Chief Operating Officer – Dalberg

Closing Date 9 May 2023

MAXIMIZE YOUR POTENTIAL. TACKLE THE WORLD’S TOUGHEST PROBLEMS.
BUILD EXPERTISE IN AREAS THAT MATTER TO YOU. BECOME A GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT LEADER.

DALBERG We are a global group working to build a more inclusive and sustainable world where all people, everywhere, can reach their fullest potential. We partner with and serve communities, governments, and companies throughout the world, providing an innovative mix of advisory, investment, research, analytics, and design services. Today’s complex global problems require new solutions. Comprised of Dalberg Advisors, Dalberg Data Insights, Dalberg Design, Dalberg Implement, Dalberg Media and Dalberg Research, and a not-for-profit, Dalberg Catalyst, our businesses approach problems differently and work together to create impact at scale. We are from everywhere, at home anywhere – an African and American company as much as an Asian, Middle Eastern, and European one.

Dalberg is a place where a diverse mix of talented individuals are able to bring their authentic selves to work – whether it’s how you identify, where you come from, the languages you speak, the person you love, the way you worship. Dalberg is a home where people feel safe, understood, nurtured and encouraged to grow.

As a team of 700+ people from 55 countries, speaking over 90 languages collectively, with a 40% female leadership team, Dalberg places diversity, equity and inclusion principles at the heart of our organization and the work we do alongside our clients, partners and communities.

Established in 2001 by experienced private sector consultants, Dalberg operates from 29 worldwide locations. For more information, please visit Dalberg.

ABOUT YOU
You are a seasoned operations executive who can provide leadership for Dalberg Advisors’ journey to scale in a critical period of business growth. The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following profile:

• Experienced executive, with 15+ years of work experience and a significant track record in a C- Suite, director or equivalent senior leadership role (3+ years). Preference for experience in a complex global and growing firm/business unit of similar size and complexity to Dalberg.
• Deep understanding of professional services (especially strategy consulting) where highly skilled people are the main product, including business models and business development processes
• Demonstrated depth of cross-functional operations experience and ability to advise on best practices, including in finance, talent development, technology and shared IT services, knowledge management, external communications, risk management, and business development support.
• Experience across multiple regions, including emerging markets like Sub-Saharan Africa and India.
• Interest in working in an entrepreneurial organization, and track record of being a “hands-on” self- starter when necessary to drive key priorities.
• Creative, growth-oriented problem-solver, who can not only direct and ‘get hands dirty’ in day-to- day operational execution, but also co-create and drive a strategic vision for the future. Experience in change management, transformation, organizational design and structuring, and capacity building on a journey toward scale strongly preferred. Has a keen understanding of the opportunities and challenges for a small and growing multinational firm.
• Demonstrated success managing and coaching a high-energy multicultural team spread globally, including in training, mentoring, listening and taking onboard feedback, and a passion for supporting a team to achieve the skills and independence to execute their roles effectively.
• Experience working in a collaborative and people-centric environment, and able to build trust and buy-in in a diverse global management team. Able to build coalitions, listen and adapt with flexibility, manage stakeholders, surface tradeoffs and opportunities using qualitative and quantitative intelligence, and drive efficient decision-making.
• A values-driven leader, with a high bar for quality and dedicated to getting things done in an honest, efficient, and amenable manner.
• Open to candidates of any nationality; role may be based out of any of our global offices. Fluency in English is required. Conversational ability in French, Spanish, or other global languages is a plus given Dalberg’s global footprint, but not required.

WHAT YOU WILL DRIVE

Dalberg Advisors is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO). The COO will play a crucial role as part of Dalberg’s global leadership team and will report to the Dalberg Advisors Global Managing Partner. The COO’s direct reports will include the ~5 functional leads of Dalberg’s Global Shared Services (GSS) team (who jointly oversee ~25 staff), including finance, people, knowledge management, communications, and technology. As per Dalberg Advisors’ region-based structure, regional operations leadership (e.g. regional COOs and operations directors) report to their respective Regional Directors; however, the COO will also hold accountability for select areas of central leadership across Dalberg Advisors globally, and on these areas regional leadership will be accountable to the COO.

The COO will ensure Dalberg Advisors’ operating processes, governance and/or decision processes, and risk processes are smooth and future-proof, and support the firm’s overall growth and performance. As Dalberg is a fast-growing enterprise, the COO would co-create and facilitate continuous improvement/re- design of our operational structure and strategy.

The role of the COO will continuously evolve as Dalberg’s operational functions shift in scope and structure, and as the governing bod(ies) of Dalberg refresh strategic and organizational priorities over time. Future focus areas for the COO could potentially (but will not necessarily either include or be limited to): leading the strengthening of Dalberg’s client service talent base, expertise areas, and service line areas, integrated action around Dalberg’s global commitments for climate action and DEI, and/or possible future exploration of merger or acquisition opportunities, among other possible areas.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead, facilitate discussions, and serve as a thought partner and bridge within and across leadership teams including but not limited to matters related to operational strategy and structure. Serve as chair of global forums for dialogue, learning, problem solving, and holistic planning across pillars of operations, and contribute perspective on broader firm strategy regarding impact and client service.
  Co-create and deliver on the strategy and re-design of Dalberg’s organizational and operational vision, structure, systems, and processes in support of efficiency in our business model. To include helping to set the strategy as well as shepherding implementation.
• Provide leadership to steward Dalberg Advisors’ operations globally with high stability in coordination with regional leadership, from finance, talent and IT, to technology, knowledge management, legal/risk mgmt., and communications and marketing.
• Hold accountability for end-to end-quality assurance in execution of the firm’s day-to-day Global Shared Services (GSS)-led operating functions, and oversee alignment with central priorities by relevant regional leads, both internal (e.g. Dalberg statutes and cooperation agreements), and external (e.g. statutory and tax). Collaborate with regional leadership to define these priority areas for central alignment and ownership, which may include areas involving global norms/policies, economies of scale, data and reporting, brand implications, and/or shared risks and inefficiencies.
• Ensure smooth processes related to budgeting, and developing and reporting on operations key performance indicators (KPIs), in close consultation with GSS and regional operations leads, especially the finance leads.
• Advise on optimal capacity in operations functions to serve firm-wide requirements and cultivate a “one operations team” culture, proactively identifying and working to close gaps in capacity based on a consultatively defined vision/plan for the future structure of the operations team. This will include advising on both global and regional operations capacity.
• Serve as an empowering leader, role model, and mentor for a team of dedicated and loyal operations employees globally and locally, who take pride delivering on-time high-quality products. Translate the firm vision and strategies to teams, delegate responsibility, and lead from behind to empower their delivery and professional growth through strong counsel and mentorship.

Responsibilities may also include an initial focus on finance alongside an incoming Finance Director. This may include is not limited to the following:

• Serving as a strategic partner and chair of financial governance discussions with leadership teams to understand and anticipate overall business performance and to craft strategies for optimizing working capital and investments accordingly.
• Co-create financial strategies and plans and oversee planning, implementation, management, and controlling of all global financial-related activities. Specifically, responsible for the accounting, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, controls, financial risk monitoring, and compliance for Dalberg Advisors’ GSS finance function and global agreement (DGDA Association).
• Oversee and report on financial governance, controls, and compliance with applicable external laws and regulatory legislation in jurisdictions in which DA does business.
• Oversee and report on compliance with internal policy including but not limited to financial and cash management policies/order of payments, statutes, cooperation agreements, and contracts.
• Provide recommendations and support to enhance global financial performance, data systems, processes, reporting, policies, and controls. This will include facilitating changes to corporate structure as required.
• Provide support on international and cross-border tax, audit and compliance issues.
• Ensure accurate, timely, balanced and clear consolidated financial reporting (including financial position, performance, outlook and cash flows) and other relevant KPIs.

ABOUT OUR CLIENTS
Our clients come to us with some of the most difficult global challenges, seeking solutions where the obvious ones have failed. We are entrepreneurs and innovators, designers and creative problem solvers, thinkers, and doers who supply new ideas, drawing from a deep base of knowledge that cuts across sectors and geographies and is growing every day. We partner with and serve communities, governments, and companies throughout the world. Some of our recent clients include foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, corporations such as Pepsi and Vodafone, multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, UN agencies such as UNICEF and the UNEP, and government agencies such as the Ethiopian Ministry of Innovation and Technology, USAID, and India’s NITI Aayog.

JOIN OUR TEAM
We have partnered with SRI Executive, an Executive Search, Leadership, and Strategy consulting practice with in-depth expertise and an exclusive network specializing in International Development, Global Health, Sustainability, Development Finance, and Education sectors. To express interest in this role please submit your materials via this link here.

All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.

The role is full-time and can be based out of any of Dalberg’s global offices in Abidjan, Abu Dhabi, Addis Ababa, Bogota, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Geneva, Johannesburg, Kigali, Lagos, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Nairobi, New Delhi, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, and Washington DC. Preference for candidates located and authorized to work in South Asia or Sub-Saharan Africa.

Note: Employment in all the Dalberg offices is conditional on the candidate having or independently obtaining the requisite authorization to live and work in that country.

If you have any questions about the position, please feel free to write to this inbox.