"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you will help them to become what they are capable of being."


  Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer

Associate Partner, Strategy Consulting Team, Bellwether Education Partners

Position

Associate Partners (APs) work as members of small teams and take strong leadership roles in both external and internal capacities.  Externally, APs play an important role with clients and on client engagements by identifying issues, forming hypotheses, designing and conducting analyses, synthesizing conclusions into recommendations, developing work plans, and ultimately helping to implement change with our clients.  Throughout an engagement, an AP is directly involved in discussions and presentations with senior client leadership.  Internally, APs work closely with Bellwether partners and, as needed, are assigned the role of overseeing and managing the output of more junior staff members and sub-contractors for Bellwether. 

Associate Partners are accountable to all partners within Bellwether who, in turn, guide their work and invest in their professional development.  This particular opportunity is in the Strategy Consulting practice within Bellwether, led by Partner and Co-Founder Mary K. Wells who will be the primary supervisor.  While the AP will have the opportunity to work across the Bellwether program areas to broaden his/her skills and perspectives, the majority of time will be allocated to supporting Strategy Consulting. 

In that context, the Associate Partner’s primary responsibilities and duties will be to:

  • take on team and client leadership responsibilities, as described above;
  • partner with clients to develop high-impact business strategies, and implementation plans in response to real-world, time-sensitive challenges brought forward by the client;
  • help develop team work-plans and eventually oversee and manage internal Analysts who perform research and analytical functions;
  • perform quantitative and qualitative analysis on core strategic issues for clients;
  • identify key data sources, and gather data through interviews and secondary research;
  • support business development through relationship building and input to high impact proposals; actively foster business development opportunities and connections on behalf of Bellwether;
  • write and deliver high-impact research briefs, presentations and plans;
  • contribute to Bellwether’s knowledge capture and dissemination;
  • take on internal roles to build out Bellwether’s key capabilities; and
  • generate creative, action-oriented insights and recommendations for both internal and external improvements; and
  • contribute to business development.

 
Qualifications

We are a nimble and largely virtual organization that combines an exceptional core fulltime staff with a highly coordinated network of best in class part-time consultants.  As such, Bellwether is a strong fit for professionals who possess strong personal drive and motivation; demonstrate exemplary professional behavior and values, and who are resourceful, responsible, tenacious, independent, and self-confident. 

The ideal candidate for this position will have formal training and success as a strategy consultant, bring a sophisticated understanding of relevant issues in education reform, and possess an entrepreneurial spirit.  In addition, the successful candidate will have:

  • at least five years’ professional experience in a role requiring strategic consulting, project management, research, and analytical problem solving;
  • demonstrable passion and commitment to working in the field of urban education reform;
  • deep familiarity with the challenges facing urban schools and education reform efforts in the U.S.;
  • a well-rounded inter-personal skill set with the capacity to build strong senior client relationships, work effectively in team environment, and facilitate joint problem solving with clients and team;
  • excellent quantitative analytical skills, creativity in problem solving, and a keen business sense demonstrated in either a professional or academic environment;
  • strong communication skills, both verbal and written;
  • a highly self-motivated work style and willingness to proactively take on leadership roles within project teams and the firm; and
  • a strong academic record including a graduate degree, ideally in business, public policy/administration, or law.

Compensation

Bellwether Education Partners provides competitive compensation and an attractive benefits package including a performance-based bonus based on individual and firm success, full health care coverage, and access to 401(k) accounts with a matching contribution policy. 

Location

Boston, MA

To Apply

Bellwether Education Partners is committed to providing equal opportunities. We serve diverse organizations, and are committed to non-discrimination. It is our policy to ensure that all individuals with whom we are in contact are treated equally without regard to age, color, disability, gender, marital status, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, expression, gender identity or veteran’s status.

The review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.  Applications should consist of a letter of interest and a current resume and, for best consideration, should be submitted electronically prior to Friday, October 14, 2011.    Applications or inquiries about the position should be directed to:

Leslie Nair, Senior Associate
Bellwether Education Partners
via: leslie@bellwethereducation.org