Asia- Pacific Residency 3.0 – Dalberg

Closing Date 3 Feb 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.

DALBERG ASIA-PACIFIC-PACIFIC RESIDENCY PROGRAM 3.0
We are excited to continue to bring in talented individuals with unique skill sets (under-represented at Dalberg) and diverse backgrounds to join Dalberg in the third edition of the Asia-Pacific Residency. Our past Residents have come from varied backgrounds – worked with foundations, have deep expertise in research, have had experience working with governments, NGO’s, grassroots organizations, and a nuanced understanding of WASH to name a few.

At Dalberg Advisors, we are eager to reimagine the future as a more socially and environmentally just world. The work that underpins our values is ever-shifting and requires widening the lens of traditional consulting approaches. Two years ago, we launched the Dalberg Asia-Pacific Residency program, in the first year we had seven individuals, and in the second year, we had ten of these individuals from a non-consulting background who worked with us for six months. Our Residents brought new perspectives to our work and learned from our teams and clients.

“When I applied for the residency program, it was out of confusion more than anything else. I was working in a research role that I didn’t feel was right for me, but I had no understanding about what other opportunities were even available to me. In that sense, the program was perfect – it provided the chance to explore consulting without a requirement to commit to it. During my six months as a resident, I learned to problem-solve, think and communicate like a consultant but my greater learnings came through all the wonderfully intangible things that Dalberg offers – conversations with peers and other colleagues at the firm, supportive coaching sessions from partners and involvement in various internal initiatives. I ultimately chose to remain at Dalberg, but the program itself made me view the impact space with much more nuance and heightened my awareness of the pathways available to someone from my background” – Former resident (2021 program).

ABOUT YOU
If you are a curious problem-solver, want to contribute to meaningful challenges, and feel you have an interesting skillset in which you excel, we want to work with you. We are looking for individuals with 1-4 years of working experience in sectors like education, health, policy design, agriculture, etc., and with skillsets that can help strengthen our efforts to support our clients.

Some examples of what we are looking for:

• You applied a rigorous research design methodology to highly complex problems.
• You excel in econometrics and quantitative analysis and modelling. Or have built complex models that serve a critical function.
• You helped drive vital policy shifts in your country, state, or community. You have a ground-level understanding of the machinery of Government.
• You have engaged passionately on issues of marginalization. You have worked at the intersections of caste, gender, and poverty and have deep relationships within the sector.
• You have experience and a vision for change in areas including Financial Inclusion, Water, Sanitation, and Health and Technology.
• Any additional expertise that we have not listed will also be considered.

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING THE RESIDENCY PROGRAM
You will get to work on things that matter. You will join a passionate community of professionals in thinking about how we can build a more equitable world. You will help the efforts of the biggest foundations in the world, governments, and grassroots to NGOs. You will work across strategy, policy, advocacy, and analysis. In the past residents have worked on a diverse set of projects that included identifying innovative mechanisms to leapfrog electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa, crafting the priorities for an international charity moving into the climate space, and identifying the market-entry opportunity and strategy for a farmer-facing product in India.

We will play to your strengths and help you build new ones: We want to bring your natural aptitude and expertise into our projects while giving you exposure to projects, and training that build your consulting toolkit. So, you can expect personalized training, a dedicated advisor, and all the professional and technical support to grow that comes from being part of the Dalberg community.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER
The Residency program at Dalberg will be your launchpad. At the end of this program, you will have three likely pathways open to you:

Take on opportunities in the broader social impact ecosystem – Dalberg’s experience is highly valued by leading organizations that are striving for a more inclusive world. We can support you in seeking out your next role.
Accept an offer to work with Dalberg – Based on mutual fit, some of our Residents may be offered positions within Dalberg, either on our consulting track or as specialists. We see our Residents as a strong and diverse pipeline for our own hiring needs.

Return to your current career pathway – Having taken away sharper consulting skills and empathy for critical development challenges. We expect our Residents to continue to champion positive social outcomes in any role they take on.

JOIN OUR TEAM

STEP 1 Submit your C.V. at our Career Centre, by 11:59 EST on 03 February 2023. Your application should include a resume and a cover letter which will help us understand your education and experience. In your cover letter, tell us why you are excited to explore this opportunity. Applications without a cover letter will be auto-eliminated. Our current opportunities are in Mumbai and New Delhi and require in-office presence. The role is only open to residents or candidates who do not require sponsorship for local work authorization.

STEP 2 Take an aptitude test and tell us about your personal and professional journey: Short-listed candidates will be invited to take an aptitude test in the second week of February. You will also be asked to submit a video/audio essay telling us how your life’s journey has shaped your purpose so far.

STEP 3 Interview with Dalberg consultants and management team: Candidates passing the tests will be invited for interviews over February and March 2023 to test their consulting skills through case questions and to discuss their interests and experience. There is no special preparation required for this step, and we will keep your past exposure in mind as we talk through mini-project cases to see how you apply your knowledge to problems and arrive at practical and creative recommendations.

STEP 4 Join the firm: selected applications will join the firm in April/May.

Dalberg is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to building a Dalberg Asia where staff and leadership are reflective of the diverse communities in which we operate, where people from all backgrounds belong and can succeed, and where we use our platform to advance equity and inclusion across Asia. Our talent represents who we are as a firm. We work on complex problems which require people from all backgrounds. Those who’ve directly experienced the issues we tackle as well as those who bring fresh perspectives. In this sense, diversity isn’t just a value; it’s an advantage and we, therefore, need to better reflect the communities we serve. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or protected veteran status, or any other legally protected basis, in accordance with applicable law.

FAQS
The Residency

Can I apply if I am currently in a UG/ Master’s program?

The Dalberg Asia-Pacific Residency Program requires you to work full-time at the firm and cannot be done in conjunction with any ongoing programs and/or internships.

For Undergraduate students: This position requires the completion of your UG as well as at least 1 year of work experience. As such, if you are a current UG student, we will be unable to consider you. Look out for our Analyst position openings.

For Master’s students: While the work experience required still stands, you can apply as long as your program is completed by 1 April 2023, and you can work at Dalberg full-time.

How many years of experience is ideal? What if I have > 4 years of experience?

For the Dalberg Asia-Pacific Residency, at the bare minimum, we require 1 year of full-time work experience. Ideally, we are looking for candidates with 1-4 years of work experience.

If you have > 4 years of work experience, we will consider it on a case-by-case basis. In those cases where you have >4 years of experience, we suggest you apply to some of our specialist positions that open up. Please check the Career portal to be up to date on the same.

I have Consulting experience from a previous job. Can I still apply?

No, unfortunately, we will not be able to consider candidates with prior consulting experience. We encourage you to apply for our regular track – lookout for Analyst, Associate Consultant, and Consultant positions on our career portal.

Can I do this program with an ongoing job?

The Dalberg Asia-Pacific Residency Program requires you to work full-time at the firm, and as such cannot be done in conjunction with any ongoing programs, university degrees and/or internships. Individuals who make it through to the program must commit to the entire 6-month period of the Residency.

I have skills that you have not mentioned. Can I still apply?

Absolutely! Any additional expertise that we have not listed will also be considered.

Who should I reach out to if I have more questions about the Residency?

We will be organizing an informational session in Jan/Feb that you can attend. More information on the exact date and time can be found on the Dalberg social media channels in the month of Jan.

If I have already applied, but have now learned additional information that requires amending my application, can I make these changes?

Yes, you can by logging onto the career portal.

If I have already applied, but have now learned additional information that requires amending my application, can I make these changes?

I have completed my application form, when can I expect to hear about the next steps.

The applications are open until 11:59 PM EST on February 3. 2023. Following this, we will conduct a shortlisting procedure based on your CV and cover letter. We will then share an invitation for an aptitude test and prompts for a written and audio/video essay.

Another shortlist follows, after which you will be invited (if selected) for a series of interviews. Prior to the interview, we will organize a session on how to prepare and practice for case interviews.

Work Eligibility.

Do I have to be an Indian citizen to apply?

To be eligible for the Dalberg Asia-Pacific Residency program, we require that you have prior work authorization in India. This means that you are either a citizen of India (including holders of OCI cards), or that you have a work permit (in the case of a foreign national). At this stage, we will not be able to sponsor work permits.

Would I have to move to Mumbai or Delhi for the duration of the residency?

The Dalberg Asia-Pacific Residency program iteration will be in-person. We believe this will offer a richer experience for our Residents and staff. Currently, there is no option to pursue this remotely.

Dalberg Experience.

What is the remuneration that is being offered?

In the previous year (Residency 2.0), we offered our residents a stipend of INR 75,000/month. While we expect to review and revise the stipend based on our ongoing benchmarking exercise, this should give you a fair idea of what to expect.

What kind of projects will I get to work on?

Throughout your time as a Resident, projects that you are staffed on will be focused on exposing you to various thematic areas, enabling you to help build/test other skills and identify new ways in which your skills can support our work. Each project you work on will include a clear work plan, regular check-ins with your manager, and a clear growth trajectory identified for you.

Examples of the kind of problem statements we work on:

Worked on generating sustainable employment opportunities for 25 million African youth over 5 years.
Assisted a leading foundation to shape its maternal and child nutrition investments and programming in India.
Helped increase access to justice by improving the adoption of Online Dispute Resolution in India.
Worked with the world’s two largest anti-human trafficking organizations to help end the commercial and sexual exploitation of children in Bangladesh.

What kind of training and support will be provided to Residents?

Throughout your time as a Resident, you will receive group and personalized traini ng, a dedicated advisor, and a personal buddy (a consultant who can help guide you throughout). You will be encouraged to apply your skillsets and strengths while learning the generalized consulting toolkits.

Additionally, you will be invited to attend all professional training programs, fun events, and general gatherings that help make us a vibrant, energetic community. We will also be giving each Resident a laptop for the duration of the Residency.

What are my chances of joining Dalberg after this residency?

There are three pathways available to you post your Residency – joining Dalberg full-time (as a generalist Consultant or a Specialist), finding an opportunity in the broader social impact ecosystem (we will support you in this process), and returning to your previous career.

All determination on whether you will be offered a position at Dalberg will depend on your performance throughout the Residency and an examination of mutual fit. Your level at Dalberg will be offered based on your previous experience and performance.