Strategy & Innovation Associate

Allied Talent Partners; Gauteng; Hybrid; ZAR 300 000 - 400 000; Full time

Job summary

A mission-driven talent marketplace is seeking a Strategy & Innovation Associate to drive strategic planning and innovation initiatives. This hybrid role, based in Johannesburg, will support the Director of Strategy & Innovation through data analysis, project management, and market intelligence to identify growth opportunities. Candidates should have 3-5 years of relevant experience, ideally from top-tier consulting firms, and strong skills in communication and analytics. Proficiency in tools like Power BI and strong analytical skills are essential.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years in consulting, strategy, business analytics, or related field.
• Top-tier consulting experience (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) preferred.
• Proficiency in data visualisation tools and advanced Excel is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support strategic planning and innovation initiatives.
• Conduct market intelligence and scenario modeling.
• Design innovation experiments and assess emerging technologies.
• Support operational efficiency and process improvement.

Skills

Strategic Communication

Analytical Rigor

Project Management

Visual Storytelling

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, economics, engineering or a related field

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

Excel

Job description

Join to apply for theStrategy & Innovation Associaterole atAllied Talent Partners.

About Allied Talent Partners

Founded by Three Cairns Group in , Allied Talent Partners (ATP) is a mission-driven, not-for-profit talent marketplace focused on overcoming human capital bottlenecks that hinder sustainable development in emerging economies, with an initial focus on Africa.

We connect vetted professionals to high-impact opportunities in energy access and sustainability, strengthening local capacity and driving economic growth.

We specialise in fixed-term, deliverable-based engagements, managing project scoping, talent matching, contracting, payroll, and compliance, allowing partners to focus on impact.

Position Overview

This role supports the Director of Strategy & Innovation in driving strategic planning, innovation initiatives, and data-driven decision-making.

The Strategy & Innovation Analyst will translate strategic vision into actionable plans, optimise operations, measure impact, and identify growth opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

Data, Insights & Impact Measurement (20%)Metric Development & Tracking : Support the establishment and monitoring of key business metrics (e.g., project delivery metrics, operational efficiency ratios).

Dashboard Management : Maintain and refine performance dashboards for leadership review.

Impact Analysis : Analyse data to assess project outcomes, client impact, and operational effectiveness.

Reporting Support : Prepare data visualisations and insights for board, leadership, and funder communications.

Strategic Analysis & Planning Support (15%)Market Intelligence : Conduct research on industry trends, competitors, and emerging opportunities.

Scenario Modeling : Build models to evaluate strategic options, investment decisions, and growth scenarios.

Strategic Planning : Assist in developing and refining ATP's multi-year roadmap and annual priorities.

Meeting Preparation : Support preparation for strategy sessions, leadership and board meetings, and partner discussions.

Innovation & New Opportunities (30%)Experiment Design : Help design and document innovation experiments, including success metrics and learning objectives.

Technology Assessment : Research and analyse emerging technologies relevant to ATP's mission.

Innovation Pipeline Management : Track and evaluate new service models, partnership structures, and revenue pathways.

Best Practice Research : Lead structured research into emerging delivery models, talent marketplace innovation, and future-of-work trends and identify innovative approaches that ATP could adapt.

Operational Efficiency & Business Optimisation (20%)Process Mapping & Analysis : Assess current processes and identify improvement opportunities.

Optimisation Initiatives : Support cross-functional projects to streamline workflows and eliminate inefficiencies.

Capacity Analysis : Help identify resource allocation opportunities and bottlenecks.

Special Projects & Cross-Functional Delivery (15%)Strategic Initiatives : Support high-priority projects led by the CSO or leadership team.

Problem-Solving : Apply structured analysis to complex organisational challenges.

Cross-Team Collaboration : Work with BD, operations and marketing teams to implement strategic priorities.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Core Competencies

Strategic Communication : Superior written and verbal communication skills.

Ability to distil complex analysis into clear insights, strategic narratives, and executive-ready recommendations.

Executive Presentation : Advanced proficiency in PowerPoint / Google Slides.

Keen eye for visual storytelling and creating polished, persuasive board and leadership presentations.

Analytical Rigor : Strong quantitative and data analysis skills, with experience in modelling, metric development, and business intelligence.

Project & Stakeholder Management : Excellent organisational skills and the ability to drive projects forward in a collaborative environment.

Experience

3–5 years in consulting, strategy, business analytics, or a related field.

Top-tier consulting experience (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) is highly preferred.

Technical Proficiency : Experience with data visualisation tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) and advanced Excel is a strong plus.

Education : Bachelor's degree in business, economics, engineering, or a related field.

Reporting & Collaboration

Location : Johannesburg, Hybrid role with 3 in-office days per week.

Reports to : Director of Strategy & Innovation.

Key Collaborators : Managing Director, Brand & Partnerships, Enablement Manager, Business Development team, Operations team.

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