Senior Associate Early Years, Human Development

SENIOR ASSOCIATE EARLY YEARS

The early childhood challenges facing countries in the Young World are vast and urgent – expanding access to quality preschool, strengthening workforce and financing systems, improving governance and quality assurance, and building integrated services that can deliver at scale. Our Early Years team exists to help governments and partners tackle these challenges with rigour and ambition.

This is a role for someone who has already done substantive analytical work and is ready to take real ownership. You will lead workstreams on live client engagements, manage analytical processes end-to-end, and engage directly with senior government and donor counterparts. You will live and benefit from the Genesis values, and you will use technology effectively and responsibly.

Your work will include:

Leading analytical workstreams within client projects – designing the approach, managing the data and evidence, and owning outputs from start to finish

Managing small to medium sized client projects – responsible for developing workplans, overseeing project finances, managing internal and external teams, and maintaining project administration

Conducting and directing rigorous quantitative and qualitative analysis across early years projects: system diagnostics, financing and costing studies, public-private partnership feasibility, workforce analyses, and policy benchmarking

Developing core client deliverables – technical reports, investment cases, policy notes, slide decks – and presenting findings with clarity and authority to senior audiences

Engaging directly with clients in working sessions, technical reviews, and in-country engagements

Mentoring and supporting junior colleagues – contributing to a culture of siyakhana (growing together)

Contributing to proposal development and business development, including methodology sections, workplans, and commercials

At Senior Associate level, this work further extends to leading client relationships and business development processes, reviewing work and outputs of more junior colleagues, and owning workstreams within the team. You will be supported by experienced Principal and Partner-level colleagues and given the space to develop. But you will be trusted with responsibility early because that is how excellent consultants are made, and because we are investing in you as a future leader of this practice.

Requirements

• Genesis consultants carry a balanced combination of powerful intellect, strong technical skills, and a consulting character to match.
• Successful candidates for roles at Genesis:
• Are passionate, self-motivated problem-solvers
• Value integrity and exhibit ethical behaviour
• Are analytical thinkers and fast learners with an excellent academic record
• The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment, enjoy the flexible nature of the job, and like to hit the ground running. You are pro-active and hands-on, with the ability to work effectively as part of a team, contribute to a culture of mutual mentorship, and take the initiative to drive excellence.
• You are likely to have:
• Experience: At least 3+ years of substantive professional experience in early years (or related field) consulting, research, government, or international development. Demonstrated ability to own analytical workstreams independently.
• Education: An outstanding degree (top 10% of cohort) in Education, Early Childhood Development, Development Studies, Public Policy, Economics, Statistics, or a related field. A Master’s degree or PhD is strongly preferred
• Technical skills: Strong proficiency in Excel and possibly at least one of Stata, R, or Python for quantitative analysis, with the ability to run and interpret analyses without close supervision. Experience with relevant datasets (learning assessments, EMIS, DHS, MICS household surveys, administrative data) is highly valued.
• Consulting craft: Prior experience in strategy, economics, or development consulting – with demonstrated ability to structure problems, develop hypotheses, and produce high-quality, client-ready outputs under pressure.
• Project management: Ideally, prior experience in managing projects or workstreams, including overseeing budgets, workplans, and teams.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication in English, with the ability to present complex findings to non-technical audiences, including ministers, donors, and senior officials. Fluency in French, Arabic, or Portuguese would be a valued asset.
• AI literacy: Demonstrated ability to use AI tools effectively and responsibly to enhance analytical and written work.
• What we are really looking for:
• We are recruiting people with the potential to become practice leaders in 10–15 years. Beyond technical qualifications, we want people who:
• Demonstrate clear intellectual excellence – in the top 10% of their peer group, evident in their academic record, professional track record, or both
• Are from and based in Africa or India, with deep roots in the Young World and a genuine commitment to its development
• Have the versatility to work across countries, methods, and Early Years sub-sectors, and the drive to develop depth
• Go plus ultra – always pushing beyond the expected to deliver something # exceptional
• Embody siyakhana – investing in the growth of their colleagues and the team as a whole
• Are Glass Box thinkers – intellectual honesty, transparency, and rigour in everything they produce
• Show signs of leadership – the ability to bring others along, navigate ambiguity, and take initiative without needing to be asked