Director Global Risk Analysis Africa & Europe

Role Purpose

We are looking to hire a Director to support our Global Risk & Analysis business for our Africa and EMEA region. You will be an experienced consultant who will have the drive and passion to increase the capacity of our Global Risk Analysis (GRA) practice to win and deliver high-value consulting work for our European and African clients on political and geopolitical risk. This is a client-facing role that will involve both business development and delivering and managing complex, high-value consulting assignments.

The Director will be expected to deliver excellence as a highly experienced, senior consultant capable of directly engaging with senior client representatives. Consulting work will primarily involve geopolitical risk engagements on Europe & CIS and Africa, working closely with established teams of political risk analysts based in the two regions. The role will have a strong business development focus on clients based in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (DACH), but will also include support for the further growth and development of the wider regional consulting business in EMEA (and, where relevant, globally). The Director will work with colleagues in promoting Control Risks to clients as the market leader in the DACH region for the provision of our unique combination of cross-service line expertise.

The position will require the successful candidate to be based in Frankfurt and to regularly attend the office there, though Control Risks encourages hybrid and flexible working arrangements. Willingness to travel regularly in the DACH region and beyond (as required) and an ability to work collaboratively and communicate effectively with colleagues across departments and offices are vital.

Tasks & Responsibilities

Management and delivery of complex, high-value consulting work

• Manage the delivery of high-value consulting engagements on Africa and Europe & CIS, working with our teams of political risk analysts covering these regions.
• Contribute to the delivery (written and verbal) of complex global or regional geopolitical risk engagements, particularly to senior client representatives based in the DACH region.
• Make a key contribution to delivering GRA’s strategy for growing high-value, sophisticated strategic political risk consulting work in consultation with the respective practice leads.
• Alongside GRA global colleagues, participate in development, testing and roll-out of new GRA-led products, services or innovations to drive business growth.

Business development

• Together with relevant practice leads and geomarket heads, lead Control Risks’ outreach to and support for clients in DACH, focusing on Sub-Sahara Africa and Europe & CIS.
• Take a lead in the development and growth of the GRA Africa and Europe & CIS businesses, through engagement with existing clients and new prospects across Europe, thought leadership and conference presentations on a broad range of political and geopolitical risk issues.
• Develop a strong network of senior contacts and consistently develop Control Risks’ positioning with them to enhance business development and secure higher fee-earning engagements.
• Work collaboratively with client account managers within and outside the DACH region to develop multiple client contacts and prospects, proactively driving engagement and establishing new POCs within client organisations.

Business management

• Work closely with GRA leadership colleagues in achieving financial targets for GRA Africa and Europe & CIS teams.
• Work closely with Finance, Project Operations and Business Operations teams to ensure that relevant financial metrics are captured.

Brand ambassador and marketing

• Represent Control Risks as a subject-matter expert (on Sub-Sahara Africa or political/geopolitical risk in general and Europe & CIS in particular) at conferences, marketing events/campaigns and in the media when required.
• Contribute to regional marketing initiatives, including thought leadership, articles, podcasts etc.
• Champion Control Risks expertise on social media.
• Protect the company’s brand and reputation by considering potential sensitivities in the team’s work, conducting project risk assessments as required and escalating any potential conflicts early.

Essential

• Significant, recent and relevant professional experience delivering complex political or geopolitical risk analysis, either in consulting, in-house, public policy or government role.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of relevant geopolitical and political risk trends for businesses in Africa and Europe & CIS.
• Proven ability to write and verbally communicate with authority and clarity.
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple commitments under time pressure.
• Ability to work in a team and independently.
• Ability to work across a range of sectors and geographies.
• Willingness to travel for work on short trips in the EMEA region.
• Ability to understand and communicate to a high professional standard in English and German.
• Proven track record of winning high-value consulting work (or funding).
• Experience developing/maintaining client relationships, or acting as an experienced in-house adviser to senior decision-makers.

Preferred

• Existing network of client relationships relevant for geopolitical/political risk services in the DACH region.
• Fluency in other languages spoken in Europe & CIS and Africa, particularly French.

Competencies

Solutions focused:

• Analyses situations and looks at broader picture.
• Innovates to create and deliver value to meet the needs of the organisation, its market and clients.
• Makes decisions which drive high performance and meet client needs.
• Translates and creates practical actions from a strategic plan. Leads by example - sets and generates commitment to goals. Inspires a determination to achieve high standards.

Client centric:

• Understands client needs, builds trusted relationships, leads a service culture. Ensures client is at the heart of everything team does.
• Understands and anticipates market evolutions.

Commercial acumen:

• Balances opportunity to make a profit whilst delivering a high-quality service. Ensures sound commercial awareness applied to all solutions, harnessing margin improvement.

One Firm:

• Knows the right collaborations to ensure the best possible outcome for sustainable and authentic relationships.
• Deep and broad understanding of the global market and our entire lines of solutions.

Career Framework Level - Band C. Application closing date 2 October 2024.

• Control Risks offers a competitively positioned compensation and benefits package that is transparent and summarised in the full job offer.
• We operate a discretionary global bonus scheme that incentivises, and rewards individuals based on company and individual performance.
• Control Risks supports hybrid working arrangements, wherever possible, that emphasise the value of in-person time together - in the office and with our clients - while continuing to support flexible and remote working.
• As an equal opportunities employer, we encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join us and are fully committed to equal treatment, free from discrimination, of all candidates throughout our recruitment process.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made in order to participate fully in the interview process, please let us know and we will be happy to accommodate your needs.