in response to client briefs
  • Translate client objectives, constraints, and funding structures into clear program logic
  • Identify target sectors, SME segments, and key growth barriers
  • Define program architecture (cohort design, support model, funding allocation)
  • Develop implementation plans outlining delivery approach, timelines, and key activities
  • Embed performance measurement frameworks, including KPIs (revenue, profitability, job creation) and data collection mechanisms
  • Develop client-ready proposals and thought pieces that clearly articulate the program design, rationale, and expected impact
• Produce end-of-program impact reports and strategic narratives
  • Synthesize program results into clear, compelling outputs for client reporting
  • Position outcomes to support follow-on funding and long-term client engagement

Requirements

Experience Required:

• Prior strategy consulting, advisory, or program design experience, ideally within SME development, enterprise and supplier development, economic inclusion, or broader development-focused environments
• Demonstrated experience designing commercially and operationally viable programs, initiatives, or strategic interventions within constrained or complex operating environments
• Experience developing high-quality client-facing outputs, including proposals, presentations, concept papers, strategic narratives, and impact reports
• Exposure to South African B-BBEE, enterprise and supplier development, or client-funded SME support initiatives, with sufficient understanding of the ecosystem to contribute credibly from the outset
• Experience translating research, stakeholder engagement, and quantitative or qualitative insights into practical recommendations and actionable program approaches
• Proven ability to operate independently in project-based or consulting environments, managing ambiguous briefs and delivering near client-ready outputs with minimal oversight

Technical Requirements:

• Strong structured problem-solving capability, with the ability to translate ambiguous client needs into clear strategic frameworks, workstreams, and deliverables
• Ability to design commercially and operationally realistic SME support programs within client, funding, and ecosystem constraints
• Strong strategic and analytical judgment, including the ability to synthesize complex information and position recommendations credibly and persuasively
• Ability to develop new concepts, program models, and client propositions that are both practical and commercially compelling
• Advanced presentation and communication capability, including the ability to create polished slide decks, concept documents, and strategic materials from scratch
• Ability to ramp up quickly on new client contexts, sector dynamics, and program requirements while operating with minimal supervision
• Strong understanding of impact measurement principles, including how to structure and communicate program outcomes in a way that supports stakeholder engagement and future funding opportunities

Other Skills:

Working Arrangement
Location: Remote
Travel: Periodic travel as required for client meetings, workshops, or program activities.

Terms of agreement:
Start Date: TBD
Contracting Period:
Initial engagement expected to focus on a strategic project engagement (including pricing model design and an initial program design engagement) of approximately 6 weeks, with the potential for ongoing project-based support across an anticipated pipeline of additional program design work (intermittent and project-based) over the following 6 months.